General Rules:

I hope you’re excited for our first ever Modern Quilt Bee! Every month, we will feature a new Queen Bee. That Queen will decide on her block for the month and her color scheme.

The Queen may choose to provide some fabric to her worker bees if she is really intent on having some unifying fabric throughout her quilt, but this is not required.

The block must be available as a free pattern, or it may be drafted originally by the Queen. Some great resources for free modern blocks are linked at the end of this post.

Below, I’ve summarized some great tips from the blog posts linked at the end of this post, but please visit those posts for more in-depth information! I just wanted to highlight some tips that are most pertinent for our guild:

Tips and Tricks for Queens:

1. choose a free block pattern, preferably one with a tutorial but definitely one with clear instructions.
2. test your blocks first: you may find that there are some unclear parts of your block instructions. You can better help your worker bees make something you’ll love by testing the block first to work out any kinks.
3. be specific: you are more than welcome to post an inspiration mosaic or to bring some finished block examples to the guild meeting where you reveal your block choice. For example, don’t require that every worker bee uses JUST fabrics from the Tourmaline color way of Tula Pink’s Eden line (unless, of course, you’re providing all of the fabric) but you should indicate what kinds of shades you would like: “no baby or pastel pinks or corals, please” and then provide swatches and examples of exactly what you are looking for. You should make the sample block the way you want it so that your worker bees can refer back to your visual if they have questions.
4. provide patterns, instructions, and any required fabric at the meeting before your Queen Month. For example, Heather is January’s Queen Bee, so she provided instructions and fabric at the December Meeting. Worker bees will give Heather her blocks at the January meeting, where DeAnne will pass out her instructions for February.

Tips and Tricks for Worker Bees

1. use 100% cotton quilt shop quality fabric
2. follow the Queen’s instructions to a T: as Blossom Heart Quilts says in her post, “the queen bee asked for a bright, saturated pink, so select a fabric that actually looks like a pink overall, and not a light, stripey pink or a multicolored pink print.”
3. When selecting fabrics, use something you would be proud to use, and if you are really unsure, ask your queen bee. Be aware of your Queen’s style and tastes based on her previous work, her instagram, and/or her instructions.
4. press your seams as your Queen/her pattern instructs.
5. Communicate openly and as often as necessary: you can always post a fabric pull and ask the Queen for approval. If you are having trouble with the pattern, let the Queen know. If you can’t make the meeting where you’d hand your block off to the Queen, or if your block will otherwise be late, let your Queen know as soon as you can!

2017 Queen Bee Schedule

January – Heather Burger @hkburger

February – DeAnne Miller @oneprojectafteranother

March – Betsy Truex-Powell @bsewknitty

April – Cynthia Hayes @chayes7860

May – Gretchen Barker @attybarker

June – Nadia Barksdale @nadiashae

July – Cheri Mansperger @dragonmom03

August – Cassandra Beaver @cassandra.beaver

September – Sherry Inskeep @feelnit30

October – Ashley Davis @cantaloupecuties

November – Judy O’Shaugnessy @oshaugh432

December – Linh Schilling @callingallstitchers

References:

Quilting Bee Etiquette

http://quietplay.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/bee-blocks-dos-and-donts.html

http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/2015/01/how-to-bee-quilting-bee-etiquette/?v=7516fd43adaa

Modern Quilt Bee Block Ideas:

http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/2015/01/the-bee-hive-a-quilt-block-tutorial-series/?v=7516fd43adaa

http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/category/tutorials/?v=7516fd43adaa

Bee Blocks