Finished Quilt - Hive 2 -2026

 Here is my completed wonky Red, White and Blue stars quilt. And I happened to get it done before the 4th of July. Happy Semiquincentennial!

Gayle

Modern almost 9-Patch Tutorial for Jennifer Hive 3

This is my 11th year in Stash Bee.  I love this group because it gives me the push to sew something every month.  Each block is fun to pick the fabrics and see things come together.  I've made several quilts as a result of this group.

This month when I was thinking of what to ask for, I kept looking at a postage stamp quilt I had started with scraps.  I have no inspiration to keep working on this because it is so blah, so I decided to ask you to help me give it a bit of a modern kick.  We are adding some random uniformity to a plain quilt.  I will insert these squares somehow, maybe with a plan, maybe not, but I'm sure it will give me the inspiration to finish it.  I'm going for a large King size quilt.

Here are my finished pieces with the quilt so you can see what I'm going for:

This isn't quite a 9 patch since there are only 5 strips per block, they look like a 9-patch.  

These are small blocks with a multi color fabric in the middle surrounded by Red.

I will insert these in a large postage stamp quilt to add some interest.

• FABRIC PARAMETERS: 

The base color of the square should be red.  Any solid red will do, although please don't use a batik.

The center square should be multi-color.  It doesn't have to contain red.  It really can be anything since this is a scrappy quilt.

Strips  - cut a 1.5 inch strip of the red.  You will need a length of 40 inches so you may need to cut two like I did:

From this red piece you will need:

8 x 3.5 inch blocks

8 x 1.5 inch blocks

From the multi color scrap you will need:

4 x 1.5 inch squares.  They can all be different or the same fabric for these centers.  I prefer them to all be different to add to the scrappiness if possible.  How many 1.5 in scraps do you have?  I know I have a ton!

They will be assembled like this:

I pressed to the outside:

Here are the final squares.  Feel free to trim them or send them as-is and I'll take care of the trimming:

Thank you all so much for adding some new life to this big scrappy quilt!  I can't wait to see it all together.

- Jennifer

July 2026 tutorial for Hive 4

 Happy Summer! 

This month I’m looking forward to staying in my sewing room more and doing a reset of my fabric and and purging my fabric.

So far I haven’t quite gotten there. I recently attended Stitch Florida and am a bit behind!

My beautiful block is called October stars and I am looking for a white on white back ground with bright florals. 

The block is made up of half square triangles. The size of the block is 12”

Here are some whites and some bright happy florals:

Here are some examples of the blocks I have already made. 

light 

light 

It is a fairly easy block but you do have to take care in the layout!

For my tutorial

You will be making half inch triangles using any comfortable method. This half square triangle  measures 3.5. 

To make these you will cut 

8.  4.5 of both background and floral.

Mark you diagonal and sew along each side then cut on your diagonal line.

Square down to   3.5!

Arrange according to the picture here!

Press toward the dark side! 

I look sew forward to seeing your squares!

Doretta

Hive 5 - July tutorial for Amy - (still) Twirling at the Disco

 It's summertime in Minnesota. A short, but lovely time of year! Long, sunny days, and celebrating my birthday, fishing on the little and big lakes are all a great way to enjoy the summer along with quilting (it's never a bad time to get the sewing machine out to make something beautiful). 

This year, I'm going back to a quilt I started in the 2024 Stash Bee. It's called Twirling at the Disco. It's a great stash buster using mostly 2 1/2" squares.

Here is a previous Stash Bee tutorial with excellent instructions: http://stashbee.blogspot.com/2024/04/hive-2-april-tutorial-for-kim.html

Here is the original pattern: https://www.sameliasmum.com/2020/02/twirling-at-disco-quilt-free-pattern.html?m=1

When I originally made this quilt back in 2024, I thought I was done with it, but have been putting off quilting it for 2 years and realized it's because it's not done. I want to add some more blocks and that's where you come in 😁 

I think 12 more blocks will finish it off. It'll be a good queen size quilt. 

This is a super easy block to assemble. There are a lot of pieces, but it goes together quickly and is a great use of those small scraps you’ve got laying around.

I used this advanced chain piecing also known as web piecing (and probably other things as well) for the 16 patches. Assemble them however you prefer, but I thought I would share for anyone who is interested and hasn’t tried this method. https://youtu.be/qE7KKaS5p-8?si=ADB0Qz5b-0JStY7n

You will need the following fabric:

Forty (40) 2-1/2” squares in a nice mix of colorful prints. Just about anything goes but I would like to avoid browns, blacks, greys, and anything that reads mostly white. Batiks are cool. Licensed fabric are fine. Holiday is acceptable (preferably not majority holiday). Use as great a variety as you'd like.

