Friday, December 30, 2016

Thursday, December 22, 2016

To those who contributed to November's Hive 2 quilt

I am so very excited.  The blocks I received from those in my hive are beautiful and two angels were very generous to add to my quilt, as well.  I hope to assemble the quilt top next week.  I can't wait to see the ribbons and Friendship stars work together.  Thank you so very much!!  My Canadian and Dutch sisters added something special to their packets... I have ideas for 2017, now!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!  This year has been fun and a great learning experience.

Mary Ann

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Stash Bee Tutorial - How to Post on the Stash Bee Blog

So you're all excited that you've joined Stash Bee but you've never blogged before or you used a different blogging platform and you're not sure how to post on blogger.  Well, this blog post is for you then. I'm going to walk you through, step by step on how to write a blog post in Blogger.

Please note: As you read through this tutorial, you can click on each photo to make it larger to see the detail.

STEP 1
When you first open up Blogger, you will see the main dashboard with a listing of all posts. There will be an orange box at the top that says "New Post." Click on that to begin.


STEP 2
Now you will be in the Post Form. There is a lot of information in the photo below. Some important things to note --

1. Be sure to give your post a title. Including your hive is always helpful. A good example is "Hive 1 Block for Diana"

2. To add a photo of your block, click on the photo icon and choose the appropriate method (upload from URL, from computer, etc.)

3. Label your post. Correctly labeling your post allows others to easily find it throughout the year. 90% of all posts will only have 3 labels - the year, the month, and the hive. In continuing my example from above, I would label that post - 2017, January, Hive1. Please note: all of the labels are already in place so you just need to select them from the drop-down menu.

4. Sign Your Name. This may sound obvious, but with 100 people posting on the blog, it's not always easy to know who is writing a particular post. If you didn't set up a specific name in your google account it might show something like Quiltr248 -- which, let's be honest, could be any one of us -- so please sign your name at the end of the post, please!



STEP 3
Publish Your Blog Post. The only thing left to do now is to publish your blog post for everyone to see. You'll notice in the photo above that there are a few options in the upper right-hand side. You have Publish -- Save -- Preview -- Close.  Let's take a look at all of those.

PUBLISH - This does exactly what it says. When you click on this button, your post will go live on the blog for everyone to see. If that's what you want to do, then click on it and you are done.

SAVE - Blogger has a built-in autosave feature but, if you're like me, I tend to be a little OCD especially when I'm working on a long post, specifically tutorials, and I prefer to click on it every so often just to back up my work.

PREVIEW - This is a way to check your work to double check to see if you like your spacing or the sizing of a photo. When you click on preview, it will open up a new window to see how it will look with all of the Stash Bee formating. You will not be able to make any edits within that preview.

CLOSE - Clicking close will save your post as a draft and allow you to come back later and edit it. It will not publish it.


A SPECIAL NOTE FOR WRITING AND POSTING TUTORIALS

The same rules apply when it's your turn to be queen and it comes time for you to write your tutorial on how to make your block. There is one VERY IMPORTANT THING that I want to point out, though, and that is how to SCHEDULE A POST TO PUBLISH AT A SPECIFIC DATE AND TIME. Tutorials are supposed to be scheduled for the first of the month. On the right side of the blog post form, just underneath the labels, you will see a Schedule setting. See below.
When you click on the Schedule tab you have the option to set the date and time for your post to publish. After you've selected your date and time, click on the done button at the bottom. Now here is the important thing here -- CLICK PUBLISH!!!!  Yes, you read that correctly. You must click PUBLISH. Here, let me write that one more time in capital letters -- PUBLISH! If you click close, it will save your tutorial as a draft. Your tutorial date will come and go, and your tutorial will still be a draft. Once you hit publish, you will be taken back to the main blogger dashboard page and you will see that your blog post is listed as SCHEDULED.


I hope that this tutorial has been helpful to new and returning members alike. It can easily be found in the Resources & Tips tab at the top of the page.

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Hive 4 November block: pink and orange and Tula Pink

Hi stash bee friends, I am clearly losing my mind, because I remember writing this post. But I went to check on it, and I could not find it.

I loved making this block. The colors were really fun, the block pattern is interesting but it was pretty simple to put together, and you can't go wrong with Tula pink. With these color choices, and Julie's mentioned that she liked Tula pink, I just knew that I had the perfect fabric for the middle of this block. I have a "thing" for owls, and I'm glad I got to share some of them this month.


Friday, December 9, 2016

Hive 3: Holiday Wreaths Quilt Finish

Hello Hive 3! I can't thank you enough for helping me this year with my holiday wreath quilt. I was able to hop onto my friend's long arm a few weeks ago and quilt it and I bound it this past weekend. I absolutely LOVE it!


You can check out a few more pictures on my blog here.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Hive 1 October Angel Blocks

I was asked to make 2 Angel blocks for Tanyia. I really like using my stash and had to dig a bit to find fabrics that would work.  Then I made sure to make some notes about which fabrics for which geese and was happy when it all came together.  At least until I looked at the picture.
I looked and looked but I knew something was just not right about it...
So, my seam ripper and I had some quality time together and now it's all better.
I'll be sending this along soon!
Happy Quilting!

