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  

May Bee Blessed

Just a quickish update on what happened last time we met.  All photographs have been taken now and there is lots to show you.

But first and foremost Bee Blessed want to say this...

When we send the quilts to their new homes we get some amazing feedback and hear some humbling stories but unfortunately it's not always appropriate to share it online, as it may become obvious who the recipient is and they may not want to be exposed in that way.  We wish we could share all the lovely stories with you, to show you the difference you collectively make to peoples' lives by being part of Bee Blessed; by offering your support in whatever way, either by making blocks, coming to our group meetings, donating fabric, or in any other way. We want people to realise they are not alone in whatever their circumstances and somehow receiving a quilt seems to sum that up. We love being able to tell you real life stories but for now can we just say thank you!!

Remember the Churn Dash blocks?  Hard to beat a Churn Dash! This is just one of the completed quilts which will be delivered to a most deserving home tomorrow. The other one is almost ready and I'll show you it next month. Once again we had exactly the number of blocks required. I have to say this is one of my favourite blocks and I'd like to make myself a similar quilt one day but I know I'd take forever trying to choose suitable fabrics to meld together, whereas you guys get it right every time. It just 'works'!!!

You sent us sufficient Rail Fence blocks for two quilts.  Thank you!!! They are being quilted and bound at present and we have new homes in mind.  I'll show you them completed and fill you in when I next blog.  We're busy bees right now and I must say what a blessing it is to see them come together.  We really have the nicest job ever...you lovely people do the hard work and we get to put them together and drool over them!!!

A wee word - We love to acknowledge and thank you for your blocks but sometimes we get one with no 'sender'.  We would love you to include your name/blogger name/email address, whatever,  so that I can thank you and let you know that they have arrived safely.

A few of you wanted to put a face to our names so here come a couple of reluctant photographs...

This is Ros. When Judith and Sarah  felt that their time at Bee Blessed had come to an end, Ros agreed to take the reins and I said I'd give her a hand.  Those of you who kindly send your blocks to us monthly, will recognise her name.  Ros is the administrator and the CEO hahaha...she'll have my life for saying that but she doesn't know how to access the blog to change it!!!!!  

This is me...I'm Lorraine and I write the blog, do other techy bits and pieces, Instagram, emails, set the blocks etc.  We work well together and thankfully what one can't or doesn't want to do, the other one can and will.

Here is the group hard at work.  I'll take a better photograph of the lovely ladies next month and put some more names to faces.

Now that I've put that to bed here's what else we got up to.

Our Modified Bento blocks continued to come in and were so pretty that we pondered...to cut into quarters or not...

...we decided to go for it and they were 'in for the chop'.  Once again we received the perfect number for two quilts..Wow isn't that amazing.  I dread ever having to leave out one of your lovely blocks. DO NOT PANIC IF YOUR BLOCK IS NOT THERE ;-).  It will be in the other quilt.

This is just a little glimpse.  We don't want to spoil the surprise too much and look forward to showing them closer to their completed loveliness, in our next blog.

This quilt, which was donated (thank you), is now completed and making its way to its new home today.  We trust it will covey our best wishes to its new owner. 

 Well, I could ramble on but I've said enough for now and look forward to chatting again.

Happy Sewing!

A rather late May block - Frame Box Blocks

I've just made the quickest block I've ever made and even better, I made it from some left over binding strips.  Really...I picked some 2 1/2 inch leftover binding strips out of my stash, measured to check I had sufficient fabric, sewed them together according to Sarah's great tutorial (I'll tell you all about it below) and -  Bob's your uncle - two blocks made in minutes!!!

I do admit mine are rather bright but those of you who follow our blog and are familiar with our quilts will know that when we sew scrappy blocks together it works!!!!!!  It never fails to amaze me what we create thanks to your support and your fab taste in fabric.

More now about this month's easy, fun, economical, modern, addictive etc etc, scrappy block.
It comes curtesy of Sarah, whose blog you will find here.  Sarah originally designed this block for Siblings Together Quilt Group and you can read all about them here. We were kindly given permission to use the tutorial and having quickly made the block I thought it would be ideal this month.  Thank you Sarah and Siblings Together.

So this is where you will find the tutorial. We are going scrappy once again and give you free rein regarding fabric choice.  We can't wait to see what you come up with.

Sarah has laid out some of her blocks and her photograph above is the result.  You can pop over here to see what she has to say about making her blocks.

