Need Tutorial Help? Check out this post!

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year. We have a lot of new bee members this year, many of who are new to blogging and might not be sure how to create a blog post for their tutorial. Never fear! This is the video for you! 

I created this video in the hopes that it will answer many common questions. I walk you through step-by-step, from how to title your post, ways to insert images and links, and how to schedule your post to publish at a later date.

If you still need further assistance, please contact your hive leader or Alanna for help.

~ Diana, Hive 1 Leader

Hive Crashing -- What Is It & How To Do It

So you might have heard about this little thing called hive crashing. Ever heard of people crashing parties or weddings uninvited? Well, it's sort of like that, but in this case, you are absolutely welcomed to do so! Here's how it works --

If you see a block from a different hive that you want to make for that queen, go for it! You still need to follow the rules of the bee though. Stay within the guidelines of the queen's requests for fabric selections and block construction. Write up a separate "hive crashing" post with your finished block(s) on the blog, making sure to label your post with the appropriate tags/label. If you've crashed more than one hive, you can include them all in a single blog post and just tag all of the appropriate hives. For example, if you made a block for both of the queens in hives 4 and 9, just write up a blog post with a photo of both blocks and then use the labels 2017-january-hive4-hive9.

The last thing that you need to do is get the mailing address of the recipient. To do this, you will need to contact the queen's hive mama. Using our example above, you would need to contact the hive mamas for Hive 4 and Hive 9. To do this, go to the top of the blog and select the individual hive tab.

Once you are on the individual hive page, it will list the name of the hive mama. If you click on that name it will automatically open up a new email for you. You could also right-click on the name and select "copy email address" and then paste it into an email message.

So there you have it! The ins and outs of how to successfully crash another hive. Happy Crashing!

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This and other tips can always be found at the top of the blog, under the section titled "Resources & Tips."

Stash Bee Tutorial - How to Post on the Stash Bee Blog

So you're all excited that you've joined Stash Bee but you've never blogged before or you used a different blogging platform and you're not sure how to post on blogger.  Well, this blog post is for you then. I'm going to walk you through, step by step on how to write a blog post in Blogger.

Please note: As you read through this tutorial, you can click on each photo to make it larger to see the detail.

STEP 1
When you first open up Blogger, you will see the main dashboard with a listing of all posts. There will be an orange box at the top that says "New Post." Click on that to begin.

STEP 2
Now you will be in the Post Form. There is a lot of information in the photo below. Some important things to note --

1. Be sure to give your post a title. Including your hive is always helpful. A good example is "Hive 1 Block for Diana"

2. To add a photo of your block, click on the photo icon and choose the appropriate method (upload from URL, from computer, etc.)

3. Label your post. Correctly labeling your post allows others to easily find it throughout the year. 90% of all posts will only have 3 labels - the year, the month, and the hive. In continuing my example from above, I would label that post - 2017, January, Hive1. Please note: all of the labels are already in place so you just need to select them from the drop-down menu.

4. Sign Your Name. This may sound obvious, but with 100 people posting on the blog, it's not always easy to know who is writing a particular post. If you didn't set up a specific name in your google account it might show something like Quiltr248 -- which, let's be honest, could be any one of us -- so please sign your name at the end of the post, please!

STEP 3
Publish Your Blog Post. The only thing left to do now is to publish your blog post for everyone to see. You'll notice in the photo above that there are a few options in the upper right-hand side. You have Publish -- Save -- Preview -- Close.  Let's take a look at all of those.

PUBLISH - This does exactly what it says. When you click on this button, your post will go live on the blog for everyone to see. If that's what you want to do, then click on it and you are done.

SAVE - Blogger has a built-in autosave feature but, if you're like me, I tend to be a little OCD especially when I'm working on a long post, specifically tutorials, and I prefer to click on it every so often just to back up my work.

PREVIEW - This is a way to check your work to double check to see if you like your spacing or the sizing of a photo. When you click on preview, it will open up a new window to see how it will look with all of the Stash Bee formating. You will not be able to make any edits within that preview.

CLOSE - Clicking close will save your post as a draft and allow you to come back later and edit it. It will not publish it.

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR WRITING AND POSTING TUTORIALS

The same rules apply when it's your turn to be queen and it comes time for you to write your tutorial on how to make your block. There is one VERY IMPORTANT THING that I want to point out, though, and that is how to SCHEDULE A POST TO PUBLISH AT A SPECIFIC DATE AND TIME. Tutorials are supposed to be scheduled for the first of the month. On the right side of the blog post form, just underneath the labels, you will see a Schedule setting. See below.

When you click on the Schedule tab you have the option to set the date and time for your post to publish. After you've selected your date and time, click on the done button at the bottom. Now here is the important thing here -- CLICK PUBLISH!!!!  Yes, you read that correctly. You must click PUBLISH. Here, let me write that one more time in capital letters -- PUBLISH! If you click close, it will save your tutorial as a draft. Your tutorial date will come and go, and your tutorial will still be a draft. Once you hit publish, you will be taken back to the main blogger dashboard page and you will see that your blog post is listed as SCHEDULED.

