Found: Block Tutorials at Film In The Fridge

I've been on the lookout for great block tutorials lately after having redone the Quilting Blocks Tutorial page last week.  Ashley from Film In The Fridge has a great selection of block tutorials on her blog and I thought they deserved a post all of their own.  Get ready to be inspired! (Thanks, Ashley, for letting me feature and us all gawk at your gorgeous blocks! :] )

Rectangle Squared




The Starburst Block




Dinner Date Block




Quartered Squares - a modified bento box block tutorial




String Quilt Block - paper pieced method

(all photos credit: Ashley / Film In The Fridge)

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Finished! Dana's Gorgeous Stars on Gray

I knew from the moment I saw the picture of Dana's little fabric packs all lined up and ready to be mailed out that I would love this quilt - I have a thing for gray and the combination of green and turquoise right now is one I'm loving. Look how pretty these fabric stacks are:

Dana from Old Red Barn Co sent them out to her bee members in A Notion or Two and requested traditional star blocks - anything but wonky. Look at some of the gorgeous blocks she started getting back (and I couldn't resist adding in the picture of Dana's adorable three-legged cat, Jezebel):




(credit: 1. Don't know if Jezebel approves, 2. March Block - for Dana, 3. Missouri star, 4. Dana's star block, 5. Dana's North Star, 6. Feb A Notion or Two, 7. A Notion or Two March for Dana, 8. for Dana #2, 9. Dana's March Block)

She had a beautiful quilt top put together in no time and then asked for some advice on her blog on how she should finish it. She said she had originally planned on a scrappy border but didn't have any more of the gray fabric to include.





She got lots of suggestions but finally decided to just let the blocks speak for themselves and be the main focus of the quilt ... and the results couldn't be more beautiful.







She wrote more about the finished quilt again on her blog - go visit her to see more pictures, including one of the scrappy back. It's a gorgeous quilt - everyone in A Notion or Two did an amazing job helping Dana bring it all together!

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I'm currently looking for more finished bee quilts to feature on the Quilting Bee Blocks blog!  Please email me if you have a finished quilt that you'd want me to write about - please include a link to the picture of your quilt on Flickr so I can find it easily!  :]

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Featured: Charity Quilting Bees

The online community in general is such a giving group of people - and the Virtual Quilting Bee community is no exception.  Here's two Quilting Bee projects I've come across recently with a charity spin to them - both are awesome groups and both great opportunities for you to get involved in something that helps get a beautiful handmade quilt into the arms of someone very deserving.

Rachel (stitchedincolor on Flickr) started do. Good Stitches {a Charity Bee} when she wanted to make something beautiful and practical for children in need.  Her original group consists of quilters collaborating on quilts for the Wrap them in Love group, a charity providing quilts to children around the world.  Here's a little more about the bee in Rachel's words:

"do. Good Stitches is becoming a multi-circle group, with each sewing circle consisting of 10 members. Each circle will make quilts to benefit a specific charity. For example, my current bee members are group "love". Their quilts are being made for Wrap Them in Love. Two new circles are soon to launch: "peace" with quilts benefiting children in war-torn countries and "faith" with quilts benefiting a Christian orphanage in Africa. My goal is to keep adding groups! I welcome new stitchers and quilters to contact me about joining in or simply make a request to join from our Flickr group page. I am also looking for circle "hosts", who will lead these groups by keeping track of the quilting schedule. Charity suggestions welcome! Please let me know if you are passionate about getting involved, and would be interesting in hosting a circle."

She has lots more information about the group & how to get involved on the do. Good Stitches Flickr page, so make sure to visit them there.

Rainbow around the block is another charity bee collecting blocks to be made into quilts benefiting families in Middle Tennessee that lost their homes to the severe flooding this Spring.  Fabric designer Anna Maria Horner is the driving force behind this project, which is accepting 12.5"x12.5" unfinished blocks in a monochromatic color scheme in any patchwork style that you'd like.  What I love about this project as well is that Anna Maria had her kids color a quilt block on paper that she then turned into a quilt block tutorial for you!  So far she has Isabela's Argyle Quilt Block (.pdf) and Joseph's Square in a Square Block (.pdf) - both which are darling.  Here's a little more information from the Rainbow around the block website:

"Not everyone can be on the front lines of an effort like flood cleanup and rebuilding, but we believe that there is always a way to help. So many families lost their homes, cars, and all their belongings during the floods of May 2010 in Middle Tennessee. As they begin their rebuilding process, we hope to combine the efforts of generous quilters nationwide in order to make as many quilts as possible to distribute to families who are in need of new items for their homes. It is a simple mission, but its one that we hope will be far reaching and one that will give homemade comfort to as many people as possible."

