Hive #6 May Block Tutorial

Hello lovely Stash Bee Friends!  

I can't believe it's already May!  This year has flown by so quickly.
I'm Nancy D. from Brock, TX.  I'll be married 21 years on the 28th of this month!   Daughter is finishing her first year of college and Son is a Junior in high school.  I work full time downtown Fort Worth, TX and love it, but it's a 45 minute commute one way.  That leaves me little sewing time during the week, so I mostly get to play with the fabrics on the weekends.  Quilting/sewing and collecting fabric are a couple of my favorite things to do when I'm not working.

I hope my request for this month will be super simple.  I want to make a quilt for my dad. I have this idea in my head and I hope with your help it'll translate to a handsome quilt for him.  I'm going to call it the "Sticks and Stones" quilt.

My colors:  Black, dark/medium gray, medium/light gray, white and red

      

              

 I'm asking for one block with four 7-1/2" unfinished square parts that I will sew together - One of the squares will have black background, one square with dark/medium gray background, one square with medium/light gray background and one square with white background.  It would be a 14-1/2" block if they were all sewn together, but I don't want them sewn together please.  Each block will have a strip (or stick) of red that runs through it. 

These are a few that I've put together:

The fabrics can be solids or prints, but I'd like for the fabric pull to not have more than one other color in them.  If there's a spot of one other color, it'll be okay.  

Here are examples I pulled from my stash:

Black, Dark/Medium Gray, Medium/Light Gray, White and Red

These are examples of fabrics I wouldn't choose because they have too many other colors:

How to make the "sticks" blocks:
1.  I started with an 8" block of the background fabric and a strip of red fabric that is 1-1/4" to 2" wide. {I always have a little wiggle room, that's why I started with an 8" block.}.  The stick should be at least 3/4" but no bigger than 1-1/2" when it's all sewn together with the background fabric. 

2.  The sticks don't have to be perfectly cut, just not too wonky.  Determine where you want the stick to be and cut the background fabric.  Next, sew the red strip to one side of the background fabric.  Press the seam toward the red strip, then line up the red strip to the other piece of background fabric and sew.  Again, press seam toward the red strip.

   

3.  I forgot to take a picture of it before I trimmed it, but the block should then be trimmed to 7-1/2" x 7-1/2".

Again, I'm asking for one block with four parts - 

one 7-1/2" square with black background

one 7-1/2" square with dark/medium gray background

one 7-1/2" square with medium/light background and 

one 7-1/2" square with white background.  

Please,  DO NOT SEW THE FOUR SQUARES TOGETHER.  I will sew them together.

My idea is to bring all the blocks I receive/make together and piece them from white to black backgrounds - top to bottom of the quilt.  I'll still need to make several "stone" blocks to mix in with the "stick" blocks.    Here are some that I've made.  

If you have any questions, please let me know!  

My question for you all is - Three favorites - What is your favorite flower, favorite color, and favorite non-quilty/sewing activity?  Mine would be daisies, purple and reading - except I listen to books on Audible or cd's more than I actually sit down and read now.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!  Thank you so much for helping me make my dad a quilt!  

Y'all take care,

Nancy D. :0)

(aka Nanners1222 on Flickr, Instagram and Pinterest)