Honey Bee Quilt Tutorial

 :::: Just publishing this to my own blog... previously posted on the Benartex blog.::::

Hi! My name is Erin. I blog at Why Not Sew? Today I am happy to share with you a tutorial for a lap size Honey Bee quilt with a patchwork border. The blocks sew up quickly and using your machine to applique the bees down saves a ton of time. This would make a lovely gift for someone special. Thanks so much to Benartex for asking me to participate in the Holiday Gift Blog Hop. Let's get started!!!

What you will need ~

Various shades of light, medium and dark fabrics. Fat quarters and fat eighths are great for this project.   ( I used This 'N That by Nancy Halvorsen for Benartex )
2 yards ~ white fabric for background, sashing and first border
3/4 yard ~ fabric for binding. 
backing fabric for approx. 56 x 70 inch quilt
batting for approx. 56 x 70 inch quilt
1 yard ~ Fusible iron on adhesive like Heat'n Bond

Cutting for the entire quilt top you will need:
108 ~ 2.5" squares for the center nine patches of each block
48 ~ 3.5" squares for the corner squares of each block
48 ~ 3.5 x 6.5" rectangles for the top, bottom and sides of each block (white)
144 ~ Bee applique pieces * my daughter helped me trace all of these onto the paper side of the fusible web. This was a big help, so that I could cut and sew while she traced, and traced and traced.Template HERE
8 ~ 2.5 x 12.5" sashing strips (white)
2 ~ 2.5 x 40.5" border strip for top and bottom (white)
2 ~ 2.5 x 58.5" border strips for right and left sides(white)
342 ~ 2.5" squares for patchwork border * about half light and half med/dark for contrast

For each block you need ~
9 ~ 2.5" squares for center nine patch
4 ~ 3.5" squares for the corners
4 ~ 3.5 x 6.5" rectangles for the sides, top and bottom of the blocks (white / background)
12 ~ Bee pieces , download template HERE
 

First make your nine patches. For this quilt you will need 12. Set aside.

Cut 6.5" X width of fabric. For the fabric I was using I needed 4 strips total to get 48 3.5 x 6.5" rectangles.

Cut the strips into 3.5 x 6.5" rectangles. 48 total.

Choose a fabric for the four corners and cut 4 ~ 3.5" squares.

Sew a 3.5" square onto each end of two 3.5 x 6.5" white rectangles.

Sew a 3.5 x 6.5" rect. onto the left and right side of the center nine patch block. Press the corner squares in the opposite direction of which ever way you press the rectangles on your nine patch. I chose to press everything towards the white background fabric for these.

Sew your rows together.

Now take the template you downloaded. You can download it HERE if you missed it above. Trace the template onto the paper side of the fusible web. 12 times per each block. 144 total. Cut away from paper leaving a small allowance from the drawn line.

Iron piece onto the WRONG side of the fabric you want for your bee parts. Cut out ON the drawn line.

Take the paper off of the back of the piece.

Place them on the corner block and the ends of the rectangles. It's easier to place and press one piece at a time so nothing shifts when you lay your iron down.

Put 3 bee pieces in each corner. Make sure they are all pressed down and bonded nice and strong.

Now machine stitch them down using your preferred stitch. I chose a blanket stitch. a zig zag stitch would work too. You can straight stitch but eventually you may get some fraying if the blanket is laundered and or used very often. You can also use monofilament if you prefer your stitches to not show. My preferred method and if-you-have-the-time method is appliqueing by hand. I have a "how to" on that here.

Now repeat the above steps until you have 12 blocks in a variety of colors that are pleasing to you. Lay them out how you like in a 3 x 4 grid. Cut 8 pieces 2.5 x 12.5"  and Cut 5 strips 2.5" x width of fabric (WOF) to get 2.5 x 40.5" strips from the white fabric for sashing. Sew the 2.5 x 12.5" sashing between the first and second block and then the second and third block in each row. Now sew the 2.5 x 40.5" strips between each row and the top of the first row and bottom of the last row of blocks. Cut 3 strips 2.5 x WOF to get your white side borders. Cut one of the three strips in half. Now take the two pieces you have from that and sew one onto the end of each of the 2.5" by WOF strips you have left, making sure to trim your selvedges before attaching together. Now trim those strips to 2.5 x 58.5". Attach to sides. Press seams. Now it's time for the patchwork border...

For the border you will need 342 ~ 2.5" squares. Light, medium and dark colors. I like to break the border down by piecing enough 3 patch strips to make the top, then the bottom, then the sides. I sew one border at a time to check placement and make sure I don't have too much of one color grouped together.
66 squares for the top border
66 squares for the bottom border
105 squares for right side
105 squares for left side
To start I chain piece 22 ~ 2 patch units using light, or white background with print and a medium or dark fabric. Like the top picture in the diagram. Next take 11 of those units and sew a different medium or dark square onto the other end of the light square. Like the second picture in the diagram. Then take the other 11 units and sew a light colored square onto the end of the medium and dark square, Like the last picture in the diagram. Sew your units together to make the border. Alternating a dark unit and light unit. Repeat for the bottom border.
Use the same method for each side border but now you will need to piece 35 units for the left side and 35 units for the right side. 17 dark units, 17 light units and 1 of whichever unit you started your border with (in my case it was light)
*** a note about pressing. I press toward the darker fabric for these units. They should all lock together nicely when sewn.

When you are attaching your borders be sure to line them up neatly with your top. Six 3 patch units should "fit" or line up with a block. One 3 patch unit should line up with a white sashing strip. When your top is together baste, quilt, bind as you prefer and ....

Enjoy!!!

How to Crochet a Scalloped Edge~

I just wanted to publish this on my blog. It was originally posted to Quiltstory. Thought I'd add it here too since I've been getting a lot of requests for a crocheted edge how to. Hope you all are well. I'll be back soon!!!!