Two (2) 4-1/2” squares from low volume fabric with white background or white or white on white.

Two (2) 4-1/2 “ by 8-1/2” rectangles  from low volume fabric with white background or white or white on white.

Here's my fabric pull:

I made 2 four patches and 2 sixteen patches, I did some fussy cutting for fun and arranged them in as nice an arrangement as I could for such a scrappy scrappy pattern.

Then each four patch got attached to a white square

Lastly, I assembled two rows (top and bottom) and then attached the two rows into the final block:

My original 16 blocks:

I decided I wanted to make it a rectangle, so I added 8 more blocks, but I cannot leave well enough alone, so I am excited to add 12 more blocks (3 more circles) and finally finish this one up.

Thank you so much for your participation. I hope you have a lot of fun putting it together.

Wishing you all a wonderful summer and more quilty fun for the rest of this year and on!

Hive 2 - July's tutorial - Rail fence quilt block

 Hi, Happy Semi quincentennial! 

You had to know it was going to be a Red, White and Blue theme.  With vacations, kids out of school and a month of many celebratory events I figured it would be good to have a simple and easy block. (I promise next year's will be more complicated. 😉) 

So, the colors pulled are just red (red-blue, if possible, compared to red orange) and white. The red just has to read red. Please check ** if the red fabric as they are prone bleed White on white is okay as well as Batiks fabrics.  

U

You will need three red fabric strips and two white fabric strips of 2.5" by 10.5" so, it should measure 10.5" x 10.5" unfinished.  The fabrics can be the same bolt or different bolts. 

Lay out will be red, then white, then red, then white to finish up with a red strip.  The red strips start and finish the block.  I ended up using an ombre fabric.  

Sew the first two strips using a 1/4" seam allowance. Then sew the next strip to the ones already sewed and so (sew) on.  

Press your seams towards the darker fabric.

I'm sure you are wondering where the blue comes into play.  I'll be making white stars on blue background to finish up the quilt.  

Thanks for your assistance & enjoy 250th celebration of the America's independence.

Deb

😃

** A good test to see if the red fabric will bleed is to take a small piece like one inch square and wet it completely and put it on a white paper towel to dry to see if the dye transfers.  If there is a terrible problem, you can wash the fabric till it runs clear.  

Hive 1 - July 2026 Tutorial - Begger's Block for Cindy

 Happy Summer all!

 I've chosen Beggar's Block (or Roman Square or Cats and Mice).  It is a very easy quilt block. With only rectangles and a square, the block goes together so quickly!  Rather than cutting each block separately, you can use a strip piecing assembly approach and reduce your sewing time.  The blocks are assembled in a 9 patch format and the rows are sewn together for the final product.  You should end up with a 9" (maybe 9 1/4) finished block.

FABRIC PULL

        The center  square (3 1/4 in) and the center stipes should be white.  The other stripes should be bold bright colors.

FABRIC/CUTTING REQUIREMENTS:

WHITE        (1)    3 1/4 square

                      (1)     1 1/4 x 42 strip (this is longer than you will need but makes chain piecing easier)

COLOR

                    (2)   1 1/4 x 42 strips

SEWING INSTRUCTIONS: 

1)    Using the picture above for reference, sew two of the Bright  1.5" x 42" rectangles to opposite sides of a White 1.5" x 42" rectangle. Press the seam allowances away from the White fabric.

2)  Cut the strip into  3 1/4 in squares for a total of eight Beggar Stripe units.

3)   Lay out all the Beggar Stripe units and the White 3.25" square as in the picture below. From here the block goes together like a basic Nine Patch block.  The solid white square is in the center and the Beggar stripes alternate direction around the square.

4)  Sew the units into three rows as shown below.

5)  Sew the three rows together to complete the block.  This should result in a 9" block.

Here is a link to a YouTube (by Sewing Parts online) tutorial which you may find helpful as well.  

How to Sew the Beggars Block (Step-by-Step)

This was a quick block to assemble and should be really great scrappy!  I'm looking forward to all the beautiful colors and prints.

Hope y'all have a wonderful 4th and a great summer.  Thanks.

Cindy

Hive 1 June Log Cabin Block for Caitlin

 My grandma, who taught me to quilt, made a lot of log cabin quilts. They’ve always felt like the quintessential quilt block to me, but I haven’t actually made many myself! Thank you for asking for this one; it was a nice nostalgic little project for me, with a bunch from my grandma’s stash in it. It’ll go in the mail tomorrow. 

