These blocks were fun and fast to make! Or they would have been had I not chosen to use directional fabrics for the sky. Sheesh! Because of that, the flags on one of these blocks had to be sewn on backwards because I didn’t think it through when I was making the HST’s. Sorry about that, Emily! You don’t have to use that one if it doesn’t look good with the others.
Yikes!!! If it wasn’t for Kate reminding me, I would have forgotten to do this. I had it in my head that my month was October! Well, here we go . . .
Two of my favorite loves are star blocks and house blocks so what could be better than something that combines both together! Sandra at Mmm! Quilts designed a block like this. It is soooo easy and very fun to make. Although you’ve probably already seen these, I’ll show you the samples I have made and then link to Sandra’s pattern at the end of the post.
Here is the first one I ever made and it made me fall in love with this block.
The blocks measure 16″ but there are so many big pieces that the block goes together very quickly. The part that takes the longest is probably choosing the fabrics. I’ll address that next.
As you can see I am kind of doing a “house by color” kind of idea. In other words, you can choose whatever fabrics you like, even multi-colored prints as long as the block reads mostly one color. I don’t have a green house, black/white house, purple house, brown house, or orange house or any of those yummy in between colors. I seriously won’t mind at all if you want to make a house in one of the colors I already have.
So far, my colors have been pretty bright and saturated because I LOVE bright, modern colors and fabrics; however, if your stash does not have that much of those colors, I would love to see a pretty pastel house or a low volume house with a POP of bright colors on the door and star points. Funny enough, my favorite color is red but I’m not very excited about this red block I made. I can’t put my finger on it, but I’m not in love with it. So let’s add red to the list of colors I don’t have.
LINK TO SANDRA’S HOUSE BLOCK PATTERN
If you don’t want to make a block this big or you have another house block you have been dying to try, send me that instead!
Have fun, bee mates!
Needs a good press and a few pieces remeasured and replaced but here she is! That white swirly fabric really reminds of me of swirled whipped cream! I hope you like it, Velda.
As I was pulling fabrics for these blocks, I realized my stash is SORELY lacking any solids. Thank goodness the few colors I had were in your list, Paige. I think the only other solids I have are black and white! The pink isn’t technically a solid, it’s some kind of grungy (or maybe a batik?) looking pink but it’s as close as I could get. If you think the bunny is too babyish, then don’t feel like you have to include it. I just know my 19 year old daughter thinks its cute. I had to cut it kind of on the diagonal to get the whole thing to fit. Otherwise his tail would have been cut off! Jennifer, your block is next!
Tomorrow is going to be busy so I figured if I’m going to get these done this weekend it had to be tonight. They go together quickly when you chain piece!
Ann, here is my contribution to your Bee block collection! What is your plan for these blocks? Make a baby quilt? Make more blocks for a bigger quilt? Sashing? yes? no? Inquiring minds wanna know!
Hi Ladies!
Just a quick note to show you what I’ve accumulated so far with both the blocks I have made myself and the ones I have received. Velda, I just got yours in the mail. Thank you! I was hoping you would use your cute Gypsy Wife scraps on one of them and you did!
This will not be the final layout. I am just throwing them up on the wall as they come in or as I make one. If anyone is unsure about what I like and you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask! I like hearing from you. 🙂 A couple of the blocks I made are pretty busy and I may not use them but I wanted to try and see how they would turn out. Ya never know ’til you try!
Don’t forget, the block is only 8 inches so please make two. Thanks so much! I am loving what has come in so far!
It’s my turn to be queen! Yay! And I am queen in two different bees for the month of October (yes, I am a little early) so there is going to be some major happy mail coming my way. Fellow hive mates, you will be helping me make my first ever quilt for my own bed! I am so excited!! Getting blocks in the mail will be like getting housewarming gifts!
I don’t think the block I’m going to have you make has a name. At least, not that I know of. It’s just a bunch of HST’s and squares arranged in a pleasing way. Here is a sample of them sewn together. My favorite thing about this block are all the secondary patterns created when you put them together facing different directions.
