Thursday, January 23, 2020

Hive 1 Block for Amanda

Hi, this is Marie from Maine
Didn't have as many reds as I thought so hope this will fit in.  As for what else I enjoy doing, I also love to be out in the garden (although it's  more a test of wills between me and the deer at this point) and reading.  I recently started the Outlander series and am hooked.  The woman knows how to make you turn a page.
Thanks for a fun block Amanda

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Block for Amanda

.
Hello Hive 1
I'm Rose, I live in New Jersey with my Husband of 45 years. We are retired and try to travel a few times a year. I love to read and of course sew. I try to get a little bit of both in each day.
The days that our 2 year old granddaughter comes over becomes only about her. I love it.
I have been in stash bee for a few years. I enjoy trying different blocks.
I must admit, I have to remember to read the directions and pay attention . I have 2 blocks here because the block on the right was the first. When I looked back to post it, I realized I made it wrong.....so, I had to find more red squares and start again. I am sending you both. Maybe you can use it on the back.
Enjoy Rose

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Hive 1 Block for Amanda

Hi,

I'm a bit late in posting this, as Amanda has already let me know that the block has reached her.

To answer the question about hobbies:
I do like reading, crime mysteries and also novels.
However, I try not to start, as it keeps me up too late at night...
Not sure if this counts: I also like sewing other things than quilts, mainly for the home, even dabbled a bit in sewing clothes.
Over time I tried a variety of crafts (cross-stitch, silversmithing, paper crafts...), but abandoned most of them due to time (and money) restraints.

Cheers,
Rita


Sunday, January 12, 2020

Jan 2020 Hive 1 for Amanda


These were fun blocks to make for Amanda, but after I had them sewn together, I realized I measured wrong for the white strips!! I showed them to Amanda, and offered to remake. She is wonderful and said they were fine!



 I think all the blocks will make a wonderful quilt!


Quilting is my #1 hobby. I don't read books anymore, but I download and listen while I'm quilting or cleaning(definitely not a hobby!). I also cross stitch and crochet. When the weather gets nice--and it was beautiful in northern NJ this weekend!!!--I like to be outside! These should be in the mail to you tomorrow Amanda!

Friday, January 10, 2020

Hive 1 for Amanda from Kathie

A bold color choice for January.  My husband says he loves every color, as long as it is red, so he'd love the quilt that you make from these blocks.  Here's mine.
Other than quilting, I also love to read and to do puzzles.  I can't start my day without doing the crossword and Sudoku in the morning paper.  There there's also KenKen and Kakuro on my Ipad.  Am I missing any that you'd recommend?  

Looking forward to some fun sewing this year.

Kathie L in Allentown, PA


Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Hive 1 January Block for Amanda



Hive 1 January Block for Amanda




Thank you Amanda for such a fun easy block to start the year! I mailed it off yesterday.

Sorry for the duplicates, I did not realize how much I lacked in RED.  Perfect excuse to order a few new fabrics but some of them ended up a bit too orangy  (IMO) so I decided against using them. I also ended up with a stack of extra 5x5 squares so those are coming your way as well!



Some of my other hobbies include fishing, paddle boarding, fossil hunting, shell collecting, and my now favorite - going to the gym.  I'm very excited for 2020! I just signed up for an online FMQ class and can't wait to gain some new skills.

-Rochelle
@mcallisterwench

Monday, January 6, 2020

Hive 1 for Amanda

This was a fun block to make. I had trouble with one strip, I hope it will trim up ok. This is my second year doing the Stash Bee, and I’m enjoying learning new techniques. I’m retired and recently moved to NE Pennsylvania along the Delaware River. I enjoy watching the eagles soar by from my sewing room! Other than quilting, I love to read and enjoy games on my IPAD. Always looking for opponents for Words With Friends😉. Sorry picture is upside down!

Hive 1 January Red Block for Amanda


Hi, this is my first time participating in the Stash Bee block exchange and my first ever blog post.  Doing new things is a great way to start the year!

This was a fun block to make.  Please let me know if the little bit of black in my white is offensive.  It was the only true white in my stash.  For about a minute I thought about going to the store but didn’t want to break the “stash” rule.  Was I wrong to use what I had?

To answer Amanda’s question about what else I love to do, I must say reading, road trips with my husband, and spending time with family.   Karen

Thursday, January 2, 2020

January RED block for Hive 1


This was a challenging block for me because for some reason I have hardly any mostly-red fabrics in my stash.  I don't know why that is, because I really do like red.  The hunt is part of the fun, though, and I dug around and found some red print charm squares and a red blender that were just right for Amanda's January block.  The instructions were easy to follow, and it turned out looking pretty good, if I do say so myself.  The lighting was bad for my photo--the white fabric really is white, not cream as it looks in the picture.