Hive 1 June Purpleish Log Cabin Block for Caitlin

 

This was a fun and easy block, and I think Caitlin's purple and red color palette will make a lovely quilt.  Happy quilting all!

Pam 

Hive 1 - June log cabin block for Caitlin

 I love the color scheme you are going with!! Purple is my favorite color, so the hardest part was narrowing it down to just a few fabrics :) 

Hive 1 - May 2026 – Neon Stroked Flying Geese for Kelli

 

Sorry, I didn't realise that I didn't publish it last month 🙈

Hive 1 - June 2026 - Block for Caitlin

 

Jive 1 - June 2026 - Log for Caitlin

 Caitlin:

Making these blocks were fun!  Dropping in the mail later today.  Enjoy!

Cindy 

Hive 1 June Block - Log Cabin for Caitlin

 

Hi Caitlin,

A Log Cabin quilt is still on my 'quilty bucket list'. I might have the patience for it someday! 😉

Two blocks were the limit of my meagre purple stash (not my favourite colour...). Hope they'll do.

Happy quilting,

Rita

Hive 2 Tutorial for June 2026 - Blooming Squares

 Hello all!

June might be a month for bright colours, but this month's hive tutorial will simply be a blue and white quilt block, 14.5" unfinished.

The inspiration for this month's block comes from The Quilters Cache.

Fabric Pull:

Background: white or white tone-on-tone 

Blues: 6 different colours of blue: blenders, solids, batiks, or subtle pattern.  Turquoise and teals ok to use as well.  

Cutting:

White: 

- 2.5"x2.5" - 17 required

- 3"x3" - 1 required

Blues: *Your LONG length blues should be dark; SHORT length blues should be lighter blue. 

For the 4.5"-10.5" lengths, it's ok to have some variation of colours.  You can set the strips from darkest to lightest or dark-medium-dark-medium-medium-medium/light-light.  Only 'rule' is the 12.5" length is dark & 2.5" HST is light.  

- 2.5"x12.5" - 2 required (dark blue)

-2.5"x10.5" - 2 required (medium/dark blue)

-2.5"x8.5" - 2 required (medium blue)

-2.5"x6.5" - 2 required (medium blue)

-2.5"x4.5" - 2 required (light/medium blue)

-3"x3" - 1 required (light blue)

Sewing Instructions:

Draw a line diagonally on the back of the white 3"x3".  Place over light blue 3"x3" square, right sides together. Sew 1/4" on either side of marked line then cut on line. Press seams.  Trim each unit to 2.5"x2.5".  

Sew your 2 light blue HST (half square triangles) and 2 white 2.5"x2.5" squares together as shown.  

(I'll call this the base unit.)

Draw a line diagonally on the backside of ten 2.5"x2.5" squares.

(Photo above taken prior to base unit sewn together).

Separate each size of blue fabric strips into 2 piles.

Using photo above for reference, place marked white 2.5x2.5" squares at outside end of blue strips,  Each set of marked white squares is sewn in a different direction than the other set!

For each set, add a marked white square to the end of each strip and sew on the line.  Trim and press seams toward white end.

Watch the direction of your marked squares: they should mirror-image each other.  The white triangles of each set should point toward the base unit. 

Using the photo above again as reference, sew an unmarked white 2.5"x2.5" square to the right side of the blue strips below the base unit.  Press seam away from the white square.

Sew a 2.5x4.5" strip to the right side of the base unit as shown below.

Sew the matching 2.5x4.5"-with-sewn square to the bottom of the base unit, making sure to align edges & seams.

Repeat sewing the strips to right then bottom of base unit, ensuring the left & top edges remain straight. 

When block is complete, trim to 14.5".

Happy Sewing & have fun!  I look forward to seeing the blocks you all will sew for me.

~ Wilma

Hive 3: June Tutorial - StashBee 2026 - Hive 3's Favorite Things! for Beth

Because this is a quick and small block that works great for using fabric scraps or orphan quilt blocks, please make two separate Polaroid-style blocks that I can combine together into a finished quilt later. Each block should use different fabric(s) for the “picture” portion of the Polaroid block.

