Bee Happy Sew Along - Cherries and Bee Tutorials!!

Hello again!

August 28th is coming fast 

and is the official kick off day...

and I'm sew excited!

Are you ready for a few more

 head start tutorials?

As I said in last weeks tutorials...

I thought it would be a great idea

 to get a jump on the 

pieced blocks in the quilt...

and then...

when the official start week is here...

it will be all about the appliqué:)

This is the schedule of tutorials

 that I will be doing here 

on my blog each Monday.

CLICK HERE 

to download and add to your 

Sew Along Guide

***FYI***

This is simply when the tutorials are given...

this does NOT mean you have to 

keep up with this schedule each week

 by having the blocks completed.

Everyone has different sewing time 

available to them each week...

and my sew alongs are

 no pressure sew alongs!

Sew when you can...

 and enjoy the journey:)

If you are able to keep up each week...

great!

If not...no worries.

All tutorials will remain on my blog

FOR-EV-ER!

With that being said...lets get started on this weeks head start tutorials:) 

There are four churn dash blocks 

in my Bee Happy Quilt.

Inside each of them is an 

appliquéd block...

 so I thought I better

 show you those too!

Let's do the cherries first!

There are 3 Cherries blocks in the quilt...all 3 are pictured above.

The one with the "X" background is the one that goes inside the

 Cherry Churn Dash Block.

I did all three blocks at the same time...

it's more efficient that way!

If you have all of your cutting completed...

your blocks will be in baggies and labeled and you can just grab them.

YaY!

The above photo is everything

 that you need for all three blocks.

The Sew Simple Shapes used are D-1 and D-15.

Trace around each shape onto the

 co-ordinating size interfacing pieces.

You should also have 

2 - 5/8" wide Nutmeg Solid strips

and 1 - 5/8" wide Cinnamon Solid strip

 for the stems.

You will need to run them through the 

1/4" bias tape maker 

and they will look like 

the photo above:)

I first showed you my favorite way to do this during the 

BLOOM Sew Along

 using my very first set of Sew Simple Shapes!

We used the 1/4" bias tape maker for all of the stems in each flower block.

FYI- this is block number eight in the sew along:)

For the Bee Happy Quilt we are using 

several sizes of bias tape makers

 and they are all listed in the 

"other supplies" 

section of the 

Bee Happy 

Sew Along Guide

If you are new here 

and need to know how to do this part...

CLICK HERE

 to view the video where

 I show you how I do it:)

***NOTE***

I like to use a little bit of light starch on my strips BEFORE I run them through the maker...I spray them and let them sit for a minute until they are just barely damp and then run them through:)

Last week I showed you how to sew the star appliqué shape for the flag.

You will sew the circles and the leaves the same way as always.

Six easy peasy steps...

1. Trace on to Sew-In Interfacing

2. Match interfacing to fabric with right sides up and sew directly onto traced line...

all the way around...

oversewing about 1/2" where you started.

3. Trim approximate 1/4" seam allowance around stitching

4. Clip any inner curve and cleavage areas before turning.

5. Cut an "X" in the interfacing ONLY and turn right side out.

6. Shape and Press.

I cannot tell you enough how important using the point to point turner is for this step.

Also...

Remember that when using the iron after shaping...just give them a quick press on the fabric side and when I say "press" I do not mean iron....just press.

Another reminder about using the iron when making the appliqué shapes...

do not use steam or starch on the interfacing ever...and don't use it on your fabric pieces AFTER you have cut them out to sew.

The time to use steam is starch if needed is BEFORE cutting out your fabric.

If you use it after your pieces will shrink:)

Press your 5" background squares in half before pinning the pieces on of appliqué...then you will have a center mark for placement.

***NOTE***

This photo is for placement of pieces guide...but I recommend that you do the embroidery stitches on the solid pieces before you appliqué.

On most of the solid fabrics in the Bee Happy blocks...

I have done a simple running stitch using all 6 strands of my Aurifloss.

I usually use a color darker than the fabric...like in this example..or lighter...just so that there is contrast.

Of course this step is optional...

but I like the character and 

the texture that it adds to the blocks.

There is no tracing on a pattern needed for this step...

just do a simple running stitch

 around the shape edges.

Pin your leaves and cherries onto the background first and then you can glue baste the stems....trimming the length needed and tucking the ends under the appliqués about 1/4".

I always use the glue for the bias tape...it kepis nice and flat. 

I just use a few drops going down the center 

and the edges are kept free to easily hand or machine appliqué.

After your blocks are prepared...

appliqué by hand or machine.

Give them a quick press from the back of the blocks.

Now trim them down to 4 1/2" square.

Use the lines on the ruler to center the pieces!

Easy peasy!!!

Now you have 3 cute little cherry blocks!!!

Set these two aside in your

 "Fun and Done" pile:)

This little cutie goes inside the

 Cherry Churn Dash Block...

and we will do that piecing next week:)

Now for this cute little bee:)

This is the one that goes

 in the Bee Churn Dash Block... 

But there are actually 

4 other Bee Blocks in the quilt.

So grab the bags from your

 cutting labeled Bee Blocks:)

(yes...I made these all at the same time too)

The Sew Simple Shapes used are D-5 for the wings and D-16 for the bodies.

Trace the shapes onto your interfacing pieces.

Run your 5/8" wide Steel Solid strips through the 1/4" bias tape maker...

I'm going to show you how to use these bias strips to make easy peasy stripes on the bees!

Grab your bee body rectangle and trace a line 1" in from the edge... 

Like this.

Now draw another line 3/4" in from that one...

Like this.

You can see that they are not centered on the rectangle...

they are not supposed to be so don't worry.

Now glue the bias tape pieces onto the lines...with the line being in the center of the strips.

Place your traced interfacing piece onto the rectangle like this...

pin and sew like normal:)

It's so much easier to add the stripes onto the bees before sewing than after:)

Sew easy!

You can also do a little fussy cutting for these wing pieces by pinning on a different area of the text...just make sure that you leave enough seam allowance:)

Now that you have all of your bodies and wings sewn, turned, shaped and pressed...

Here is your placement guide onto your 5" square backgrounds:)

When pinning...keep in mind that these two  bee's should face this direction...

and these three bees face this direction:)

I like to trace my embroidery onto the pieces and the background before I appliqué so that I can do it all at the same time.

I used all 6 strands of the dark gray in my Bee Basics Aurifloss collection:)

I used a running stitch on the solid wing and the flying lines...a backstitch on the antennae and a french knot for his eye.

I also used my 4 1/2" Trim-It Ruler to trim up the blocks to 4 1/2" square.

Just for future reference...

All of the blocks that you see pictured above are trimmed to 4 1/2" square after appliqué:)

Okay! 

You have made 5 cute little bees:) 

YaY! 

Set this little one aside...

To go in the 

Bee Churn Dash Block next week.

Place these remaining four in your

 "Fun and Done" 

pile for later in the sew along:)

Next week I will show you 

how to do the heart 

and the daisy so that we can 

finish up the churn dash blocks:)

And I'll show you the 

Hexie Flower Blocks as well...

so stay tuned if you like to

 "Bee Prepared!"

xx

Lori