The Patchsmith: July 2017

Sunday, 30 July 2017

Bee Happy Sew Along Guide

The Bee Happy sewing guide for the sew-along is available on Riley Blake’s Website. It hasn’t been added to the Riley Blake Bee Happy page yet but you can find it by clicking the link below:

BEE HAPPY QUILT PROJECT GUIDE

Lori will be hosting tutorials on a Monday starting tomorrow for some of the patchwork blocks used in the quilt. So make sure you follow Bee in My Bonnet to get ready for the sew-along.

Let the fun begin .......

Wednesday, 26 July 2017

Spelling Bee Picture Day Sampler Quilt

My Spelling Bee book arrived and although the sew-along won’t start until October I couldn’t help myself.

So much fun in a spiral bound book.

I am making the Picture Day Quilt (page 158 of the book) which uses 20 pictures blocks. I am using 6" blocks and have made three to date......

Block 1 – Apple Block. Very quick, very simple – a perfect start to this project.

Spelling Bee Apple Block

Block 2 – Bee Block. Love this block and it went together quite well except for the head. I think the H squares that you sew onto the head are too big – they result in a pointy face for this bee – not at all like the book.

So I cut those the background H squares to 7/8” square. It worked well. (I kept the H blocks as per the size in the book for the top of the wing.)

Spelling Bee Bee Block

Block 3 – Bird Block. Another easy and very well written block pattern. The head looks a bit strange but it will flatten when it is stitched in with the other blocks.

Spelling Bee Bird Block

I am trying to make a block a day so do come back and check at the weekend to see how its going. Until then .....................

Saturday, 15 July 2017

Sewing Bee Sew-Alongs

Two fun sew-alongs are due to start shortly – the ‘Spelling Bee’ sew-along and the ‘Bee Happy’ sew-along – both of which are designed by Lori Holt.

Newly released book

The Spelling Bee SAL doesn't start until October but the book was released this week in the USA and I am eagerly awaiting its arrival. I will let you know as soon as I know the exact start date.

However, the ‘Bee Happy’ Sew-along is due to start on the 28^th August and the pattern guide will be available via the Riley Blake website from the 1^st August.

The ‘Bee Happy’ SAL uses a free pattern although it does say that you’ll need the new set of Sew Simple Shapes.

Bee Happy Sew Simple Templates

These can be quite expensive so it might be worth getting together with another quilter and sharing the cost. Alternatively you may have a lot of similar shapes already in your pattern library which you can use.

I will be joining in both sew-alongs and have treated myself to a fat quarter bundle of Lori’s Bee Basics fabrics which I shall mix with my stash.

This will make sure my quilt is economical and scrapilicious. But if choosing fabric is always a problem for you then the Fat Quarter Shop has some quilt kits to pre-order together with backing kits and buttons - check it out HERE.