 

The center of each block should feature a fussy-cut image of something you enjoy. Ideas could include:

• Your favorite item or hobby
• A fabric print you love
• A bold graphic or fun pattern
• An orphan quilt block that you would like to repurpose as the “photo” area of the Polaroid block

 

Color Palette:

For the color palette, my ideal quilt block would use modern-style fabric(s) in the center “photo” area that feature:

• Bright colors
• Bold shapes and designs
• Fun, graphic, or eye-catching prints

Please use a solid white fabric for the outside “Polaroid frame” if possible based on your fabric stash. If you do not have a solid white available, a subtle white-on-white print (with no added color) is perfectly fine as a substitute.

While writing this post, I learned that white-on-white fabrics may also be called:

• Tone-on-tone prints
• Blender fabrics
• Low-volume fabrics
• Or other similar terms

As explained by Stashbee, tone-on-tone prints are “patterned prints that often look like a solid at a distance or if you squint,” and are often referred to as blender fabrics.

My ideal block would avoid batiks, holiday fabrics (unless that holiday is one of your favorite things), reproduction fabrics, or anything that does not really “pop.” That said, I truly believe I can make almost any block option work!  

My Fabric Pull

Here are some examples of fabrics that I pulled and auditioned for my blocks. You will notice a combination of orphan quilt blocks and a few fabric prints.

For the orphan blocks that I selected, some were slightly too small, so I would have added fabric around the edges to make them the correct size. Others were too large, so I simply cut out a section in the correct size to use as the “photo” portion of the block.

Block instructions:

1. Locate your fabrics for the blocks. You will need 3 different fabrics for your blocks this month.

You will need:

• Fabric 1: Solid white fabric
• Fabric 2: A bright or bold fabric featuring something you love (favorite print, graphic, object, orphan block, etc.)
• Fabric 3: Another bright or bold fabric featuring something you love

Please note: Fabric 2 and Fabric 3 should be different fabrics.

2. Cut the White Fabric (Fabric 1)

Cut:

• (1) strip measuring 1” x WOF (width of fabric)

From this strip, subcut:

• (4) pieces measuring 1” x 6.75”

• (2) pieces measuring 1” x 7.5”

Then cut:

• (1) strip measuring 2.25” x WOF

From this strip, subcut:

• (2) pieces measuring 2.25” x 7.5”

You may place the remaining fabric into your scrap pile for future projects.

               

3. Fussy cut Fabrics 2 & 3

From Fabric 2, cut:

• (1) rectangle measuring 6.5” wide × 6.75” tall

From Fabric 3, cut:

• (1) rectangle measuring 6.5” wide × 6.75” tall

I’ve included a few examples of fussy cuts that I made. One example was cut from an orphan block that I especially loved because it felt like a distinct, scrappy pattern and included several favorite fabrics, like the spooky eyes and The Ghastlies prints.

I also included an example using one of my favorite fabrics — a very graphic print with a cute raccoon! I didn’t end up using it in the finished tutorial blocks, but it was still a fun option to audition for the project.

 

A favorite fabric (love the frog, bright vibrant color and overall pattern!)

4. Sew the Side Borders

Sew (2) 1” × 6.75” white strips to the long vertical sides of the fussy-cut rectangle.

Press seams after sewing. I’m not picky about whether seams are pressed open or to one side. However, I would prefer that you choose one seam pressing method and keep it consistent throughout each block rather than mixing methods within the same block.

Repeat for both Fabric 2 and Fabric 3 blocks.

5. Sew the Top Border

For each block:

• Sew (1) 1” x 7.5” white strip to the top edge.

• Press seams.

Repeat for both Fabric 2 and Fabric 3 blocks.

6.  Sew the Bottom Border

For each block:

• Sew (1) 2.25” x 7.5” white strip to the bottom edge.

• Press seams.

Repeat for both Fabric 2 and Fabric 3 blocks.

7. Check Block Size

Your blocks should measure:

7.5” wide x 9” tall

The finished block should resemble a Polaroid-style photo frame with your chosen fabric

featured in the center.

Inspiration Links

This block idea was inspired by the following tutorials I found for free online:

• INSTA-PIC Pattern Tutorial

• Crafty Staci Photo Quilt Block Tutorial

 

I’m not completely sure what the final quilt will look like yet, but I found several great
examples showing different ways these blocks can be arranged and combined. I may also
add a Polaroid camera block or other fun design element(s) to help tie the quilt together.

A few inspiration sources that I really like are:

• Blossom Heart Quilts’ “5 Ways to Use Your Polaroid Blocks”

• PJ’s Crafty Creations – “Look Into My World Polaroid Quilt”

• Stitched in Color – “In the Quilting Studio No. 46”