Hi! Thank you to Heather and Megan of Quilt Story for inviting me to join the Holiday Tutorial Series! Today I have a tutorial for making a super cute ornament. There is some crochet involved with these cuties and If you do not know how to crochet, no problem! I will give you links to some resources for crocheting. You can just as easily skip the crocheting, if you wish, and they are still just as cute. You could use ribbon, pre-crocheted trim, pom-pom trim etc. in place of the crochet instructions I give to you. Whatever you decide I hope you give them a try. They make great little gifts and a really fun addition to your holiday decorating!

::Supplies::

~ 2 pieces of wool felt about 3 inches in diameter (regular craft felt can be used but you must exercise caution when ironing on your bird, place a towel between your iron and felt/applique piece if using poly. craft felt)
~ 1 piece of pretty fabric, a 2.5" square is big enough
~ 1 piece of heat'n bond or wonder under (fusible web)
~ A handful of poly-fil
~ Embroidery needle (something that 6 strands of floss will fit through)
~ 1 skein of embroidery floss (I used DMC color 321)
~ crochet hook size E
~ bird template HERE (this is from the Quiltstory tutorial I did in 2011. The bird can be used for this too.)

Let's get started!

Trace the bird template onto the paper side of your fusible web.Cut it out leaving a scant 1/8 of an inch away from the drawn line.

Iron the bird paper side up, fusible side down, onto the WRONG side your piece of  fabric.

Cut away from the fabric ON the drawn line.

Peel the paper off of the back of your fabric. A pin or needle inserted gently through the paper can help with out fraying your fabric.

 Iron your bird onto one of the wool felt pieces.
 

Applique the bird to the wool felt. I used the thread sketching technique. That's achieved by using your darning or open toe foot and dropping your feed dogs. Use your favorite method.

Wind your embroidery floss around a clothespin. This will save time trying to undo an inevitable knot while you are working!

It only takes a second and it's saves so much frustration.

Thread your embroidery needle with all 6 strands of embroidery floss. Just a little less than an arm span long. Knot end. Place your 2 pieces of felt together. Bird side up.

Hide your knot on the inside of the 2 felt pieces.

Blanket stitch about 2/3  to 3/4 around the outside of the 2 felt pieces.

Stuff with poly-fil.

Finish blanket stitching to the end catching your first stitch when making your last stitch. You want an even number of stitches for these ornament. For this one I used 20 stitches but for other ornaments I have used up to 26 stitches. It just depends on how close together you will want your scalloped edge. 

Now onto the crocheting! Let me preface this by saying I can crochet. I learned to crochet when I was a teenager BUT I am just learning to read patterns and I certainly have not written any patterns before. I've made washcloths, scarves and hats. That's it. So this is going to be very simple explanation. I use chain, slip stitch and double crochet for this ornament. How to's for these 3 stitches are below.
chain
slip stitch and another slip stitch
double crochet and another double crochet
Plus there are many crocheting videos on You Tube.

Size E hook (it's small)

Find the stitch that is at the very top of your ornament.

Slip stitch into it. You will have a loop on your hook.

Double crochet 7 times into next blanket sitch.*note* If you have more than 20 blanket stitches, say 24 or 26, you can double crochet a lesser amount into the blanket stitches. I used 6 double crochets on my ornaments with 24 blanket stitches. They are less squished looking that way. Again, this is all just your preference.

This will form your scallop.  Sorry about this picture it is not so easy taking pictures while crocheting :) Slip stitch into the next blanket stitch, Double crochet into the next, etc. alternating the two stitches. You should end up with a slip stitch in the very first blanket stitch you started crocheting into.

After you slip stitch into the last blanket stitch, chain double the amount of stitches that you would like your hanger to be. I chained 34. You may like yours longer or shorter. Then slip stitch back into that first blanket stitch where you started and ended crocheting. Cut your embroidery floss leaving a few inches. Pull through your last stitch / loop.

Weave your ends into the back of your crochet work (about 2 shells). Cut floss being very careful not to cut your work.

Hang and Enjoy!!!

Happy New Year ~ A Pillow and a Doll

I'm hoping your new year is off to a great start. We are getting back into our routine. I finished the hexie pillow I was working on. I love it! I'll be making another one soon.

I enjoyed hand quilting this. I added little details as I quilted like the x's.

I used those quite a bit for this pillow.

So much fun!

I made a doll for my littlest. I've made quite a few of these over the years now. My nieces each have one, my girls have one and I've made one for one of my girlfriend's daughter. They look like a pair of dolls I had when I was a kid. My dolls had zippers and buttons and strings to tie. But had the same face and hair. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I have no idea if someone made them for me or if the were manufactured?! I wonder what ever happened to those..hmm.
This little doll is missing her bows already! I need to stitch them into the hair. I made my toddler one a couple of Christmas's ago and she LOVES it. She takes it everywhere. She's been washed many times and she is in very well loved shape. The dolls are large. Like the size of a 2-3 year old.

I got this beautiful stack of fabric from Simply Sweet Fabric. I used some of it for the doll's dress and apron.

Of course, I had to give the little apron some crocheted trim!

I painted a ton of peg dolls for one of my girls' Christmas present. (Will share pictures soon) I could only paint at night when I knew she was sleeping. I stayed up several nights until 2 or 3 in the morning. Then this freaky cold/flu virus hit our house and I was done. I had plans of making so much more for Christmas presents but I couldn't. My eardrum ruptured (again) and it just seemed to take so long for me to kick this thing. The kids got over it quickly though and that was all I was really concerned about.

I hope you are all doing well and staying warm (or cool, depending where you are)!

Happy Sewing!
xo Erin