They have both information on their blog as well as a great Flickr group showing the blocks made so far.

Both of these groups are doing great things and if you have any extra time or fabric, I know they'd love for you to get involved.  Tell them Quilting Bee Blocks sent you!

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Featured Bee Member: Brioni of flossyblossy

It's time for another Featured Bee Member.  This week I talked to Brioni (flickr: flossyblossy |  blog: flossyblossy) and ohmygosh guys, if you haven't met her yet - get prepared to be blown away.  This girl does SO much in the Virtual Quilting Bee community.  I adore her blog, too, because I get to hear her say things like "poor bugger", "multi story car park" and "nip over" since she's from the UK.  What is it about us Americans being obsessed by all things English?!

Again I asked her some questions which she so graciously answered, and also sprinkled some of her bee blocks throughout. For some serious eye candy visit her Flickr set of all her bee blocks!

How did you first hear about and how long have you been involved in Virtual Quilting Bees?

I think the first one i became involved with was the Quilt Around the World Bee. It is a round robin involving 24 people scattered around the world – UK, US, Brazil, The Netherlands and Australia. I can’t even remember where i heard about it but it started in May last year. Finished quilts are arriving at their new homes as we speak and i think i have 2 blocks left to make. I have been involved in Virtual Bees since i found you lovely lot on Flickr just over a year ago!

What bees are you involved in?

I am involved in:
Quilt Around the World
Quilt Around the World - Christmas
The Euro Bee
Eurovision quilters
Busy Bees
Bee Addicted 3
A Spider Bee

Quilt Around the World finishes soon, and i have 3 finishing in September and one in December so that will lighten the load a bit. Well....that’s until i sign up for another couple - as i just can't resist.

Pick one of your most favourite blocks that you've made in the past for a bee - a block that you had a particularly hard time sending back to its owner because you loved it so much:

I think it has to be this one i made for Dallas for her month of Eurovision Quilters Bee :

The brief was to make a block to represent where you live or where you dream of living. This looks like the row of houses i live in (but obviously they are not multi-coloured!). This was a block that i knew instantly what i wanted to make and it came up exactly how i wanted it to.

What type of blocks / themes are you thinking about for your next turn in one of your bees?

Busy Bees is the only one that i haven’t had my month yet.
This bee is a real dream Bee and is full of really talented and inspirational people and i am trying to come up with something that is what i want, but without stifling everyone creativity. I am thinking about asking for mini houses but with a slight twist, but am also leaning towards circle trees. I have until September to decide so i suspect I’ll change my mind a few times.

Pick one block from the QBB Flickr group that you're loving at this moment and tell us why:

I can only choose 1????
If i can only choose 1 then i guess it is this one:

(block made by Sara for Buzz Cuts)

My current obsessions are both blocks made with tiny tiny pieces, and dots of any kind. This ticks all the boxes.
I am desperate to make a quilt like this but I am trying to be strong and resist until i get my WIP list down.

What takes up your time, outside of sewing?

Work! I work full time and that takes 9 ½ hours out of my day. If I then deduct sleeping time and time i need to eat, that only leaves about 2 ½ hours a day for sewing.
I do suck a bit of that time back though by taking the train to work and working on a hand stitched project, but it’s still never enough! I am counting on winning the lottery pretty soon so i can stay home and sew all day every day!

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Are you an active member in the Virtual Quilting Bee community and want me to feature you on Quilting Bee Blocks .com?  Email me - I'd love to hear from you! Don't be shy :]

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Featured: YOUR links to posts about Virtual Quilting Bees and Blocks!

Confession: I have hundreds of crafty/quilting/sewing blogs in my RSS reader. Yes, it's a little bit out of control, but there is just SO much inspiration out there! (You know what I'm talking about, right?!) One of my favorite type of posts to come across is the "My Quilt Blocks From This Month" post, where all you creative people are posting pictures of and talking about the beautiful quilt blocks you're making.

Here's a few examples of these Quilt Block Posts that have shown up in my reader recently:

Viv from Highway Cottage posted about her July blocks and also started on her Doll Quilt Swap 9 project.

