Hive 4 February 2024 - Scrappy Stripes Block Tutorial

 

Hi I'm Pam and this is my seventh time taking part in Stash Bee.  Stash Bee is the perfect cooperative quilting activity for me--a fun little project each month making my hivemates' blocks, and by the end of the year, enough blocks to create a little quilt for myself.  

My block for February is an easy, modern, improv-style block using a large square-ish piece of background fabric and three wonkily placed stripes.  To make the block more interesting, one of the three stripes will be pieced from small scraps. 

Here's how to make the block:

For background, use a piece of light solid or low volume print, at least 13" square.  To get the size of background I wanted, I laid my 12-1/2" square ruler over a piece of fabric, then roughly cut around about 1/2' from the sides of the ruler.  Don't worry if the edges aren't straight!

Now cut across the background square, either vertical or slightly diagonal--just eyeball it.

Now cut take a strip of any bright solid or print fabric, about 1-1/2" to 2-1/2" wide and at least an inch longer than the height of the background.  The strip does not have to be of even width, it can be wider at one end than at the other. 

Sew the strip to the background to make a stripe.  I pressed the seams toward the stripe, but how you press isn't important for this kind of block.  

Don't worry about the sides of the block being uneven, and don't trim the edges.  Next repeat to add another stripe to the block.

To make the scrappy stripe, find some small fabric scraps that you like and sew them together into a piece long enough to go across the background square.

Once they're all sewn together, press the scrappy piece and then cut a strip from the scrappy column.

Then sew this strip into the block same as before.  For the pieced stripe, I pressed the seams toward the background.  Don't trim the edges.  These blocks are going to be all different sizes, and I'll even them up later.  

Yay, you're done!  Thanks for making a Scrappy Stripes block for me. 💕

Pam 

Lemonade Star for Diana

 I finally figured out how to post this star!

~ Cheryl

Finished Intersections Variations Quilt from 2020

 

I never posted a photo of my completed "Intersections Variations" quilt from Stash Bee 2020.  This is the only photo I have of the finished quilt, which was sent off to a friend's daughter.  I don't remember the finished size, but it turned out pretty big--it's held up in the photo by my 6-foot tall husband reaching his arms overhead.  This was one of my favorite Stash Bee makes.  

Pink Lemonade 🌟 for Diana

Hi everyone! Here is my block for Diana. It came together so quickly and the colors are so cheerful! This is my first ever Stash Bee block (and my first blog post, so let me know if I messed this whole thing up haha!)

Pink Lemonade Block for Diana

 Hi Everyone, 

Here's my finished pink lemonade block for Hive 1 and my first ever Stash Bee Block. Diana, I love this pattern you chose and I hope baby and mama will enjoy the finished quilt.

Hive 1 - January Block for Diana

 Strawberry Lemonade!  So cheerful on this gloomy January day. Thanks for a fun block that lifted my spirits!

Will drop in the mail tomorrow. 

Chris

Well, I’m glad I double checked the instructions because my first one was NOT 15.5” it was too small!

Sending both in case you can use it. 😅

Crashing hive 4 - scrappy squares for Debbie

 

I cannot resist the opportunity to send rainbows out into the universe and these scrappy squares did the trick. I hope these make a nice addition to your hive blocks.

Kindly,

Nicole P 

Pink Lemonade ⭐️ for Diana!

Diana, this was such a fun way to start the year! Very satisfying block--and I only stressed a little about a perfect 1/4" seam 👀 

I can't wait to see the finished quilt; it will be so happy!!

Happy new year to everyone!

Molli.

Pink Lemonade Star for Diana

Hi Diana!

Here is to add to your collection of stars⭐⭐⭐

All these yellow and pinks will make a baby happy!

Happy Quilting!

Marie

 

Hive 1 January - Pink Lemonade Star for Diana

 Happy New Year!

What a fun block! I hope my star isn't too wonky for you though.

Hive 1 - Pink Lemonade Star for Diana

My very first Stash Bee block! I’m surprised at how smoothly the cutting and sewing went, in spite of my having learned that I’ve never in my decades-long relationship with my sewing machine actually sewn a quarter inch seam. Whoops! But here you go, a pink lemonade star with proper quarter inch seams:

Pink Lemonade Stars for Diana

 

Hi Diana,

What a delightful way to start the new year, with sewing for a baby. Hope these are, what you were looking for and also, that the little girl will treasure the quilt. 

Thank you, for helping me, reducing my pink stash - I don't use those often 😉.

It'll probably be Saturday, before, I can get those to the post office.

Have a great year, happy sewing,

Rita

Hive 6 January Tutorial- Christmas Tree blocks for Alanna

 Hello everyone and welcome to 2024 Hive #6!

I hope your holiday spirit has not completely burnt out, because for the January block I am asking for christmas tree blocks.

I have 2 little kids (my son just turned 4, and my daughter will be 2 in April). Their excitement and joy over the magic of the holiday season was so fun, and we are in that stage where we are forming our own traditions and core memories. I have been meaning to make a christmas quilt for ages, but realized I really need to get on it, or it will be one of those things that never happens (like printing photos for photo albums). 

This year my mother-in-law made me a stocking that matches goes with my partner’s.

My partner and his mother are Haida First Nations, and there are cultural rules and protocols about what animal crests that you can use. They are part of the raven clan, so his stocking has a raven design.