I'm excited to be starting another year of Stashbee with hivemates old and new.  To answer Amanda's question--my other hobbies include knitting, crochet, quilting, garment sewing, beading, and cross stitch.  I like having different things to pick up and do whenever I have time.  Happy New Year, Stashbees.
Pam

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Hive 1 red block for Amanda




Well, that was fun.  I definitely want to make a quilt like this too.  I hope these reds will work for your plan.  You asked us to tell about any other creative things we do.  I have tried a lot of crafty things over the years but currently am knitting, making stained glass projects and am quilting.  I love each one when I am immersed in the project. Looking forward to hearing from the other bees in Hive 1.

Hive 3: January 2020 Tutorial - Pumpkin Block

Hello and Happy New Year!  I am so happy that Stash Bee has begun another year!

I need {true story} a fall quilt.....not Halloween, I have a few of those  :)   Just a fall quilt.  I decided to make my block for this month super easy pumpkins!   Here's what I came up with:





What you'll need:

6 - 1.5" orange strips (all shades of orange - whatever is in your stash)
4 - 1.5" squares off white/cream
2 - 1.5"  strips off white/cream
1 small piece of brown for stem

Sew the strips together, press and trim piece to 5.5" by 6.5".





Draw pencil line across small squares.  Add to each corner and sew on line.  Trim and press. Trim again if needed.




Sew cream strips to brown stem.  Press.  Center strip on top of pumpkin.  Sew.  Trim.  The block finishes at a 6.5" square.  I'd love for you to make two if you can.


 (my stem is off center a bit - I'm so okay with that!)



If you don't have a variety of orange prints, just use one color cutting the fabric 5.5" x 6.5" like this:



You can get as creative as you want with these....I did one pumpkin like a log cabin.  Don't think too hard with this!  I'm going to love what you send me!

This is what's on my design board:



While I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this, I'm sure I will put all your pumpkins to good use creating a unique fall quilt for my family to love.

Peace to all,

Laura

Hive 1: January tutorial - red quilt

A while ago I made a green quilt and had the thought it could be fun to make a quilt of every color.  Well, I don't have much red so that is the perfect type of quilt for a bee!

You'll need 9 squares of 5x5" red fabric.  Duplicate fabrics are fine.  Any red is fine (light red to dark red).  Please stay away from fabrics that don't 'read' with red as the main color though.  Solids are lovely and batiks are fine, but please stay away from novelty prints.  Here are my examples...it's pretty much my whole red stash, so there aren't a ton of examples.

Cut 9 rectangles of white (solid white is preferred, but white on white is fine) that are about 6" x 2".

Mark the back of the red squares.  Please mark in the same way as shown below: on the bottom of the square such that the line slopes down...this is where a tiny amount of improv shows up.  As long as the line doesn't start more than 2" from the bottom, doesn't end more than 3/8" from the bottom, and slopes down it is a good line.

Add your white rectangle behind the red square so that there is a 1/4" overlap between the line and the edge of the white rectangle.  (The arrow in the picture below is the 1/4".)  Sew on the marked line.

Press the white rectangle up.  (I changed red fabrics in the pictures for some reason.)

Square up to 5x5".
 

Trim the hidden red fabric so there is only a 1/4" seam. (Photo shows before the cut.)

Arrange the blocks so the white lines are arranged like below.

Sew together, please press seams open.

Since we're a blogger hive, shall we include a question to be answered when posting your final block?  If you don't want to answer that's fine...it's just for fun.  For January, ...hmm.  What is one (or more) of your hobbies besides quilting?  For me, it would mainly be reading.  It's the thing that tends to keep me up too late at night.  I also like playing with Legos and playing games.

Hive 2: January Block Tutorial - Log cabin

Welcome to the year 2020 and the first block for January with new hive mama Gayle.

For my block I would like a free form log cabin block, 15 inch in size. Easy to make but hope my particulars are not too challenging. 

Color palette:

Any black and white prints (no solid white or solid black though)




Aqua prints, batiks and/or solids



Pink prints, batiks and/or solids, think bubblegum pink



Optional - one thin strip 1" to 1 1/2" wide of bright yellow.  * See note below



Choose one of the above color choices, b&w, aqua or pink for the block center (not yellow). Cut a 5 inch square. Build the log cabin blocks with strips in any widths between 1 and 2 1/2 inches wide. Add first strip to side of 5 inch center block. The pink strip in my example.