There are diamonds
There are X’s
Plus signs (this one has a diamond in the middle of it)
And stars!
All from one single block! It is hard to only make one or two of these blocks because you want to see the secondary patterns develop as you put them together. I timed myself and from cutting out fabric to a finished block took me less than one hour and that was even after having to rip out a row and sew it on right. If you hate making points match up, don’t worry. I am not super picky about that. Once all the blocks are put together, it is the overall effect that holds your attention and not whether the points are perfect. I love the personality of a patchwork quilt, imperfections and all.
OK, let’s get down to business! (click HERE for simplified directions without all the detail)
FABRIC REQUIREMENTS
You will need two contrasting fabrics for each block. They don’t have to be the same color, as long as one is light and the other one dark. If you’re unsure, just choose one favorite fabric of yours and then a low volume or white on white fabric to go with it.
NOTE: The fabrics in the shown sample are kind of old fashioned and dated but my preference is for bright and modern.
For you that like to fussy cut, even novelty fabrics are perfectly ok as long as they contrast with the partner color and are on the bright side. Did you notice the frogs and the bees?
If you don’t have any brights, just choose your favorite. Small scale prints that read mostly as one color work best; however, if you do use a large scale print as one of the choices, it works best if the other fabric is a solid or a tone on tone. Let me show you how one fabric can be both the light and the dark in two different blocks. Here we have the orange as the dark fabric in one block and as the light fabric in another block. Again, the key is contrast.
CUT:
One 5 3/4″ square and four 2 1/2″ squares from each of your fabric choices. That’s it! This will make an 8 1/2″ block that finishes at 8 inches. Since it is so small, please make two blocks and no need to sew them together.
SEW:
Eight 2 1/2″ HST’s using any method you prefer. Following is my favorite method:
Take the large square of each color with right sides together. Draw lines from corner to corner on the lighter color like this:
Sew 1/4″ inch away from the line down one side and back up the other on both of the drawn lines. I forgot to take a picture of this step so I am borrowing this from a tutorial I already have. Here are the sewn lines:
Next, cut on both of the drawn lines and without moving the block cut from the middle of the left side to the middle of the right side and from middle top to middle bottom like this:
You will have 8 little half square triangles in no time! Trim these HST’s to 2 1/2″ and for best results, please press open. This is the only place I will ask for this.
Now for the arranging. It works easiest if you start with the four light squares and arrange them like this:
Then add 3 HST’s on each side of that row with the darker side toward the four light squares you had in a diagonal line. You’ll end up with three butterflies.
Then take the four dark squares and add two of them to each side like this:
And then the final two HST’s with the light side pointing toward the corners.
Sew together one row at a time and wait until you have all four rows sewn together before you press. Press the seams on the first row one direction (doesn’t matter which way) and the the second row the opposite direction, alternating directions for all four rows. I tried doing it with pressing the seams open but it really does work better to be able to nest the seams together. Your points will come out better.
And now you should have a nice finished block. I am looking forward to seeing every color of the rainbow appearing in my mailbox! HAVE FUN!
P.S. I’ve already had one person tell me she was a little confused by what colors I want. I prefer bright and bold colors in either tone on tone or a small print, but really just about anything will work. The main goal is to have high contrast. If you are having trouble figuring out what to choose, just use a low volume or white for the light color.
Here are some examples of fabric pulls I will probably be making from my own stash. Hope this helps! And yes, although I donn’t have a purple example here, I like purple too. Anything goes!
I must not have been paying very good attention in any of my art classes in school because I had no CLUE what a tertiary color was! So thanks, Jen for the lesson in color although I am still not sure what I picked are proper tertiary colors. One is definitely marigold, the other is somewhere between blue and purple but not sure if it falls in the category of tertiary.
I was so excited when the points on the inside block all matched! YAY!
I must have gotten a little cocky and needed humbling because the very next thing I did was this . . . These are supposed to be the same. Ugh.
After several ripping sessions to rectify multiple goofs, I FINALLY got the block done. Hope you like, it, Jen!
Bee Inspired 