Quilt Dad John did a round-up type post about all his blocks from April, May and June.

Emily from Creative Chicks posted about being in her first Virtual Quilting Bee, Bee Vintage, and having the first month of the bee as her month!

Donna from Kindred Crafters blogged about her process of picking and sewing a June block with a star.

Natalia from Piece N Quilt is in love with the blocks that others have been making her for her month in the Puting the Bee in Christmas bee.

And TraceyJay participated in a Friday Night Sew In and finished up some chubby star blocks for the Three by Six Sampler Mini Bee.

Have you blogged recently about bee blocks that YOU'VE been making?  Or maybe it's your month in a bee and the blocks have been rolling in.  Or have you completed a top with bee blocks, or even finished a QUILT?!  If it's a blog post that has to do with Virtual Quilting Bees in any way (doesn't matter if it's an old or new post), add your link to the MckLinky below to share it and then hop through some of the links to get inspired by fellow sewists!  Make sure to leave lots of comment love :]

I'll even be going through and picking some of my favorite posts to be highlighting here!  ;]

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Featured Bee Member: Jessica of Give it a Go

I'm excited to introduce a new series here on Quilting Bee Blocks - Featured Bee Member. With over 650 members in our Flickr group, most of whom are active in Virtual Quilting Bees, I thought it was about time to start learning a little bit about each other and the different bees we all participate in.

Help me welcome Jessica! (flickr: give.it.a.go | blog: Just Give it a Go)  I first met Jessica when I fell in love with the flying geese block she made for one of her bees and asked her if I could use it in the header I was making for this Quilting Bee Blocks blog.  She was very gracious and said of course!  Since then, she's been a big supporter of our blog and is an active member of the Virtual Quilting Bee community - is even a Bee Mama to a few bees!

I asked Jessica a few questions - here's what she had to say, and I've sprinkled some of her beautiful blocks throughout her interview for some eye candy.  :]

How did you first hear about Virtual Quilting Bees's? I first heard of VQBs through various blogs, but they were always very mysterious to me...I couldn't figure out how to get connected with people of similar interests. I have been sewing for a long time but was just getting started with quilting. Then Alissa from Handmade by Alissa announced that the Block Party VQB was going to be expanded into a book, and the flickr group formed...and that's where I first found other people who, like me, were interested in doing a bee but didn't know how to connect with each other.

What Bees are you involved in? I actually started my first bee (The Bee's Knees--I actually made that flying geese block that's on your blog header for that bee), then joined another (A Spider Bee) through someone I met there. I eventually found the 3x6 mini bee through your flickr group, and then started another bee focusing on Gwen Marston's Liberated Quiltmaking style--Bee Liberated. I think it's really interesting how blogs & flickr work together to facilitate the quilting community that I'd read about but couldn't find...each one serving an important purpose that the other doesn't fulfill.

What types of blocks / themes are you thinking about for your next turn in one of your bees? For my turn in Bee Liberated, I'm planning on asking for liberated log cabins with lots of curves and pieced sections, all the same size in one dimension but varied in the other. I'm debating whether to use a rainbow of solids or stick to all grays or all blues with little bursts of brighter colors...I have a month or so to decide on that.

Pick one block from the QBB Flickr group that you're loving at this moment, and tell us why. A block I'm loving right now (and it was so hard to narrow it down to just one!) is this one--which I guess sort of reminds me of the blocks I'm planning to ask for in my own bee! I really love the crisp neutrals with the pops of color and print, and the sort of balanced asymetry (an oxymoron, I know!) works really well. I'm also so in love with pieced sections of blocks--that one strip that uses both the khaki and white makes the block for me. Finally, it sort of exemplifies the direction I'm starting to move in with my own quilting. When I first discovered modern fabrics, I loved all the bright prints out there to the exclusion of everything else. Now I'm realizing how beautiful solid quilts are.

block made by Flaun for Sewn Together

What takes up your time outside of sewing? I'm delighted to be at home full time with my almost-four-year-old son--he definitely keeps me on my toes! Outside of sewing, I enjoy other craftiness (mainly knitting), cooking & baking, and books with next-to-no literary value (a welcome break after majoring in and teaching English until I left my job when my son was born). I'm also active in a local volunteer group.

