Caretaker Spotlight!

Time for another caretaker spotlight!    Say hello to...

shimmyblister...aka Ella!!!

Ella is the caretaker of Hive 7, a sampler hive.  Here's a little info to get to know her better.

1. Tell us a little about yourself...anything you'd like to share (favorite color, food, drink, hobbies, etc).

I'm Ella. I live in Atlanta with my fiance (referred to on my blog as The Pirate), a cocker spaniel we (usually affectionately but sometimes literally) call Stinky, and an evil tuxedo kitty whose nickname is The Kraken. (She's plotting to take over the world.) I just started avidly quilting and blogging this past summer while on a break from school (teaching not studying).
My favorite colors are red and purple. I'm starting to love tangerine as well. I'm a self admitted chocoholic. Dark chocolate particularly. I don't count white chocolate as being in the chocolate family.
I like coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. This week, I'm into Earl Grey and Peppermint. Not together though.
I'm addicted to ellipses.
I also bellydance in my spare time. I've been doing it for almost nine (eep! nine!) years. It's a lot of fun, and I've met some very cool women through dance. This year I've gotten into Zumba. Could so get addicted to it if my knees could stand it. Ironically, I'm incredibly clumsy and usually have bruises somewhere on my bod.

2. Favorite quilt stuff (designers, fabric line, quilting tips, block/project, etc).

This is a tough one. I love Tula Pink, Heather Ross, Lizzy House, and Anna Maria Horner. Whimsy is big in my house. I have a grandfather clock that looks like it's juggliny.
My favorite recent block was this one for Do.Good. Stitches. (I was super excited to be in the Heal Circle!).  Click here to see the block.

My favorite latest project is Noodlehead's 241 bag. Click here to see!

 It's part of the reason I'm now loving tangerine.

3. What's your quilting style?

Modern? I'm pretty new to this, so I'm not sure what I'd call myself yet.

4. If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go?

I've been lucky to travel a lot. I'd love to see Australia (never been) and to go back to New Zealand or to revisit Barcelona or Budapest.

5. If you could have lunch with anyone (dead or alive), who would it be?

Lewis Carroll. Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite books...and I have a soft spot in my heart for made up words.

6. Tell us about your hive this quarter...and what you love most about the 3x6 bee.

love being in the 3x6 because I get to see some familiar faces and meet new people. I'm hoping to see some of the hive in person at the Sewing Summit.
My hive is full of a lot of amazingly creative women.
Lisaleh from www.modernbalabusta.blogspot.com/ made it to the finals in the mini section of Ellison Lane Quilt's modern mini challenge!
The blocks so far have been beautiful. I can't wait to see them all together. (I'm going to have a fabulous quilt.)

Thanks for asking about me! I'm having a blast as a caretaker of Hive 7!  You can also visit Ella on her blog and on Flickr! 

Ella - you are such a great caretaker!  Thanks for helping to make the 3x6 bee so fun!

Here is a look at what Hive 7 has been up to this quarter:

1. 3x6 block for Ella, 2. 3x6 sampler - 1st quarter-2012, 3. [3X6] SQMB Q1 2012, Hive 7, 4. 3x6 bee, 1st qtr, Hive 7, 5. IMG_21676. Not available

Happy Sewing,

the Queen Bees

xoxo

Say Hello to...

Ready for another spotlight?  Today, it's all about...

supersara20...aka Sara!!!

Sara is the caretaker of Hive 9, a sampler hive.  Here's a little info to get to know her better.

1. Tell us a little about yourself...anything you'd like to share (favorite color, food, drink, hobbies, etc).

Hi, I'm Sara. I am engaged and in the process of buying our first home. I have been quilting since I was about 15, I learned to sew from my mother but I remember my mom and grandmother making me and my dolls matching outfits when I was very little. Favorite color is difficult for me, I love pink but really it depends on what it is, I love bright cheerful colors. Food would have to be ice cream and salad, odd I know but I just love mixing stuff up and seeing how it goes! Drink would have to be diet pepsi, unsweetened iced tea and vodka tonic if I'm going alcoholic.

2. Favorite quilt stuff (designers, fabric line, quilting tips, block/project, etc).

I love my 24 x 36 inch cutting mat, my rotary cutter and all my rulers.

3. What's your quilting style?

I don't really have a style. Pretty much if I like it or the idea is fun I'll try it.

4. If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go?

I am from Maine but live in Texas now. Of course I'd go back to Maine any chance I can get. I'd also love to go to London some day.

