Let's Bake Sew Along - Bee Prepared!!

Hello cute people! 

Welcome to my annual 

"Bee Prepared"

post that happens here a few weeks 

before one of my sew alongs begin.

Today we are talking about the 

Let's Bake Sew Along

  And we are making the Let's Bake quilt!

You are all invited to bake with me:)

If this is your first time joining in...

here's some info about my 

past sew alongs of this kind:

The Let’s Bake sew along starts on

 January 22nd and will be 

just like my other sew alongs 

that I have done with 

my fabric collections 

and sew simple shapes.

How do you join? 
There is no official sign up...
simply sew along with us!

The fabric collection that we will be using is called Bake Sale 2 and has been shipping to quilt shops worldwide since last month:)

The Sew Simple Shapes 

 needed for this quilt are called

 Lets Bake!!

I love appliqué...

 and I love showing you 

how easy it is by  

using my super easy method.

We have had so much fun using
 Sew Simple Shapes 
to make other quilts...

This is the fifth one so far!

 The first four were:

BLOOM

COZY CHRISTMAS

SWEETIE PIE

BEE HAPPY

All were with fabric collections 

and coordinating 

Sew Simple Shapes 

All of these past sew along posts 

and weekly block tutorials 

remain on my blog and the

 Let’s Bake will remain as well.

Many of you do the sew alongs 

afterwards 

and also some of you like to 

sew at your own speed...

 so I like to keep them here 

for your convenience!

Just look on the right side bar

 here on my blog and scroll down 

until you find the Sew Along 

and the week that you want to view...

and click on it!

This is basically how it will go:

The sew along takes place here 

on my blog each week... 

where I do detailed tutorials

 for every block spaced out

over the sew along schedule.

The first week includes a video tutorial

 that I film with 

Riley Blake Designs in their studio.

Where do you get the kit? 
Many quilt shops cut the kits 

to sell in their shops and 

also online to their customers 

who are participating.

Check with your favorite shop 

to get your kit!

You can also do a google search to find a quilt shop near you that has them.

Just type in

Let's Bake Sew Along Quilt Kit

A lot of quilt shops also 

have the sew along in

 their shops as well…

starting a week or two after 

the sew along begins on my blog.

You sew together there...

 or just have a show and tell group 

and do other little projects 

from the Bake sale 2 fabric…

cutting kits for those as well.

Check with your quilt shop 
to see what they will be doing!

We also sew together on Instagram 
where we post our progress and
 blocks onto the page 
#LetsBakeSewAlong

It's super fun to visit with everyone on there who is participating as well...
lots of quilty friends are made too! 

Okay...here's even more info!
So that the quilt shops 

can be ready and cut the kits

 when the fabric comes in…

The fabric requirements and supplies

 for each kit are posted on the

 Riley Blake website with the

 Bake Sale 2 fabric page 

when they pre-order the collection at quilt market or from their Riley Blake Rep.

There is no pattern for my 
Sew Simple Shape quilts...
 because the step by step tutorials
 are on my blog during the sew along:)

HOWEVER...

 There is the all important 

free PDF Download of the 

Sew Along Guide 

that includes all of the 

fabric requirements, 

cutting, embroidery patterns etc...

 that we will use each week.

CLICK HERE

to download the 

Let's Bake 

Sew Along Guide

Some quilt shops include a copy of 

the sew along guide with the kit 

or you can simply download from my blog...

so there is never a problem 

in finding it for those participating.

A few weeks before the sew along starts ...

I do a blog post like this 

so that you can get cutting 

 if you want to

 "bee prepared" 

for when it starts.

Some like to have everything

 cut beforehand ...
and some do not...

that's totally fine!

I have posted photos of the quilt

 and some of the blocks ... 

and also the invite on my 

Instagram...

 which is where I post daily about 

all things Bee in my Bonnet.

My blog is the platform for my 
sew alongs and tutorials. 
Here I can be very detailed and 
show a lot of step by step photos.

If you would like to follow me 
on Instagram you will get 
lots of sneak peeks
 and announcements...

here is the link to my IG page:

CLICK HERE

Here is the schedule for 

each week of the sew along:)

CLICK HERE

if you would like to download:)

As I said earlier...

All of the supplies needed 

are listed inside the guide

 and I will also be going through 

them on the week one video.

