River Gorge, Autumn, 1854
Cornelius David Krieghoff
I make ten sample blocks to show the members and then the
following month members bring the blocks they made to the meeting and we have a
draw. The winner gets all of the blocks turned in plus the ten that I made! One
of the Guild members sent me ten blocks that she made so I thought I would take
a picture of the twenty blocks to give you a look at a small sample of what the
winner will receive.
The block is rail fence and it measures 5” finished. The block is VERY easy but if you would like to make some I have a little tip. The pattern calls for five strips that measure 1 ½” by 5 ½”. I suggest cutting four strips at 1 ½" by 6" and cut the fifth at 2" by 6". Sew them all together as per the instructions making sure that the 2" strip is on an outside edge. Give the block a nice press with a little spray starch and then trim it to 5 ½" square making sure that the excess fabric is trimmed from side with the 2" strip. If the seam allowances aren't precise the 2" strip provides a little wiggle room. Also the extra ½” of length provides a little wiggle room so that the block, when trimmed, will measure a precise 5 ½” square! This is a great block to use up those scraps that are sitting in a basket somewhere just waiting to become a quilt!
These bees are so cute and so fast and
easy to make. I start with a 1” scrap of yellow or gold fabric. I use a black Pigma Micron pen to draw an
oval. Then I draw little lines to resemble the bee’s head and business end and
then a couple of rows of stripes in between. I make the lines closer and darker
at the outer edges of the body and more spaced in the centre. This creates the
illusion of roundness. I trim the excess fabric away and the bee is ready to
applique.
The bee is pinned in place on the
fabric. I would normally have used an applique pin which is much shorter and
doesn’t get in the way but the long pin was what was at hand.
I use the tip of my needle to tuck under the raw edge of the bee and stitch it down. I like to start near the head so that once stitched down I will be close to where the eyes will go.
Once stitched down I take one tiny
extra stitch where the bead for the eye will go. I slide the bead on my needle
and stitch the bead in place. I go through the bead twice to make sure it is
secure. I then stitch the eye on the other side again making sure to stich
through the bead twice.
The last step is to add the wings
and any additional shading on the body that might be required. The wings can be
stitched with a single strand of thread or floss OR you can just use the Pigma
pen to draw them on. In this instance I decided to draw them on because this is
a tote bag that will be used and if embroidered the wings may snag.
Until I post again, happy sewing!