We would like the blocks by the 18th June, please, and you can drop us an email if you need the address or any other information.  I hope you have fun whizzing through the block and thank you, thank you, thank you in advance.  I'll post the update on this month's Bee Blessed early next week.  I just need to take a wee photo or two!!!

Happy Sewing

Modified Bento Box Block

When I saw this block online and the effect it creates when sewn together I couldn't wait to try it.  It is such a funky block, curtesy of filminthefridge and you will find the tutorial here.

My finished, untrimmed block was 16 inches.  The pattern shows the block being finally divided into quartered squares but we would like the block sent to us untrimmed and not quartered, please. It will be much easier for us to trim them before they are quartered.

We are leaving the colour choice to you once again and only ask that one of your colours is either white, cream or low volume of some sort, as above, so that it 'pops'.  Just like this.

Thank you in advance.  We don't need them until Friday 13th May so there's lots of time.  Here's hoping none of you are superstitious.

Happy Sewing 

April Bee Blessed

I'm almost a week late with this as life got very busy and number two son made me a granny, whoop whoop!! I'm so excited and hope to fly off to see the new little family asap!!!  He's cute as a button.

We met on 2nd April and were so busy that it was only in the last few minutes that I remembered I hadn't taken any photographs, so what I have to show you was taken very quickly.  Dratt!!! I just love being able to show you what we were up to.

Would you believe that we were able to use every single Churn Dash block which you lovely people posted, within the two quilts below.  Imagine, we had the perfect number to complete two quilts.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for your kindness.  I know I keep saying that it's much appreciated but...we couldn't bless others without your support.  We know exactly who these will be going to and are eager to get them quilted and bound.

Excuse the lighting.  I'll show you a better photograph when it's finished.  It's much more cheery than the photograph suggests...

..It's as bright as this one, actually...so pretty.  My spare room is a sunny spot this morning and my other half can take a much better photograph than me.  I'm looking forward to quilting this next week.

We were able to hand over this quilt to be gifted to a sick little baby.  It will whizz its way off to him this week hopefully.

We worked on some more of this month's block and have received some beauties but if you have a few spare moments and want to reduce your scraps the pattern for the Scrappy Rail Fence is here.  It's curtesy of Sarah and a quick, fun block to make. You have another week before we need them so there's time to make one if you can. 

And finally.  I said I'd show you a picture of what was donated last month.

Thanks once again.

Apologies to Jenny.  I said I'd take a few photographs of us this month but I totally forgot.  I will next month and I'll post this month's (late) block today so keep an eye out!!!

Happy Sewing

.

Giving and Receiving

Two of our members, Judith and Marion, also support a fantastic charity group called Siblings Together Quilting Group, which you can read about here. Their aim is to collect 100 quilts in 2016.  In support of their work we have donated the two quilts below to this worthy cause and hope they bring a smile to the kids' faces when they receive them. Why not pop over to their blog or visit them on Instagram here.

As well as giving we also did some receiving this month.

I'm sorry I can't show you a photograph of what was donated to us last Saturday as I didn't take one!!! Oh how I wish I had a photograph of the lovely blocks and fabrics we received. My fault completely.  I will show them to you at a later date...I promise.

It doesn't mean I can't pass on our thanks.

Firstly there is Lucy who blogs here.  Go and read her blog. I assure you it would be very easy to spend an afternoon absorbed in her sewing and quilting loveliness. Thank you Lucy. We greatly appreciate your kindness.

Secondly there is Rita, whom we haven't met but hope to one day.  Thank you so much.  Your goodies will be put to good use.

Thirdly,  Marion donated and made something which I can show you a photograph of -

Whoop whoop another 'man quilt'.  Thanks Marion.  It will go to a good home.

Happy Easter 

How many times have I used the word quilt/quilts/quilted/quilting??????

We had so many quilts in need of quilting that we decided to focus on doing just that last Saturday.  Not everyone is enamoured with quilting but most of us had a go and everything that needed quilting was quilted. This is what we achieved:

The Friendship Star quilt was quilted, binding was attached and it was taken home to be finished and sent off to its new home, this week hopefully.

Our girly quilt - another one which was kindly donated last month - was quilted and is now ready for binding. Soooooo pretty and some little girl is going to love it.

Another donated quilt had some free motion quilting finished by one of our talented ladies ;-)

There are another couple of quilts - also quilted - which I forgot to photograph but they will keep for another day.

Karen made a start on a new quilt. We're making it from some more of last month's donated cache. It will look really good when it's finished.

We sorted through the beautiful Churn Dash blocks....more on them another day...

...and smiled for the camera

Happy Sewing