Hive 5 Tutorial for June 2025 - Curvy Quilt from Strips

The Curvy Quilt from Strips by Carol A Thelen was on my list for last year’s StashBee but I went with a choose your own adventure block instead.  You will make this block from 2 contrasting light and dark fabrics.  You can choose any two color combination of solids or a blender that reads as solid.  This will create 2 10.5” finished blocks.  I am going to use the all mixed up layout, so you do not need to send both blocks to me, although I will use whatever you send.  I hope these blocks will be fun!

You will start with two 14” squares of fabric.

From each fabric you will cut the following strips:

2 @ 1” x 14”

1 @ 1.5” x 14”

1 @ 2” x 14”

1 @ 3” x 14”

1 @ 4.5” x 14”

You will then make two piles of the strips.  One will start with the light fabric and the second will start with the dark fabric.

To keep them in the correct order, I put into two piles and sewed them together in this order.

To help the strips to nest together, press to the darker fabric.

The blocks should measure approximately 10.5”.  Trim off the edge and you will then cut the same strips as above out of the sewn together block.

2 @ 1” x 10.5”

1 @ 1.5” x 10.5”

1 @ 2” x 10.5”

1 @ 3” x 10.5”

1 @ 4.5” x 10.5”

You will make alternating piles as you did above with one pile starting with the dark fabric and one pile starting with the light fabric.

You will sew the pieces together starting with the two 1” strips and ending with the 4.5” strip as before.  The seams should nest if pressed to the dark.

You should have two finished blocks as shown below.  Press the blocks to the largest dark blocks.  Do not worry if the strips, especially the 1” strips are a little wonky.  You don’t need to trim it at this point.  

Once the various blocks are put together, it will create a curved look.

There is a video available at this link:  https://quilt-notes.blogspot.com/2022/01/how-to-make-curvy-quilt-from-strips.html?m=1

Please let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks!

Amanda Peariso

Hive 1 June 2025 tutorial - Economy blocks for Nicole

 It's the beginning of summer and kids are out of school and maybe you need something a little simple to keep you from going out of your mind. I'm here for you, fam. Let's keep it simple and help me finish up this economy block quilt that I got started from a different swap. 

I'm looking for (4) 6.5" unfinished economy blocks from each person. The color palette is ROYGBIV. The brighter and wilder, the better. Break out your licensed fabric, those silly vegetable patterns, animals, show me what you got. Holiday fabric? Fine! Just pick a good image that you can fussy cut a fun center square.

Please no plain white, religious, baby, or Americana fabric from your stash for this one. And I'd prefer no florals or repeating patterns (like stripes or polka dots) for your center fussy cuts.

A sampling of my finished blocks:

I know there's several ways to do economy blocks and I'm not going to pick one for you. If you have a particular way you like to do these, knock yourself out. I'm not the boss of you.

I'm also not picky about how you press. Do what feels right. 

If you like traditional piecing, Diary of a Quilter has great step by step instructions and cutting requirements: https://www.diaryofaquilter.com/economy-quilt-block-tutorial-and-inspiration/

 If you want to FPP, Threadbare Quilts provides templates for FPP if that's your jam: https://threadbarecreations.blogspot.com/2020/09/classic-quilt-blocks-economy-block_11.html

I made myself a fancy little cardboard template to make sure I was fussy cutting and getting my image visible. I liked that I got that preview.

I'm a traditional piecing kinda girl so

Cut 1 set for each 6.5" unfinished block: 

(1) 3.5" fussy cut center square

(2) 3.25" squares - cut on the diagonal for 4 triangles

(2) 4.25" squares - cut on the diagonal for 4 triangles

Center the long edge of two of the smaller triangles on opposite sides of the center square and sew in place using a ¼" seam. Press, trim if needed. Then repeat for the remaining 2 sides. Helpful tip: to make sure the that your triangles are centered, fold the long edge in half and make a little crease with your finger nails at the center. Do the same on all four sides of the center square. Match up crease marks to easily center the triangle.

Repeat the same process with the final 4 triangles, sewing two sides, pressing toward the outside, sew remaining 2 triangles, press.

Can't wait to see what you come up with. Thanks for sewing with me. 

Nicole

Hive 2 - June - square in squares

Happy June!  So.  Two years ago I had my hive do this same block with green and yellow.  Several people commented about how it looked like Notre Dame colors, and I just couldn't get that out of my head.  I have no feelings either way for Notre Dame (although I was born there while my dad was attending graduate school), but didn't want my quilt to scream it.

After debating for two years as to what to do, I finally decided: we'll make more blocks with different colors!  This was supposed to be my yellow quilt, so we'll stick with yellow and change the green to a different color.

Fabrics

For the fabrics, before we get into the specific colors, there are some guidelines.  Please stay away from novelty prints.  It turns out I have a different definition of novelty prints as others, but to me a novelty print includes something man-made.  Suns, flowers, leaves, hearts, geometrics are not novelty prints.  I love solids and would be happy to have you include them.  Batiks are also fine.

Yellow: please choose bright yellows.  Slightly mustardy is ok, but try to stay away from the brown-yellows.  Please try to choose something mostly yellow or with white accents, staying away from other colors. 

Other color: please choose a red, orange, or blue.  If you choose orange, please make sure there is sufficient contrast between the yellow and orange.  Please choose something that reads your color of choice.