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Are you an active member in the Virtual Quilting Bee community and want me to feature you on Quilting Bee Blocks .com?  Email me - I'd love to hear from you!

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Finished! Heather's Princess and the Pea quilt

It's the quilt that started a love affair ..... Heather's love affair with the beautiful combination of aqua and tangerine fabrics together.  She told me she wanted to make a feminine quilt using more masculine colorways ... because she's the only girl in a family of 4.  (Hmmm ... that sounds familiar!)

She sent out a selection of Heather Ross's Far, Far Away line to each of the members in the Sew New to Me Virtual Quilting Bee. (Which - if you remember - was also the group that created Gretchen's green and gray baby quilt).  Heather asked for everyone to create for her a wonky/improv block that really showed each member's unique personality.

Everyone did an amazing job and she got back the best variety of blocks that were all truly unique!  She used Kona Ash for the sashing and took the risk of using a coal colored IKEA sheet for the backing.  The sheet had a sateen finish to it that made for a snuggly and luxurious finished quilt!  Heather said that the risk paid off and that the sheet quilted up nicely.

She then used simple & modern straight line quilting to keep the focus of the quilt on the gorgeous blocks.  It looks AMAZING and is a quilt that she's going to be loving for a long time!

Thanks Heather for being one of my favorite online friends and letting me feature your quilt!  Go visit Heather at her blog, A La Mode Fabric, or join her in one of the many awesome Flickr groups she creates and helps run!

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Do you have a finished Quilting Bee Quilt that you'd like me to feature?  Email me!

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Finished! Kate's dreamy Blue Daze quilt

For Kate's month in the Around the Block bee she sent out a beautiful combination of orange, blue and grey fabrics. (Or maybe you call it Sweet { Aqua } and Tangerine??!)

Here's part of the instructions that she posted for her bee members about the kind of blocks she wanted:

"The blocks you will be making are going to be made into a quilt for my son Alfie. I have posted a 'Inspiration Board' photo to our group which has about 9 photos of my favourite log cabin quilts.

I want these to be inspiration only as I really want each of you to 'come out' in your blocks.

I will be sending more fabric than is required purely because I am really crap at math and can't for the life of me work out how much to send! And also, I am sending out a real variety of Japanese, blues, greys and orange fabrics...I don't want you to feel you have to use every single piece in each block - I want the combinations to be your own.

I will be sashing with either a white cotton or nautral linen/cotton blend.

For any larger pieces of fabric I will be enclosing a self addressed envelope and ask that you can send these back to me - thank you :) Scrap pieces are yours to keep.

The only criterias I have are:

A) that the centre or focal piece of each block be a piece of fabric/s that are character/novelty based (Japanese and Heather Ross stuff). You will see what I mean when you receive the fabric bundle.

B) Blocks need to be a minimum of 12.5" and up to 15.5" but am happy if they are square or rectangle - up to you. No wonky"

This is an example of a wonderful set of instructions for her blocks. All the pertinent details in one place!

And here's her inspiration mosaic that she posted in their Flickr group for everyone to see (this is a WONDERFUL idea! I see inspiration mosaics all the time for various Flickr swaps, but not too often for VQB's!)


all photos credited on Flickr

Here's a mosaic of some of the blocks that started coming in for her (there were just too many to feature individually, make sure you click on the mosaic to see it BIG and check out all the cute details!)



1. MJ's block for Kate, 2. DSC_7290, 3. Kate's block #2, 4. Kate One Flew Over Wonky Cabin, 5. CIMG1757, 6. Around the Block - Kate's Sea block (almost), 7. Around the Block, 8. around the block 1, 9. 2nd block for Kate - Around The Block, Sept 09, 10. Around the Block - september 09, 11. Around the Block - Second Block for Kate, 12. Block 1 for Kate by Sheridan, 13. One Flew Over Wonky Cabin, 14. September - Blocks for Kate, 15. around the block 1, 16. Around the block - yarnplanner, 17. Around the block - yarnplanner, 18. DSC_7289, 19. Kate's block #1, 20. Kate's block #2, 21. CIMG1758, 22. Block 2 from Loulou for Kate from One Flew Over, 23. Block 1 from Loulou for Kate from One Flew Over, 24. MJ's block for Kate, 25. around the block 1

And for the finished product:







She wrote about it on her blog, One Flew Over, here and here.