Continue adding strips, by going round and round in a concentric manner. (Since this is not a traditional log cabin with matching logs going on in pairs, I admit, that if I set it aside, I was not sure which side the next strip goes on. If that happens, just start looking at the first 5 inch long strip applied to the center and follow around to see where the next one goes. Maybe you won't have this problem but I did sometimes!) Build out the block to be at least 15 inches square. When you get closer to the outer edges, kind of plan a little ahead. When adding the final perimeter strips, just make sure you don't end up with a skinny strip around the outside edges, I used wider strips.

Square up, if needed, as you go along and iron towards the outside strip as you attach each strip.

Here is center with four strips and the next one goes on the side of the first pale pink strip.




If you have a large assortment of fabrics, it would be great if you can use a variety with no repeats. But if not, don't sweat it and use what you have. If you repeat fabrics, just space them around the block so they are not adjoining on their long sides. Also try to use around at least 3 black & white pieces.

No need to trim down, it is up to you. And since this is a bit free form the center square may NOT be in the center when finished - that is fine!

Completed blocks




* Note: for alternative block.

So after making my two examples, I decided it might be better with a bit of a bright color thrown in occasionally. So I made an alternative block with thin strip of bright yellow (between 1 and 1 1/2 inches wide).

It is your choice, please make the original block above OR make the alternative block by inserting one strip of yellow somewhere in the block.  I will be happy with either one!



Contact me with any questions.

Best wishes for great 2020 and lots of fun sewing and to many completed projects!

Gayle

Hive 4: January tutorial - Mini Log Medallion








This is a mini-log medallion block.  Actually, two of my other stash bee quilts were variations of a log cabin block as well.  What I like is that you won't get  stressed about points or angles and you can express yourself in this block as well. 

These are actually yellows, but it was very bright in the sewing room. 
First decision……colors.  I want you to show the group your favorite colors and fabrics.  If you’re a “solid” person, then that’s what you choose.  If you love florals, then choose those.  I would even include novelty prints if that’s your jam.   I am not concerned about mixing and matching, it all goes together and if it doesn’t, then I’ll move it to opposite corners!!!!!   My favorite quilts are scrappy and I’ve learned that if it’s just my scraps it is pretty one note, but include others scraps and the party happens.  I’m thankful my local quilting group loves to give me their scraps and I
get to dig through the scrap bag at my local quilt shop as well. 

Here are some pinks I would use.  
To finish off the block you need one dark.  Select a dark black, solid or print, dark gray, charcoal, navy, or eggplant.   Use the same dark for all four corners of the block. 

Second decisions…..Do I have enough of that color?   
You will need four different fabrics in your style and color and from each color you need one 2.5 inch strip at least 12-15 inches long.   I think that fabrics of the same color way, but different value can add motion.  I’m even okay with colors that don’t quite even blend as long as they live in the same color family.  If you don’t have four different fabrics in your favorite colorway, I’m okay with two fabrics used twice. 

For the dark, you need about 30 inches of 1.5 width.  You would need WOF or across a fat quarter two times. 


Now you are ready for Action:
 Cutting:  Dark:   cut (4) 1.5 x 2.5   (4) 1.5 x 3.5




Dark fabric 1.5 inches cut into 2.5 and 3.5 inches, four of each.
One 2.5 square, one 2.5 x 3.5 and one 5.5 from 2.5 inch strips
Colors:   From each strip cut (1) 2.5x2.5 square, (1) 2.5 x 3.5 rectangle and (1) 2.5 and 5.5 rectangle
Save time and stack the four colored strips and cut four layers at once if you would like. 







Construction.  Lay out the four colored squares out and attach the short dark rectangle to one side of all four squares.  Press away from the color, toward the dark.  If you prefer pressing open, I'm fine with that.  




Long dark rectangle to the right of the colored block.
                                











Add the shorter colored rectangle to the right side, Then add the longer rectangle.  No picture, but surely you get it.




Press and sew the four log cabins together like a four patch with the dark fabric on the outside corners.   And you’re done. Block should measure 10.5 inches.  

P.S.  Yellow is not one of my favorite colors, but I'm collecting yellows right now for a table runner to make this spring, so they were handy.
Take a picture and post to Instagram “stashbeehive4”
Fold it, send it and relax.