May Bee Blocks

That's right, I got all my bee blocks done in the first week of the month!  This month's blocks were just so much fun that I couldn't wait!

Queen Velda in Bee Inspired asked for cakes!  I absolutely loved this block and had such a good time coming up with a culinary creation.  The pattern is Sweet Cakes and is a free download from Michael Miller fabrics.

Velda asked us to name our cake.  I'm calling this a Raspberry Tea Cake.  Here is what I wrote on our group blog: Welcome!  Today’s featured cotton confectionery is Dogwood Delights, where the dessert of the day is a Raspberry Tea Cake.  This tall tiered cake is light and refreshing, with swirls of raspberry, hints of traditional birthday cake, and floral accents.  Our Raspberry Tea Cake is the perfect accompaniment to a nice cup of tea.

In Stash Bee, Queen Jacqueline asked for cat blocks.  She called them "M" cats, because she was inspired by Morris the Cat from the Friskies commercials and her own dearly departed kitty Milo. So I figured I'd give these kitties names that start with M.  Meet (clockwise from top left) Meadow, Magic, Maverick, and Minerva.

And in a different Stash Bee hive, Queen Sue asked for toadstool blocks.  I had never seen a toadstool block!  I thought it was too fun not to try, so I made one for Sue.  The quilt is for her grand-niece Tilly who is almost 3. Sue's tutorial and her inspiration for the block can be found here.

It was great to have such fun blocks to work on this month!!!  I'm realizing how much I like blocks that look like things. 

April recap & bee blocks

Yes, I know I'm late and we're almost a full week into May!  In April, Queen Marie of Stash Bee asked for bow tie blocks with a masculine feel with brown and gray as the main colors.  These were actually the first bow tie blocks I've made, though of course it's a classic block.  That's part of what I love about bees, I get to try lots of blocks, classic and new!

These were the only bee blocks I had to make in April because it was my turn to be queen in Bee Inspired!  I asked for the beautiful Starry Night block designed by Cath of Wombat Quilts. (Block being used with Cath’s knowledge and blessing.)  I let people pick a blue star with red accents or a red star with blue accents and they could use as few as one red & one blue fabric or make it as scrappy as desired.  Here are the samples I made:

April was not a great month in terms of getting sewing time.  I only managed at least 15 minutes twenty of the thirty days during the month, putting me at 66% for April and 79% for the year.  The class I'm taking at the community college ends this Wednesday, so hopefully my numbers will increase over the summer when studying and homework won't interfere.  I've been inspired to track sewing time by Kate from Life in Pieces. 

I completed two quilts in April, Owls and Mollie's Baby Quilt.  Both were on my list for my PhD (projects half done) with Gail of Quilting Gail.  Total fabric used in April: 6 yards.  No fabric purchases in April.  Total yardage used year-to-date: 31.6 yards.