Hive 2 for October and November and Hive 7 Angel block

I completely forgot that I did not post about my blocks for October and November!  But, according to my tracking numbers the blocks were received so here are the pictures:

There were two blocks for October:



And, it does not appear that I took a picture of the November block. . . . unless it is on my iPad!
Bummer!

I will have to check and if it is there I will edit this post to add it.

I volunteered to do an Angel block for Hive 7. . . . and this was a definite stretch to my "comfort zone" as far as colors. . . but it was fun and I hope that it can be used in her quilt.



I had fun this past year with the swap and hope that I can make it into another Hive for next year.

Happy quilting,

Sherry V.

Monday, December 5, 2016

Angel Block for Hive 2

I heard the call for a block angel and quickly offered.  So many have given extra to me and I wanted to pay it forward.  Fortunately, I had a free weekend and the right colors in my collection.



I love the blue and yellow combination.  You know what that means, another idea on the list!

Friday, December 2, 2016

To late.......

....but she knows the block is on its way.
I don't think it is the best position to be the queen bee from November.
As like others I too was busy with other things than the Stash Bee block.
So sorry Mary Ann, the block went on the mail yesterday.
Here are the pictures.
It is an easy block to make. I used some tools to make it more easy for me.
A little bit of chain sewing.
The trash from cutting the squares the right size.
Loving it when everything goes so smoothly.
Mary Ann hope you like youre block?
Thanks to all the ladies who made this a great event.
It was great to be part of this.
For every one have a nice Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Warm regards from Holland

Angel blocks for Hive 2 September

I was asked to make two angel blocks for Hive 2, and was happy to oblige!  The only problem was finding two colors I had 8 different fabrics in large enough pieces.  My stash took a real hit making blocks for the #quiltsforpulse project, and I am slowly rebuilding.  I had a ton of blue, but it appeared so did everyone else, so I went with orange and yellow:



The center top block on the orange looks yellowy but it is orange in real life. albeit a lighter shade than its neighbors.  

I'll get these in the mail tomorrow!


Thursday, December 1, 2016

November Hive 6 Blocks for Karen

Hi all. Here are Karen's November blocks. They went together super fast and I loved the colors she chose. These blocks are already on their way.

This was a fun year.  Thanks all for an awesome hive!


Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Stephanie's November Blocks

Just under the wire!! Phew!!  Autumn is so beautiful, as the colors of leaves are exposed and nature shows off. I liked sewing these blocks. MQC is tried and true, and all of these stars sparkle. Here you go , Stephanie, and Happy Anniversary! (slightly belated...) This has been a wonderful hive, all of you so generous and talented. Hugs, Jane Holbrook




Hive 4 last block

Can't believe how fast Stash Bee went this year and the final block is done. Forgot to snap a photo of it assembled before wrapping up to post so here's the before shot!

Thank you all in Hive 4 for a great Bee!

Hive 1 block for Cheri

My last bee block of the year! :) Enjoy Cheri! I am interested to see what this looks like when it is done! I am also looking forward to Stash Bee next year! See ya then!


Cheri's Candy Canes

Here you go Cheri!


This actually made a dent in my green scraps which is some sort of a miracle!

Blocks for Erika

Hello Hivemates!

Here are my final blocks for 2016! These were very fun and quick to make. I don't often get a chance to use novelty fabrics, so they are sparse in my stash. But I did come up with these two fabrics with unicorns and giraffes. I hope you like them Erika, and more importantly, your little girl!





Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! It's been a really great year in this Hive!

Andrea

P.S. They shipped earlier this week Erika. So they should get to you soon.

Blocks for Erika

Novembers Blocks for Erika

Well it is pretty sad I made these right away and was done by Nov. 6 and even mailed them last week and am just now posting them.  It was fun looking for cute novelty fabric to use and the block was so easy and quick to make.  I also made you an Angel block. Can't wait to see you put together this quilt with all the cute fabrics I have seen posted. Should be a vibrant, fun quilt.





Well I hope everyone has enjoyed Stash Bee this year. I think we have made some great blocks and I hope to use some of them future quilts. Thanks for the inspiration.  Here is looking forward to Stash Bee 2017.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Hive 7 November block


Can't wait to see these all assembled!  Fun to pick the fabrics - it should be adorable!

Hive 6 blocks

Here are Karen's November blocks. I LOVED her Y-seam tutorial--it made them so quick and easy. I wish I'd had time to make more, because that was FUN.

I also remade Cheryl's October blocks, which sadly seem to have gotten lost in the mail. I hope it didn't put you too far behind on finishing your quilt, Cheryl!


~Sylvia

Monday, November 28, 2016

November Block, Hive 6 for Karen

I can't believe it. Its November and the end of the Stash Bee. I have really enjoyed this year and especially getting to know you all. The blocks have been fun. Yes, really. Stretching at times, but fun overall. My paper piecing and my flying geese have improved no end.

