Home Town Sew Along - BEE PREPARED!!

 

Welcome!!

Today is the day for the 

"Bee Prepared" 

post that I do in preparation for my

 appliqué sew alongs using

 my new fabrics and new sest of

Sew Simple Shapes 

This is the point to start gathering

your supplies and order

your quilt kits for the sew along.

This one is the 

HOME TOWN SEW ALONG

and I'm so excited for it to start!

We will be making the 

Home Town Quilt 

which finishes at

 75" x 84"

It consists of 12 applique house blocks

 and 40 pieced quilt blocks.

(4 each of 10 different blocks)

Each applique block finishes at 14" x 14"

and each pieced block finishes at 5" x 5".

The sashing and borders are a 

simple machine pieced setting 

to compliment the blocks!

To make the blocks we will be using my 

Sew Simple Shapes called of course...

HOME TOWN

Sew Simple Shapes 

There is no pattern to purchase...

because basically the

 Home Town

Sew Simple Shapes

 are the pattern and the instructions on

 how to use them for each block 

are shown weekly here 

on my blog or YouTube channel

for week one 

during the sew along...

but of course there is a 

free cutting guide and I'll talk 

more about that in a minute:)

My Sew Simple Shapes Sew Alongs

 always take place here on my blog.

 For this sew along each tutorial 

will be on Monday's and Friday's!

and I will do a video on my 

YouTube Channel 

for week one.

I'll also be doing videos on my

 YouTube Channel for the 5" pieced 

blocks during the sew along:)

The Home Town Sew Along starts 

September 18th and you are invited!

How do you join the sew along?

1.You simply grab yourself a

 Home Town Quilt Fabric Kit

2. You will need the

 Home Town Sew Simple Shapes and

 the Sew Along Guide

3. Gather up supplies needed 

to make the quilt

4. Come HERE to my BLOG every 

Monday and Friday 

during the sew along 

(starting September 18th)

where I will give you the 

free step by step tutorial for one of

 the house blocks on each of those days.

*remember for week one block 

I'll be doing a

 video tutorial on my YouTube channel

 and I will also be doing a 

week one blog post here as well.

Please read ALL of the information 

within this post telling you all that 

you need to know about this sew along.

Once the sew along has begun...

each of my blog posts here will be 

tutorials about actually 

making the blocks and so I am

 telling you here all about the supplies

 and other things necessary to get started

gathering what you will need.

After purchasing the shapes you will 

need to download the handy dandy 

Home Town  

Sew Along Guide

CLICK HERE

for the free download.

I will be keeping mine in the

HOME TOWN

BEE KEEPER BINDER

to keep everything organized

and handy all in one place.

I use sheet protectors to

 hold each page of the guide

for easy peasy reference!

Once again... the 

Home Town  

Sew Along Guide

 is not a pattern!!

Yes...it is very handy and very full

of information but to find out 

HOW TO

make the blocks during the sew along

is when you come here on my blog 

and/or my YouTube channel

depending on the week. 

So to re-cap... 

the shapes are the pattern

 and the guide is simply a guide.

Why do I create a guide?

It has all kinds of info such as:

In the guide you will have

the schedule of what blocks

 we will be doing each week 

during the sew along.

Also in the guide you will find

 fabric requirements for the quilt...

and notion requirements for the quilt

 as well as suggested notions 

that I use when making mine.

You will also find several pages of 

instructions for cutting each and every 

piece of fabric in your kit!

It will tell you what that piece is for...

which Sew Simple Shape it is used with

 and what block it belongs to.

All of this is very helpful information.

This way you can cut ahead of time

if you would like to

 and make individual block kits for

 your quilt and have them all 

ready to go for each tutorial!

As with any sew along...

organization is really the key.

I like to have this information 

ready for you 3-4 weeks ahead of time 

so that you can have each block cut 

and ready to go...

So that each week you can 

simply make the block or blocks!!

You will also find the cutting 

measurements of the Sew-In Interfacing 

that goes with each Sew Simple Shape 

so that you can have that all cut

 and ready to go as well:)

Even though you have the measurements 

for the interfacing pieces...

I recommend waiting to TRACE

the shapes until each tutorial

as there may be special instructions

 on tracing for certain blocks.

You will also find a diagram of the 

 pieced blocks in rows, sashing,  

and quilt borders for when it is

 time for you to finish your quilt 

and sew it all together!

There are just a few blocks with 

a small amount of embroidery

 and there are patterns in the guide

 for tracing them directly onto 

your blocks when it comes time.

