Bee {a little bit} Japanese - August Blocks for Jennifer

My package arrived for this bee a few weeks ago and I was excited. It contained a great range of linen fabics and some Kaffe Fasset shot cotton and Kona solids, all in colours I love.

I had also been eagerly waiting for the package because the inspiration mosaic Jennifer had put together was wonderful.

And boy did I have ideas. I spent a Friday evening when I was a little too zonked to sew on the couch in front of the TV sketching out some ideas.

I don't know what it is about my bee blocks (perhaps it is that I have to make only one or two of each style rather that enough for a whole quilt top) but in my designs I tend to piece them much more heavily than I would do otherwise.

The first two ideas I had were ultimately the ones I decided to go ahead and make.

The first was designed to be a block with 3 small squares down the left side and one long rectangle down the right side.

The second was a log cabin style, with each of the logs being a pieced sqaure or retangle.

I started first in the Three Sqaure and Rectangle block and chose three of the fabrics to work with, the Kona solid and two different linen spot prints.

The three squares came together really well but when I came to do the longer rectangle I realised I had made a serious error in estimating the amount of fabric I had and would need to change the design, I decided to do two retangles instead. All was going well until I got really concerned I was going to run out of the Kona solid.

In a slightly panicked state I put that block aside and made the Log Cabin block, with two if the other three linen prints (I love the little houses)and the shot cotton which came together really well.


Feeling slightly more emboldened I went back to the first block and realised, as I had feared, that there was just no way I was going to have enough of the Kona to finish the block.

I thought about using some of the fabric used in the other block to complete it but as I had made two very differnt coloured blocks I didn't want to add a new fabric for only one section of the block. So I took out my Kona colour card and held up my scraps to try to work out which colour it was with the inention of trying to buy some more to finish it. I thought it was Espresso (which turned out to be correct), and rang several LQS trying to find it. In speaking to my LQS, The Remnamt Warehouse I discovred that, while they stocked the entire range availiable in Australia this was only 100 or so fabrics and none were the Espresso. :(

I emailed Jennifer and explained the bind and she very graciously pointed out the second block was a bonus anyhow and that she would add some more to complete the block when it arrived.

So this is the mostly completed second block.

And while I really like the Log Cabin idea and execution I can't help but be disppointed with the finish of the Three Sqaure and Rectangle block. It feels terrible not being able to execute a vision and send back something half completed. But I will, with a little surprise added to the package.


Have you ever run out of something at exactly the wrong moment?

Bee Seam Piecing Downunder - August Blocks for Abi

I know it is only just August. And that many of the other Bee participants have not got their packages yet.

But mine arrived on Monday. And I had a really long day and would have started right there and then if I hadn't been just a little bit too tired.

As it was I made these blocks for Abi last night.

Abi's packages came with just the right amount of vinatge sheets and pillowslips pre-cut into 1 3/4" strips to make two 9.5" log cabin blocks.

I really like log cabins and find myself making a version of them often. So I was really excited to make these blocks. I had also never used vintage sheets before.

I had always read about these on blogs and internet posts and heard about people finding stashes in op shops and had thought it was one of those things that was the domain of quilters from America, Canada and Europe. I have really no idea why.



And then came Abi's package from New Zealand with all of these vibrant sheets. And they reminded me of sheets I had slept on at my Grandma and Grandad's house as a child, and sheets at the bottom of the linen cupborad I used to play in at my house (it was a lareg old farmhouse with big cavernous cupboards and not at all as horrifying as it sounds inside the cupboard).



I think the blocks are wonderful and I am especially glad because it is something that I would never have thought to do for myself and that is one of the things I love about Bees.

And then as I climed into my bed after I finished them last night I found myself wondering why we don't have patterened sheets anymore. Is it just fashion do you think? Or something else?

Now I think I might go and enter the giveaway at Simply Solids so I can make some more Log Cabins!