But if you are a

 visual person like I am...

a close up photo of some 

of these items may help you.

Most of them we have used in 

all of the past sew alongs 

but some are brand new for this one:)

By the way...

these photos are random 

from my camera roll ...

which is why I have 

different nails each time lol

Bee in my Bonnet 

Sew-In Interfacing

Point to Point Turner

 by Clover

Applique Glue 

by Sue Daley

We are using these 3 sizes of

 bias tape makers by Clover...

1/4" - 1/2" - 3/4"

Also this 3/8" one as well.

It looks different than the others

 but will work just the same!

I suggest putting a little sticker 

with the size written on it 

onto your bias tape makers

 to keep track of 

what size they are:)

Brand new is my 

Easy Trace Light Box!!!

Above photos are the 

front and back cover of the box:)

I love it so much and it has so many uses!

It's so thin...lightweight and portable:) 

It's just the perfect size.

It works like a dream for tracing on embroidery patterns...

And for tracing on the letters

 for the Let's Bake block:

My #3 Jar of 

Cute Little Buttons

 is the latest...

however you could use some 

from the first two jars as well.

The three jars together match

 ALL of my fabric collections:)

Here are all of the colors

 in my Bee Basics Aurifloss...

I used this set to do all of the

 embroidery...

sewing on buttons... 

 chicken scratch stitching...

 and cross stitch on the 

graph paper print in the quilt.

(recipe and 350 block)

But wait!!!...

there is chunky cross stitch flowers

 and it's on the gingham prints!

I'm over the moon happy about my new 

Chunky Thread 

that we will be using.

This is the #1 Sampler Package...

And it also comes in larger skeins 

for crocheting...knitting...weaving etc...!

This sampler pack is all you

 will need for the quilt though:)

Let's talk about the thread 

for hand and machine appliqué.

This is my 

Bee Happy 45 set 

of AURIFIL thread... 

And it has every color that matches ALL 

of my fabrics including Bake Sale 2.

If you have it you can use it...

Or if you happen to have my

 Sew Cherry 2 set...

 it also matches Bake sale 2!

We will be using one spool of 

the large red

 Vintage Trim in the 

binding of the quilt...

it adds so much charm!

And we will be using 

small vintage trim yardage

 in 6 colors for things like 

the mixer cords... 

and embellishing the aprons etc.

Okay...

a few things about cutting:)

I like to grab a box of 

zip lock gallon bags 

and label them for 

individual blocks with a sharpie.

As I am cutting the fabric in the guide...

I place those pieces into 

the bags where they go...

easy peasy right!

You will have your own 

individual block kits 

all cut and ready to sew:)

I also like to grab a box of 

sandwich baggies and label them for each letter/number combo

 of the Sew Simple Shapes.

I precut all of my 

interfacing pieces from the guide

 and place them in the 

coordinating labeled baggie.

It's so easy and makes 

each block go faster:)

Being organized = being efficient...

YaY!

***Heads Up and FYI***

On the guide it says to cut the

 pink graph paper 9 1/2" wide but it is on the fat 1/8th panel

 so its not quite that wide...

but is long enough to cut the other pieces needed from it as well.

You can cut it wider by 

cutting the white around it

 and also cutting into the

 surrounding fabric a bit if you want.

We will be cross stitching 

the Mom's Cake Recipe on it

 and then trimming it down afterwards

 to be 8 1/2" wide x 16 1/2" tall 

after stitching so that you

can sew it into the quilt.

I have a little trick on helping with that during that weeks tutorial.

In the meantime...

 you can cut it last and 

cut out all the pieces needed from the surrounding fabrics first 

to be sure that you 

have a wide enough piece 

of the pink graph paper to work with.

Also... 

on the Layer Cake Block...

see the bottom layer with the 

yellow eggbeater print?

You will need to cut a 

2 1/2" x 6" piece 

from that fabric to use for the block.

It was left out of the guide

 but is up-dated now!

Whew!!

I feel like I just wrote a novel!!!

Relax and have fun while you

 are cutting and gathering

 for the sew along.

Enjoy each and every step 

along the way in making this quilt...

I know I did:)

Check with your favorite quilt shop 

and online for all of these supplies

(if they were not included in your kit)

I'll see you here on the 22nd...

Let's Bake!!!

xx

Lori