Isn't it amazing?! Look at that beautiful quilting. And I love the orange striped binding. Such a pretty, fun, boyish quilt! You know I'm always on the lookout for great boy quilts! :)

She wrote (and I completely agree!!) "The thing about this quilt that I really love is that although no two blocks are the same, they all work so well together. Each time I look at the quilt, I find small, teenie, little details that I didn't notice before."

The girls in Around the Block did an amazing job and I know it's going to be a quilt that Alfie cherishes!

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To make a mosaic like the one I made above with the bee blocks, or that Kate did for her inspiration mosaic, visit the Big Huge Labs Mosaic Maker. Very easy to use and uploads your finished mosaics (links credited and all) right to Flickr!

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If you've got a finished Quilting Bee Blocks quilt that you want featured on Finished!, email me!

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Finished! Nettie's crazy flying geese quilt

This week's Finished! quilt is one made for and by Nettie, of A Quilt is Nice. Nettie is in the VQB "Bee Insipred" and her month was last May.

She requested blocks based off a Dutchman's puzzle block, but gave her bee members free range to interpret the block however they wanted. She asked for 12.5" unfinished blocks. She sent out some of her stash of Japanese fabrics and hard to find prints. Here's some of the blocks she started receiving:

Block made by kvinta


block made by lydigann


block made by giggle_gear


block made by lharsma


block made by the bee Mama, rachelgriffith

Here's the quilt top when she got it all put together:

>

She blogged about having some reservations about not using sashing between the blocks, but then look how beautifully it came together once it was all quilted and bound!



The binding:



And the back (featuring one block that was hand-sewn together!):



Didn't it turn out cute! I love that she didn't use sashing ... even though I usually like sashing in Bee Block quilts because it really showcases each block individually, I think it worked better in her quilt because it let them all flow and work together!

Here's her post about the finished quilt at her blog.

Thanks to Nettie and the other members of Bee Inspired for letting me feature their blocks and finished quilt today! If you'd like, grab the new "I Was Featured" button from the sidebar to post on your blog!

Tutorial these blocks were based off:

Dutchman's Puzzle block at Quilters Cache.

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Finished! Cristin's gorgeous green & gray quilt

Psssssstttt ... click here to go to the Grand Opening Giveaway post where you can enter to win great prizes all this week!

One of my favorite things about Virtual Quilting Bees is to see the full quilt come together -- after all the blocks have been sent home and they're sashed together (or not), basted, quilted and bound ... stick it in the washer and dryer and a little bit later this AMAZING quilt comes out that's been put together by 12 (if not more) people from all over the place. How cool is that?

One thing I'll be doing weekly is featuring a finished quilt that's been put together with blocks from different VQB's. Do you all know about our sister Flickr group, Quilting Bee Quilts, run by the lovely Rachel of PS I Quilt? If you've got a finished quilt made with quilting bee blocks, make sure you get your pictures in that group and maybe you'll find your quilt featured here next.

Cristin (HazelnutDesigns) is in the Sew New to Me Virtual Quilting bee, and January was her month. She put together this beautiful selection of green and gray fabrics and asked her bee members to make a block using squares and rectangles.

This is a great way to get a really personalized quilt as it allows each bee member to create and make a block especially for you. And you're pretty much guaranteed to have no block be exactly the same!

Here's a few of the blocks her bee members started making for her:

block made by sewdeerlyloved

block made by Little Miss Shabby

block made by alamodefabric

block made by Fresh Lemons : Faith

block made by Lpinette

block made by kimwoolf

block made by gretchen891

block made by SophiaAster

And a few pictures of the quilt in progress:

And finally, the finished project! Isn't it gorgeous!?  It measures 80"x80" and has a scrappy binding.  Love that.

The back is a mixture of a bunch of prints used on the front.

And a picture of the quilt all folded snug. (Did you know there's a Flickr group for that too? Quilts: Folded Edges and Rolls)

Thanks so much, Cristin, for letting me use your quilt as our first feature on a finished quilt! You guys all need to go visit Cristin's blog, Sew This is my Life and congratulate her on the adorable little baby boy she just had 4 days ago. Yes, she was putting this quilt together when she was 8 & 9 months pregnant!

So what do you think of this quilt? And of this idea to feature finished quilts? Let me know what you're thinking.  Can't wait to read your comments!

If you've got an idea for an article for QuiltingBeeBlocks.com or want your finished quilt featured, send me an email!  

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