Cutting

When there is a repeat color in the block (red in the left block below and yellow in the right block below) you can either use the same fabric or different fabrics.  In the example I did one of each.  The means that yellow 2 and yellow 3 may be the same fabric and green 2 and green 3 may be the same fabric, but they can also be different fabrics.

Yellow 1:  (2) 2"x3.5", (2) 2"x6.5"
Yellow 2: (1) 3.5"x3.5"
Yellow 3: (2) 2"x6.5", (2) 2"x9.5"

Red/Orange/Blue 1:  (2) 2"x3.5", (2) 2"x6.5"
Red/Orange/Blue 2: (1) 3.5"x3.5"
Red/Orange/Blue 3: (2) 2"x6.5", (2) 2"x9.5"

Sewing

Layout the pieces like the first picture below and sew together like a log cabin as shown in the second picture below.  After the middle square is attached, the block should be 6.5" square.  After the last square is attached it should be 9.5" square.

I'll leave the ironing to your discretion.  If possible press towards the dark fabric, but if that makes some intersections too bulky than you can press toward the light fabric.  

Please do not sew the two blocks together.

Here are the green ones I already have:

Hive 6: Split Star

One of the other members of my hive this year told us about the Fabric 406 blog. It has lots of free quilt block tutorials. This month, we will be making their 12.5 in. Split Star block.

Fabric Requirements: Style

• Patterns: Geometric print fabrics. Bonus points if you have something resembling abstract nature, i.e. topographic lines, cartography, marble, non-cartoony insects, etc.

• Do not include novelty, holiday, object, animal, or floral prints

• Colors:

• Dark Half: Muted shades of blue, green, or purple. Imagine a coastal grandma with some pastel goth flair.

• Light Half: solid white, white on white, or whites with a bit of colored print. Please use true white, no cream or tan.

• Note: a geometric print is more important to me than an exact color or tone match. Please use what you have. Talk to me if you have any doubts.

Fabric Requirements: Piecing

• From both Dark and Light fabrics, cut the following:

• (1) 7 in square

• (1) 4 in square

• (5) 3.5 in square

• (2) 3.5 x 6.5 in rectangle

Assembly

1. Half square triangles

1. Use both Light and Dark 7 in squares. Draw a diagonal line down the wrong side of one square. Place the two squares right sides together. Sew a ¼ seam on both sides of the line. Cut along the line. Trim each half to 6.5 in. Press seams open. You will only use one of these HSTs in this block, but please send me the other half.

2. Use both Light and Dark 4 in squares. Repeat step 1.a. Trim to 3.5 in. Press seams open. You will use both HSTs.

2. Flying Geese Units

1. Each pair of flying geese will be opposites. One pair will use Dark rectangles with Light squares. The other pair will use Light rectangles with Dark squares. These sections are tight. Use a scant seam or cut slightly bigger for more breathing room.

2. Draw a diagonal line down the wrong side of (4) 3.5 in squares. Place a 3.5 in square on one side of a 3.5 x 6.5 in rectangle in the opposite color where the diagonal line goes from top center of the rectangle to bottom corner, right sides together. Sew a seam on the diagonal line. Trim the outer edge ¼ in from the seam. Press seams open. 

3. Repeat step 2.b. on the other side of the rectangle, still ensuring that the diagonal line goes from the top center of the rectangle to the bottom corner.

4. Trim to 3.5 x 6.5 in. Be careful to keep ¼ in on top of the triangle point so we don't lose that point in the seam.

5. Repeat steps 2.b-d. until you have four sets of flying geese: two dark-light and two light-dark.

3. Lay out and assemble like a nine-patch. Nest seams for easier alignment.

4. This block should be 12.5 in sq. Please send the finished block and the spare 6.5 in HST.

Hive 1 Mug Block

 

Hive 1 May Mug Block

I made the first square and was concerned that the contrast wasn't good so I made a second one.  I love purple!

This will be in the mail on Monday.

Beth

Hive 1 mug block for Tasha

 

My mug block, with its inspiration! I'm determined to do more gardening this summer. 

Deviated from the pattern a bit so that I could match the real-life mug more closely. The handle was a doozy to figure out but I'm pleased with the end result. Long weekend so this will get in the mail on Tuesday! -Julia

Hive 1 - May Sip and Sew Mug for Tasha

 

This was such a fun block to sew! I chose to represent my favorite color, yellow, and my favorite creature, my dog Fig! This fabric looks just like her, and I love pulling it out for blocks that need a focus fabric.

Here's a pic of her on the day I got her five years ago for a comparison:

Hive 1 - Extremely Late April Stars for Julia

 

Hi Julia! Life have been kind of crazy lately, but here are my starts for you! hoping to get them in the mail this week. I'm really, really sorry for the delay

Hive 1 May 2025 Sip and Sew Mug for Tasha

 

(I need to get better lighting in my crafting/guest room... I promise it's brighter in person!)

 

One of my (many) hobbies is video games, so I made a very sturdy mug with some Super Mario power-ups and coins :) Also, who doesn't like rainbows? <3 

--Caitlin

Sip and Sew for Tash

 Hi Tasha,

This was such an interesting block! We get to know more about our hive mates😊

Oui oui my block has a little French flair: I speak french and I love to visit Paris! 

Marie