We Start Them Young...

This picture made me smile...

.....A pirate transformer and his sister each made us a block.

I didn't even know pirate transformers could sew and I'm sure Sarah, who wrote the tutorial, didn't either. The pirate transformer is Joshua, aged 6 and his pretty sister is Abby, aged 8.  I'd say Sarah is also chuffed that Abby and Joshua made such pretty blocks using her tutorial. Abbey and Joshua, you made my day when I saw this photograph on Instagram. Bee Blessed want to say a big THANK YOU to you both.  Also a big thank you to mum for sharing the photo.  I'll never again get a chance to blog about a pirate transformer and his sister.  Two talented little ones!!  Maybe you'll make us one again some time??

How can we follow that!!!

Boo...it's pouring with rain here, so a perfect time to stay indoors and do what I should have done already.  A few days sunshine makes us hungry for more!!!

The grown ups were busy at Bee Blessed since I last posted.  We gifted many quilts and I've lots to report.

But first, here's a glimpse of us at work when we last met...

Lorna and Kelly, smiling for the camera, with Carolyn hiding behind

Me, Lorraine, making my usual dodgy, concentration face.  I'm putting borders on our second Rail Fence quilt

Marion and Karen, with Lisa M having a giggle in the background

Heather, hard at work...note the chocolate on the table.  We really needed that to sustain us!

Lisa C...aagh look up Lisa!  I'll get you next time...

And finally...

Ros, the boss, (she'll hate that lol) and Lisa M with the stunning Star Quilt which Lisa has been working on

Enough of the frivolities.  Down to the business of quilts now.  

I don't think I've shown you even a glimpse of this quilt before.We gifted the quilt and the book to a little baby girl.....it is accompanied by our prayers and best wishes for the future.

This quilt was completed and kindly donated to us.  We knew it had a very special home to go to and we waited and waited.  Eventually we knew the very person...and it arrived with the recipient at the most appropriate time.  Doesn't it fit perfectly into its new home.  That blows us away.  There is a very special person ready and waiting for each and every quilt.

This is the second of our Churn Dash quilts, which we gifted to a lovely family.

Our first Rail Fence also went to a family and we hope its cheeriness went some way to brightening their day. 

I think I've shown you this beauty before.  It has been waiting patiently to go to its new home and left us last Saturday.  I'm sure it will be treasured.  

This quilt was gifted to a little baby boy, just this week. We hope he has fun pointing at the animals and making lots of 'moos', neighs'  and 'baas'.

And last but not least, this is the final quilt which was gifted this month.  It is sent as always with our best wishes and I have it on good account that it will be cherished.

That's what it's all about!!!!  And that's why month, after month, I thank all those who support us in any way. Everyone who receives a quilt from Bee Blessed is touched and cheered and reminded that they have been thought about, but Bee Blessed is more than just us, the Belfast folk, sewing once a month.  You know who you are...so a big THANK YOU.

I have more I could post, quilts in progress, blocks which you have kindly posted in etc etc...but as quite a bit of this blog has been about gifting, I want to leave it there..

so...more soon.

Happy Sewing

Bee Blessed June Block

I hope you are all having some nice summer weather......but I hope it means you'll still find a few minutes in between barbecuing and sunbathing, maybe even gardening, to run us up a block or maybe even two ;-)

This month we're using a brilliant tutorial by Jeni Baker.  I've just recently bought her new Half-Square Triangle book, which I'm loving, and while looking for this month's block I came across a Half-Square Triangle Block of the Month which she ran in 2012.  Doesn't that seem such a long time ago!!!??

In August 2012 the BOM folk were sewing together this Hour Glass Block. You can find the tutorial for that block here.  Jeni Baker gives two methods for cutting and assembling the HSTs. I used her instructions for the Traditional Method (4 inch squares) and there is a link with instructions on how to assemble and trim them here.  Don't forget to trim your HSTs to 3 1/2 inches.  The resulting block will be 12 1/2 inches.

We've been making a lot of bright, scrappy quilts recently so we're thinking that perhaps this time we should opt for subtlety.  Not one for subtlety, I had to dig deep into my stash to find sufficient suitable fabrics...but I love the finished blocks. We're thinking patterned soft pastels, or as close to soft pastels as possible.  Pink, lemon, turquoise, soft greens, soft blues and peach etc would be our preference but a splash of red, blue or a stronger colour is fine within that theme.  We would like the background fabric to be white.

We would like the blocks by Monday 25th July, please, so that we can sew them together when we meet on Saturday 30th July.  If you need any further information, clarification, or the address to post them to, just send us an email.  You'll find the email address here.

I hope you have fun with your HSTs this month and look forwarding to seeing your blocks. Thank you in advance, once again.  We really appreciate your support.  

So here's to some lovely summer weather...

Happy Sewing