My kids don’t have their own crest yet, so their stockings only have the buttons and fur, and no design yet. And for me, she made a hummingbird, which is one of the animal crests that don’t belong to a specific clan so she was able to use that for me, a non-indigenous person. 

 

She really surprised me with the pink colour! So I want to make a christmas quilt that incorporates pink in it, and am inspired by the stocking, as well as by the colours of vintage christmas ornaments.

Block Pattern:

I am asking for christmas tree blocks, based on the tutorial by Amy Smart, of Diary of a Quilter. 

https://www.diaryofaquilter.com/modern-christmas-tree-quilt-block/

I am not making any changes to her tutorial in terms of sizing, so the blocks will end up about 7″ x 9″ finished. It might not be exact, because this is kind of an improv block.

Based on the way this block is constructed, you will be cutting and piecing the block in a pair- so you will end up with two blocks that are inverse of each other in terms of colours.  

Fabric Selection:

For this block you need three fabrics:

• 2 colours for the background and trees; and

• 1 brown for the tree trunk

• Medium to dark, chestnut brown is ideal but use what you have (just not a light tan brown though, please)

For the background and trees you can choose 2 different fabrics in any combination of the following colours:

• Pink: 

• Medium to bright pink

• Bright Green:

• Emerald or kelly green

• Avoid olive or lime greens, or any super dark hunter greens

• one of my examples in my fabric pull definitely leans to the light side (the lime green with snowmen)- i dont want anything more yellow or light than that one

• Red:

• Bright, tomato/cherry true reds

• Reds with a lot of white in them are okay

• Please avoid super dark reds, maroons and burgundies, or reds that have a lot of brown or orange in them

• Aqua/turqouise:

• I am looking for a contrast with the bright green, so I don't want something that reads true blue (ie not a cobalt or royal blue) or too mint/green

• A bright teal is okay if it leans towards more blue than green

• 
  

Prints and solids are both great. 

If you are using a print, here are some parameters:

• tone on tone or blenders are great

• novelty prints are great too if they are winter/christmas themed (snowflakes, snowmen, sweaters, ornaments, reindeer, santas, peppermints etc) 

• Please no licenced characters (no mickey mouse, paw patrol,sesame street etc. while my kids love those, I do not want them in my decor)

• Prints that have a combination of the other colours in the quilt, or white, are perfect. Just try to avoid prints that introduce new colours into the quilt

Consider contrast 

When choosing your two fabrics, please try to have some contrast between them in terms of both colour and scale . So for example, if you choose a bright tone on tone green, for colour # 2 choose a lighter pink, or red print with more white in it. Or if fabric 1 is a larger print, choose a smaller scale print for fabric #2.

My Fabric Pull and Colour Inspiration

Here is my fabric pull from my own stash.

I think I may use this fabric as a border around the finished blocks

I found some completed quilts on instagram in a similar colour scheme. Here is one of my favourites. This one has navy though, which is not one of my colours.

Cutting:

Colour 1 (any of the four colours listed above)	Cut (1) 8.5” x 8.5” square Cut (1) 2” x 8.5” strip ***Note: If using a directional print, be careful how you cut this strip- in one of my blocks I have my print going the wrong way for this bottom strip
Colour 2 (a different colour than #1)	Cut (1) 8.5” x 8.5” square Cut (1) 2” x 8.5” strip ***Note: If using a directional print, be careful how you cut this strip (see above)
Brown (tree trunk)	Cut (2) 1.5” x 2” rectangles

Block construction:

Step1:

Stack your two 8 ½″ x 8 ½″ contrasting squares on top of each other. 

This is where the “improv” part comes in.

Place your ruler at an angle and make a diagonal cut.

Pull the fabrics from the first cut away, and make a second diagonal cut the other direction to get your tree shape. 

You can make the tree fat and wide, or tall and skinny, or any combination in between. The more variety across all the tree blocks I receive, the more visual interest the quilt will have.

***Note: Don’t cut your triangle point right at the top of the block – leave lots of room above the point so that there’s room for squaring up and for seam-allowance.

Step 2:

Sub-Cut your two 2″ x 8 ½″ strips in half to make two sets of 2″ x 4 ¼″ strips.

Step 3:

Swap out the ‘tree’ piece and match it up with the contrasting background pieces.

Sew the tree piece to the background side pieces starting with the side of the second cut.

Tip: When lining up your tree piece with the background piece right sides together, place the top corner of the tree ¼” past the edge of the background piece.

Press seam away from tree.

Step 4:

Now sew the side of the background from the first cut to the tree.

Press away from the tree

Step 5:

Once your sides are pieced, square off the bottom so that the edges are straight across.

Step 6:

Sew the two sets of 2″ x 4 ¼″ strips on either sides of a brown 2″ x 1 ½″ ‘trunk’ piece.

Press towards the trunk

Step 7:

Sew the trunks to the bottom of the blocks. (The trunk strips are purposely wider than the tree parts so that you have wiggle room to center the trunk under the wonky trees.)

Press the seam open.

Step 8:

Trim off any pieces hanging off the side.

Do not trim the top. I will do that when I get them all, and trim them all to the same size. 

Repeat for the inverse block, and your done!

Here are three sets I made so far, all mixed up.