5. If you could have lunch with anyone (dead or alive), who would it be?

My Daddy, Papa or my Grampy. I lost Papa about 5 years ago, and Grampy when I was in 3rd grade. If the Mr. could come too, I'd love for him to have been able to meet my father, I lost him 11 years ago. So, I chose 3 but it's my questionnaire!

6. Tell us about your hive this quarter...and what you love most about the 3x6 bee.

My hive is #9, I was in a hive with two of these lovely ladies last quarter too! My bee members are all very creative and have chosen some incredible color combos. We are a sampler group and have already seen some great work. Can't wait to see what else everyone comes up with.

Here is an amazing sample of what Hive 9 has been up to so far this quarter (courtesy of supersara20 and prsd4tim2):

1. 3x6 group, 2. 3x6 Bee Q1 Hive 9 002

megmormel and erika4303 have also completed some really great blocks for Hive 9 this quarter, but I'm not able to add them to the mosaic above.  Sorry!  It must have something to do with the settings. 

Thanks for being an awesome caretaker, Sara!  We appreciate all you do to make the 3x6 bee such a fun experience!   

Happy Sewing,

the Queen Bees

xoxo

More Great Resources & Links

Hi!  Hope you're having a good week so far!

We thought we'd post a few more links to great resources (these will also be added to either the tutorials/techniques page or the block resources page...depending on the link):

New to quilting?  Diary of a Quilter blog has a great Beginning Quilting Series - How to make a quilt from start to finish, as well as other fun quilt and project tutorials.

Shy away from HST?  Well, you should check out this guest blogger post by The Sometimes Crafter on whipup.net.  She makes HST look soooo easy...not a single diagonal line to sew...and you make 4 at a time!  She also gives you a  handy chart so you can make them in different sizes too!

Want to try applique?  Sew Mama Sew's blog shares Easy Applique - The Starch Method by Joanna from Fig Tree & Co.  Looks so simple, I may give applique another shot!

If you try one of these, leave a comment and let us know how it worked!

Have a great day...and Happy Sewing!

xoxo,

the Queen Bees

Undersized Blocks

Happy Monday!  Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Have you seen the gorgeous quilts that people are making with their 3x6 blocks???  They are absolutely stunning...here are just a few:

1. 3X6 bee quilt top, 2. My first 3x6 quilt, 3. 3x6 quilt block swap 2 quarters, 4. Poppy's quilt, 5. Sampler quilt for a friend's new baby girl, 6. 3x6 sampler quilt

We've had a few people suggest that we post possible solutions for how to make blocks that may be a bit smaller than 12.5" work in your quilt...(thanks to jkae1989, dustincecil, lkhomework, Mama Missa, capitolaquilter, and woodbines creep for the great ideas!):

1.  Make two stacks - one stack with blocks that are consistent in size (or trimmed to be so) and another stack with blocks that are too small.  Use the blocks that are too small and make one complete row of the quilt with those blocks.  Or, use blocks of one size as a medallion or cluster group in the center and then use the other blocks around the outside. 

2. Frame the blocks, creating a bit of a new block design in between the blocks, as seen in this blog post.

3. Frame blocks, trim to size, and set them on point, as in this photo (courtesy of Samilou1 (Sleepy Owl Studio):

1. Orange Crush

If you'd like to set your blocks on point, check out these great tutorials:

Set on Point Tutorial by www.reannalilydesigns.com

Putting it "On-Point"!! by www.quiltville.com

4.  Design a modern layout, separating each block, as in this quilt (courtesy of linda beth):

1. sampler of Nubees blocks

5.  Place a focus fabric in the center and border with the blocks, separating each with fabric, as seen in this quilt (courtesy of Sadie Bird):

1. Modern Exchange

What are your ideas for making blocks that are a bit small work in a quilt?  We'd love for you to share your ideas so we can add them to this list...it may be just the solution that someone is looking for.

Have a great day...and Happy Sewing!

xoxo,

the Queen Bees

Queen Bee Spotlight!

Hello!  Hope you're having a fabulous week so far!  Time for another Queen Bee / Caretaker Spotlight!!! 

All about  jkae1989...aka Jodi!

She is a Queen Bee and also Caretaker of Hive #5...the SOLID Hive!  We asked her to answer a few fun questions.


1. Tell us a little about yourself.
First of all, my name is Jodi and my Flickr name is jkae1989.  My name is the first initial of all my kids, in birth order and the year I married my husband.

