Hive 1: November Tutorial - Improv Log Cabin for Jane

Last month, Stash Buddies!

Create an improvisational log cabin block using solid white fabric as the primary background, accented with one or two pops of saturated color.  Strips can vary in width, angles can change, and the placement of color is entirely up to you. The blocks you see are 6 ½” and 12 1/2” - but any size is fine as I'll be constructing it on without a prescribed grid. I put my samples on a black background so you can see the seams.  You can make one or several - have fun and search those scrap bins for some fun accent colors.  Thanks!

 

Improvisational Log Cabin Quilt Block

Background: Solid white fabric. 

Color accents: One or two pieces of saturated fabric that read as a solid from a distance. Choose colors that stand out clearly against the white. Finished Block SizeI often found a print of two colors (white being one of them) and then matched the color in the print with a solid for my pops.

Blocks should measure between 3½″ and 12½″ unfinished. You may make any size within this range. Either rectangles or square blocks are fine. Blocks do not need to be a standard size as they will be incorporated into an alternate-grid quilt layout.

Instructions

1. Begin with a small piece of fabric.

Begin with a small piece of square fabric in your chosen accent color. (Solid or white/color print) Your starting piece can grow to be centered or placed off-center.

2. Creating the Improv Cabin

Cut a strip of white fabric and sew it to one side of your starting piece. The strip can be wider or narrower than the starting piece. It can be a rectangle or triangle.

Add another white strip to an adjoining side, then continue adding strips around the growing block. You may work clockwise, counterclockwise, or change directions as you go.  I squared up every once in awhile as I wanted the white to be sort of in a square. (See seam lines)

Experiment with:

Strips of different widths and lengths angled seams and strips that are not perfectly parallel, off-center shapes and unexpected turns, narrow strips alongside wider sections of white.

Trim excess fabric from individual pieces as needed to prepare for the next seam, but you do not need to trim the overall block to a standard size. 

4. Introduce a pop of color.

At any point, add a small piece of saturated color. It can be your first piece or it might be a square or rectangle nestled among the white strips, a narrow strip along one edge, or a triangular shape that peeks out from a seam.

The goal is to create an unexpected focal point against the white background. Let the color placement be spontaneous rather than symmetrical or predictable.

5. Continue improvising.

Return to the white fabric and keep building outward. Change strip widths, shift directions, and vary the placement of seams. You may add another pop of color if you wish.

Remember that the white fabric should remain the dominant visual element. The colored pieces are accents, not the main event.

There is no prescribed number of strips, no required center, and no particular arrangement to follow. Let the block develop as you work.

6. Stop when your block feels complete.

Continue piecing until your block measures somewhere between 3½″ and 12½″ unfinished. The shape does not need to be square, and the edges do not need to align with those of other blocks. I can trim them down or add to them, if I need to do so.

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

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”

Hive 5 - June Tutorial - Holiday Economy Block for Bonnie

 

The Inspiration:

Last year, our hive made some adorable “I Spy” economy blocks for some kiddo quilts, and I've not been able to stop thinking about how cute they were! Here are the ones I made:

The Vision:

I would like to make several different holiday themed wall quilts inspired by these blocks for hanging up during different seasons. Side Note: When I told my husband about my idea, he thought I was going to make one quilt with all holidays, and he was horrified… As efficient as that would be (haha), I have much loftier goals, so please pick one or more of the holidays/seasons/themes listed below: 

• Valentines Day / Love / Hearts
• Halloween / Spooky / Fall
• Christmas / Winter
• Easter / Spring / Pastels

Colors & Prints:

 

I'm not too picky with colors as long as the fabrics coordinate well. For Valentine’s Day, for example, you can use colors besides pink and red (that just happens to be what I have on hand at the moment). Maybe you have purple kisses or teal hearts. Great! Do it! :)

Feel free to fussy cut something interesting in the center square. Not all fabrics need to be holiday prints. Feel free to use blenders that coordinate well with the other fabrics being used. I found that the middle section is a great place to use blenders and separate prints to make the blocks look a little less busy. I also avoid using directional prints in the middle section because they will be tilted on the diagonal and sometimes look wonky.

Tutorial

I followed Catbird Quilt Studio’s free Tutorial here for 6” finished blocks:
https://catbirdquilts.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/economy-block-any-size-with-cheat-sheet/

Cutting:

For each block you need one 3.5” center square, two 3.5” squares for the middle sections (cut in half diagonally), and two 4.5” squares for the outside sections (cut in half diagonally).

Adding the First Round:

Center the long edge of a triangle on one side of the square. Sew. Then sew one on the opposite side as well. I pressed toward the center square here, but you can press towards the triangles if you feel like it. Trim the overhang with a straight edge. See trimmed version on the left.

Add the other two triangles to the remaining sides. I pressed out toward the triangles this time, because it felt right... Trim the edges to 1/4” seam allowance, as shown on the left.

I used a ruler with a 90-degree angle to trim the sides down, but if you don’t have one, just trim ¼” from the points as best you can.

Adding the Second Round:

This is basically the same as the first round. Center the long edge of a triangle on one side of the unit. Sew. Then sew one on the opposite side as well. I pressed out toward the triangles again. Trim the overhang with a straight edge. See trimmed version on the left. 

Then add the other two triangles to the remaining sides. I pressed out toward the triangles again. Trim the edges to 1/4” seam allowance, as shown on the left.

Viola!

I would appreciate a set of four, but if that is a hardship, please just make one. I am asking that you not sew them together so that you have some more freedom with which holidays you choose.

 Thank you! I can’t wait to see them all! I know they'll all be fabulous!