Karen's block was, to put it simply a oh my goodness block. I never thought I could do the tumbling blocks, or as I think of it, the Giant's Causeway block. Never say never, I have now added this to my list of favourite blocks.

The first block I made was a little bumpy, and working on the principle, of  "would I like to receive this?" the answer was no. Then I remembered somebody had given me some plastic templates a few years ago, and I wasn't sure what to do with them. One of them was the exact shape of diamond and the exact size.  Was I the lucky girl?




Very quickly, remarkably quickly I had two blocks for Karen in her chosen colours of navy, a cooler medium colour and a low volume text fabric. I only wish I had time to make more of these for Karen. Maybe I could make my very own Giant's Causeway!



Thank you Karen for pushing my boundaries.
Thank you Sylvia for being such a great bee mama
And thank you Bee Mates for being such fun this year.

Helen x

November Bee for Hive 5

I totally forgot to post on here when I made this block for Stephanie ....


This block has been on my to list for a while so I was really pleased to make this.  It came together really quickly and easily and it going to make a great autumn quilt for Stephanie.

November Hive 9 Block for Kristi


Kristi - Hope you like the block. Heading out in the mail today!


This hive was so fun this year. Love how all my blocks came out and I will be working on the quilt after the new year and will be sure to upload pics of the finished product.
Thank you Yvonne for making our hive the greatest one I have been a part of so far!
Look forward to seeing you all in the next years Bee.
Heather

October Hive 9 Block for Mary

 
Mary - Thanks for your patience with my hectic schedule in Oct and Nov. I have finished your blocks and they will hit the mail today.





I can't wait to see how these are sliced and combined, please post a pic when you finish!
Blessings,
Heather

Sunday, November 27, 2016

November Hive 1 Candy Canes

Here is my block for ghis month.  It seems I seriously depleted my greens finishing a quilt for my daughter this summer ... Hope this works well for you!  I'll get it in the post tomorrow.

November block for Kristi


Well, where did 2016 go? Seems to me like it flew by in a flurry of.... stuff!  I really enjoyed making this fun improv block for Kristi. I've done a lot of improv, but never all low volume, and I have to say I love how it looks. I'm sure your big HSTs are going to look wonderful, can't wait to see it!

Thanks to all of my hive mates for making my first year with Stashbee a fun and creative experience.

Happy holidays, everyone! Love wins!!!
xx Allison

Candy Canes for Cheri

And so another year of Stash Bee comes to an end....and what a block to send it off with.  Full of Holiday Cheer....


Patience is the key to this block so that all the seems line up....  Can't wait to see it all put together...hopefully before this christmas?

Hive 4 November block for Julia

Made these two blocks a while ago but just posting them. The funny thing is while I was making them, I wondered if there was a right and wrong way to sew together the HST.  Well, I found out, yes, you can sew them together wrong. But did a quick fix and will be sending off the two blocks tomorrow.


It has been a fun year making blocks for everyone! I am signed up for next year and hope to see some of you again on Stash Bee!   -Gayle

Saturday, November 26, 2016

A Hive Crash for Erika

Hive 3's November Queen Linda had to abdicate her throne due to helping a friend.  One of the suggestions she gave us for for what to do instead of making her a block was to crash another hive.  When I saw Erika's block that will go to making a quilt for her 3-year-old daughter, I knew that was the one for me.  Erika encouraged novelty fabrics, and novelty fabrics are my favorite!
I went through my I Spy scraps and didn't find much pink, the lucky little girl's favorite color.  But there are some fun novelties here, with butterflies, rainbows, bananas, and penguins.  And those red dots with the bananas are actually hearts.  I can't wait to see the finished quilt for Erika's daughter!

Thanks, everyone, for a great year in the Stash Bee! This is my first year and I have loved it, can't wait to come back next year! 

Emily, Hive 3

November Block for Julia-Hive #4

When I saw the colors for this block, I was a little worried.  We don't really do orange in my house! Turns out I'd bought some weird Kaffe fish that were orange and hot pink and found a few bits of orange hiding in a closet.  I'm hoping a scrappy background is okay?

I'm out for next year, time to finish some things instead of adding to the collection!

Hive 1 Quilt in exhibition

Hi fellow bees,


Remember the quilt we made using the free pattern 
by Tara Faughnan voor Michael Miller Fabrics?

 I was asked to send it in for an exhibition for the category 'Modern Quilts'.

Here is a picture of the quilt (and me in front of it) at the exhibition :-)



Thanks again for being a part of this quilt! With kind regards, Francis

Block for Julia, November

Hello everyone!

We made it through the year, and now it is officially holiday season!  On this Thanksgiving weekend, I am grateful for all of you who have participated this year.  This block was such a fun way to end the year - I love the color choices!

 






Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season!

Katie

Friday, November 25, 2016

Hive 4 block for Julia

Hi all....here we are the last month of stash bee.  It has been a good year. I have made blocks I would have never tried.  Like this one.  I love it.  Hope it works for you Julia.  Have a great holiday everyone. Enjoy!  Rose