I have been a stay at home mom since my oldest child was born (he's 21) and have home-schooled all my kids, except for the one that started school this year.  He is my third and is 16 and goes to a special private school.  He has a mild form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome and I just needed a break.  :-)  I am still home-schooling my youngest and sometimes tutor other kids for some extra fabric money.
I have a degree in Public Administration with minors in health service administration and non-profit management.  I am really weird because I actually LIKE fundraising and when I grow up I would like to work in non-profit development.  I occasionally will take on small contract work, but for the most part I am unemployed. 

2. Favorite color, food, drink, hobbies.
My favorite color is green, all shades, blue is a close second.  I love all kinds of food, but am not as much of a sweet eater as I am of "real" foods.  I don't eat to live, I live to eat. hahaha  I also love to cook, which is pobably because I love to eat.  And as you can probably imaging, I am not much of a baker.  I love to cook meals, especially if they are completely from scratch. It would be my dream to never use another prepackaged food item again, but that isn't realistic considering I want time to sew too.

3. Favorite quilt designers, fabric line, quilting tip, block/project you've made, etc....and what's your quilting style?
My favorite quilt design, or fabric designers and my quilting style can all be described as "I like what I like and it is all over the grid".  I am drawn to the clean lines and use of negative space of modern quilting but I still have a place in my heart for some calicoes, reproduction fabrics, and tradition.  My latest quilting interest is upcycling fabric into quilts.  I haven't made anything yet but am hoping to soon.  I just bought the funniest pajama top with cherries and cherry pies all over it and I am planning on making my daughter some potholders as soon as I can.  I also really like making things for other people, more than I like making things for myself.  I am usually pretty happy to create it in the style that they like, rather in the style that I like.  That just makes me happy.  :-)

Another weird thing about me is that I don't like  having a stash.  I think I am the only quilter on the planet that feels this way.  I only buy if I know what I am making with the fabric.  Then I save my scraps and they bother me until I use them all up.  I hate wasting fabric but don't want to save it indefinitely either.  I love projects that use up everything!

4. If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go?
If I could go any place in the world right now, I think I would choose Hawaii.  I really want to go but my husband is afraid of flying so one day me and a girlfriend will take a trip.

5. If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be?
If I could have lunch with anyone I would have to say my grandmother.  She died about 8 years ago and I miss her terribly.  There are so many things I wish I had asked her and so many things that I wish she could have seen my kids do.  I know she would be so proud of them and their accomplishments.  Wow, I tear up just thinking about it. 

6. Tell us about your hive this quarter...and what you love most about the 3x6 bee.
My hive this quarter is Hive 5 and we are the solid hive.  I am really excited because we are a talkative bunch.  I love talkative bees!  I am also looking forward to the challenge of working only with solids.  Some of my bees have already posted their blocks ad I am just hoping that I can send them a block that is as wonderful as the ones they have posted!  I feel very blessed to have such great quilters in my hive this quarter!


Jodi - you are such an amazing queen bee!  We appreciate all you do to make the 3x6 bee such a fun experience for everyone!  Thank you!!!! 

Bee Button & Blog Pages

Thanks to nybird(Karen), we're now able to share our 3x6 button!  Hooray!  You can grab the code on the left sidebar and add it to your blog if you'd like.  We've also made two new pages along the top...one all about the 3x6 bee and another where we'll update block resources as we come across them.  More pages to come!

In other news, have you seen the fabulous blocks that have been created so far this quarter!  Such amazing creativity out there...here are just a few.  Be sure to check out the 3x6 photo stream for the rest.  There are just too many beautiful blocks to list here!  =)

1. 3x6 bee, round 1, 2012, Pinwheels, 2. Hive 5 quilt block, 3. 3x6 block for Whitney, 4. [3 x 6] Sampler Quilt Mini Bee-Q1 PinWheels, 5. 3X6 Q1, Paper-Pieced Block, 6. 3x6 qrt 1 block for Anna, 7. My Q1 Hive 2 paper Piecing block, 8. Wonky hive 3x6, 9. 3 x 6 bee block Q1 H7

Happy Sewing,

the 3x6 Queen Bees  

xoxo

Queen Bee/Caretaker Spotlight!

Hello!  Hope you're having a fabulous week so far!  We thought it would be fun to spotlight out Queen Bees and our Caretakers, so here is our first one.

All about  Sixmunchins...aka Lisa! 

She is a Queen Bee and also Caretaker of Hive #1...the STAR Hive!  We asked her to answer a few fun questions.


1. Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a wife to a wonderful man. We will be celebrating our 9th anniversary in July. I'm a stay-at-home(schooling) mom to six children, aging from 1 year old up to 11 years. I run an etsy shop and have a blog.  (She blogs at http://adayinthelifeofraisingsixmunchkins.blogspot.com/)

2. Favorite color, food, drink, hobbies.
My favorite color is purple, followed by blue. I am however falling for gray as a background color and pairing colors I never thought I would.
My favorite food is Japanese. My husband took me to a wonderful local Japanese Steakhouse for our first date and I've been hooked since.
My favorite drink is a mocha latte. I also love hot chocolate.
I have many hobbies and I don't have a particular favorite, though depending on my mood I will prefer one over the other. They are quilting, crocheting, sewing, cross-stitch, reading, blogging, running, and baking.

3. Favorite quilt designers, fabric line, quilting tip, block/project you've made, etc.
I am really loving Kate Spain's lines right now. I just ordered some Good Fortune!
One of my favorite lines is Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2 because of it's purple colorway as well as the prints themselves.
One of my favorite blocks is Angela's Stargazer Block. I made 12 of them for the last quarter:

Click Here to see Sixmunchins' photostream in Flickr

My favorite project that I made would have to be the Family Tree quilt I was commissioned to make for my in-laws 40th wedding anniversary:

Click Here to visit Sixmunchins' photo stream in Flickr

4. What's your quilting style?
I would have to say my style is mixed.

5. If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go?
I would love to go to Europe. I have only been out of the country once, and it was to Jamaica when I was 15.

6. Tell us about your hive this quarter...and what you love most about the 3x6 bee.
I have the Star hive. I'm really excited because there are a few familiar people that I've had in my hives before and some new people that are rather chatty, which for me is a great thing!
What I love most about the 3x6 bee is the diversity of the members and the friends that I am making.


Thanks for all you do to make the 3x6 Bee so fun, Lisa!  =)

Block Resources

We're now one week into the new quarter!  Hopefully, everyone has been able to check in with their hive and get to know their fellow bees.

Since everyone is probably picking out what block they'd like to make, we thought we'd post some links to online block resources...there are so many great designs out there!

Quilters Cache - LOTS!!! of blocks organized by size

Delaware Quilts - several traditional blocks organized by size

Gen X Quilters Quilt Block Library - picture library with links to several great block patterns and tutorials all around the web

Desperate Housewife's Quilt by quiltjane.com - 62 different block designs in all styles -- something for every hive of hive

Skill Builder Sampler by sewnbyleila.blogspot.com - 24 different block designs in all styles - this one has something for every hive too

Nine-Patch Quilt Block Patterns - many 12" blocks...all based on nine-patch type construction

Of course, the 3x6 photo stream is another great place to get inspiration!

Did you know we have five sampler hives and five themed hives (stars, paper-pieced, wonky, solids, pinwheels)?    Can't wait to see everyone's fabulous blocks!

If you have a site you love to visit for block patterns, please feel free to share it!  

Happy Sewing,

the 3x6 Queen Bees  

xoxo

Ready, Set, Sew!!!

Excited for the new quarter?!?!  We are!  

This quarter brings about a lot of firsts for the 3x6 Bee...

In addition to our AWESOME SAMPLER HIVES...we have new THEMED HIVES!  Can't wait to see all the creative, unique, and beautiful blocks that will be created over the next 2.5 months.

We have a new BLOG!  Thanks to your feedback, we'll be posting regularly about 

TUTORIALS, TIPS, and TRICKS
12.5" BLOCK RESOURCES  

MEMBER/HIVE SPOTLIGHTS     

BLOCK SPOTLIGHTS    

and MORE!

We also have a running list of bee member blogs on the sidebar.  Want to have your blog included?  Simply leave a comment and we'll get it added.  Some of you wanted info on sales/giveaways around the web...and some of you didn't, so instead of having separate posts dedicated just to these items we'll merely make a mention of them within a post...but it won't be the main reason for the post.  

And...we will have prizes!  

Yep...we said PRIZES!!!  

Everyone that posts pictures of completed blocks AND mails by the deadline (April 15, 2012) will be entered into a drawing for FABULOUS PRIZES!  We'll have many prizes...so many winners.

A few reminders...

CHECK IN to your hive by Feb. 7th

Post your INSPIRATION MOSAIC

PARTICIPATE in your hive's discussions

POST PICTURES of your completed blocks

MAIL your completed blocks by April 15th

Say THANK YOU for the blocks you receive

and most of all....   Be creative and HAVE FUN!!!

If you'd like to read the rules for the bee, please click here.

Looking forward to another FANTASTIC quarter of the 3x6 bee.  A big THANK YOU to our CARETAKERS...this couldn't be done without them!  Let the creating begin...

Happy Sewing,

the 3x6 Queen Bees  

xoxo