I hope that this tutorial has been helpful to new and returning members alike. It can easily be found in the Resources & Tips tab at the top of the page.

The Inside Scoop on Lower Postage Rates

Being the daughter of a lifelong USPS employee, I've learned a thing or two about mailing letters and packages. For example, did you know that there is such a thing as a book rate (formally known as media mail)? Yep! Of course, some restrictions apply but it's often a rate that many people don't know about. (And just to clarify - I'm not suggesting that you try to send a block using this rate!)

So let's talk about mailing out your blocks and how to get the cheapest rate possible. I've posted about this method before, but I want to revisit it in more detail. Here are my 2 not-so-secret weapons: Glad Press'n Seal and 6"x9" manilla envelopes.

The key to cheaper postage is getting your package as flat as possible. The envelope shouldn't be padded. What's important about this envelope is the size. A 6"x9" envelope is considered a standard letter size, according to the US Postal Service (see this handy chart).

Now in order for it to ship at the letter rate, it cannot be thicker than 1/4" and it should not be completely rigid. It needs to be a bit flexible so that it can go through the automated sorting machine. If you add in a rigid piece of cardboard it might have to be sorted by hand and that increases the postage. The best product I've found to protect my block during shipping is Press'n Seal. Not only does it protect your block, it aids in getting it as flat as possible. Unfortunately, I don't think that this product readily available outside the US.

So here are the steps I take:

First, I rip off a fairly large piece of it and lay it sticky side up. I include a small note that has the name and address of the recipient, face down.

Next, I fold up my block to a size that will fit in the envelope. I find that you can get it flatter by folding it with the seams on the outside.

I carefully fold the block up in the Press'n Seal, pushing out as much air as possible. I then use tape to secure it.

And here is how thin I was able to get it:

I don't live near a post office, so I always mail my domestic blocks from home. How do I know how many stamps to put on it? I use my kitchen scale to determine the weight of the envelope and go to this USPS site to calculate the postage. Typically, it will require 2 stamps to send a block.

International blocks require a trip to the post office, but I still package the envelopes the exact same way and if you keep it to the letter size, you shouldn't be paying more than $6 to send it overseas.

And there you have it! I hope this helps to reduce your shipping costs.  You will find all of this helpful information under the Resources & Tips tab at the top of the page.

It's All About the Blocks!

As we get closer to sign-ups for 2017, I wanted to take some time to talk about blocks.  All of the specific rules and expectations can be found here, but here is a recap:

• Your block can be no larger than 16" finished (16.5" unfinished)
• The block should take no longer than 1.5 hours to make
• The block cannot require specialty tools in order to make unless they are provided by the queen.

Now let's get to the fun part - selecting a block to make! Sometimes, that can be the hardest part of participating in Stash Bee. Also, selecting the right type of block can make all the difference in a successful bee quilt. If this is your first time participating in a bee, here are some helpful tips:

• Keep it simple.  Blocks that require precise points and seams that need to match up perfectly can sometimes lead to frustration when it comes time to assemble all of your blocks. 

• Think ahead - to sash or not to sash.  One way to eliminate slight variations in block size is to add sashing to your blocks once you receive them. That can also eliminate the need to line up several seam.

• Select a block that can be trimmed down.  It is absolutely okay to ask your bee-mates to send the block untrimmed. Here are 2 examples.  Sarah's July block was a string block that was made larger so that she could trim it down to the size she wanted. 
  
  
  The disappearing 4-patch block that Bonnie requested in March is another example of a block that can easily be trimmed down to any size: 
  

• Colors may vary.   Requesting very specific colors can lead to disappointment. Everyone perceives and interprets color differently, so one person's aqua is another person's turquoise. That's why it is better to make broader color selections. Fabric examples from your own stash are helpful but remember you may not ask your bee-mates to use a specific fabric line/color.

• Block pattern must be free and not copyrighted.   You may only use block patterns that are free-of-charge to the public. If it's in a for-purchase-only magazine or book, it cannot be used, even if you modify the dimensions for a smaller/bigger block. Likewise, If it's from an online source such as Craftsy or Etsy and has a price attached to it, then it too cannot be used.

Block Resources

Looking for a good bee block? Check out these online resources. You will also be able to find these under the Resources & Tips tab at the top of the page.

The Bee HIve - this is a great series by Alyse from Blossom Heart Quilts.

Piece N Quilt - blog by Natalia Bonner & Kathleen Whiting that has some great block tutorials

Fresh Lemons - blog owner Faith has some great tutorials on techniques and blocks.


What about you? Know of any great bee block resources? Please share them in the comments below and I'll add them to our list.