There are a few buttons on the quilt

and on this page you can see

the placement for each one.

I have many collections of

CUTE LITTLE BUTTONS

and you could use any of them 

because they all match my fabrics...

but if you don't have any in your stash

 you could just purchase a bag of the 

1/4" size because it has a variety 

of colors and would be perfect

for our Home Town Quilt. 

 

For tracing embroidery and also 

tracing button placement dots...

 I use the 

Easy Trace Light Box and a 

mechanical pencil and use Washi Tape

to tape my pattern on there 

as well as my block when tracing.

Washi Tape does not leave a residue 

on either fabric or paper.

And as always there is a page

 for "Home Town Notes" 

so that you can 

jot anything down from my blog posts

or video tutorials 

 during the sew along.

I recommend using these pages to 

write down the tips 

that I will be giving you during

 the tutorials for each block:) 

You can print as many

note pages as you would like 

to take as many notes as you want

so you could print a page for 

each block if you wanted to!

I have designed several sets of Washi tape

 to use and so I have several to choose from.

Here you can see my Home Town set:)

I use my washi tape to temporarily tape my 

Seams Sew Easy Guide 

onto my sewing machine.

For those of you who may not know

 what washi tape is...

it was developed for paper crafting 

and packaging but I also use it 

for sewing and quilting!

Just think of it as cute 

miniature painters tape.

It has a low adhesive so that it 

can hold temporarily and can be 

easily peeled off without leaving 

a residue on fabric or your sewing machine.

I use my Seams Sew Easy Guide

every time that I piece a block

or sew a quilt top together.

It's a very accurate 1/4" seam allowance

and if you haven't used it before

you will see how I use it during

the pieced blocks tutorials.

Also very helpful for pieced

blocks especially are my

 Sew Handy Stickers

I will show you how I use them

when I make my pieced blocks

for this sew along.

I always save the Washi Tape packaging

to make a bookmark for my sew along guide.

I haven't made this one yet but I've

 saved it in my binder until I do!

If you've followed other of my 

sew alongs you have seen how I do it:)

I'll also "bee" using my 

Home Town charms in my binder and

other projects...

because I love them!

So now you know what the guide includes.

***PLEASE REMEMBER***

The instructions to make each block

is NOT in the guide. 

The instructions are a detailed 

step by step tutorial done by ME for

 EACH applique block and EACH pieced block

 and I show you those each week

 during this sew along:)

Okay...

let's talk about the fabric!

The collection that we are using 

for the Home Town Quilt is of course...

HOME TOWN!!

Inspired by my own dear memories of 

growing up in my own Home Town and

designed happily by me... 

and produced and distributed 

to quilt shops everywhere 

by the amazing Riley Blake Designs:)

I'm really excited to be working and 

playing with my Home Town collection

as it is very near and dear to my heart!

I asked Kelly who is the genius 

behind all of the Riley Blake Designs

 filming for their YouTube channel

to make a video for my Home Town fabric

sort of along the lines of a 

movie trailer...and he did!

It's so cute and I love it!

CLICK HERE

to watch this fun video!!

So let's chat about the

Home Town Quilt Fabric Kit.

Several shops are stocking the kit...

both brick and mortar shops

 as well as online quilt shops.

The fabric and notions as well

 have already shipped

to quilt shops everywhere 

and will continue to ship as 

each new item arrives at the warehouse!

So of course if you have not 

already pre-ordered 

your fabric kit and need one...

it is not too late at all!

The sew along does not begin

 until September 18th...

and when I say "BEGIN"

that just means it's when I begin

to do the weekly tutorials.

As always...

everyone sews at their own speed,

at their own time and so it simply 

does not matter when you start.

 

Do what makes you happy 

and do what works for you...

because I always keep 

each and every tutorial right here

 on my blog and it never goes away.

The schedule is NOT to keep 

YOU 

on a deadline or stress you out ...

it is simply the schedule for 

ME 

to do my tutorials.

If you will look at my sew alongs that way

hopefully that relieves any stress.

Sewing is FUN and should stay that way!

And if you are just deciding to join in 

Just do a quick google search of

 "Home Town Quilt Fabric Kit" 

to find one...

google is your best friend lol...

easy peasy!!

If you would like to see

all things Home Town

CLICK HERE

to view the story board!

If you would like to watch my 

Virtual Spring Market Video 

where I show you everything 

that is coming this year...

CLICK HERE!!

Okay...let's talk more about the 

notions needed for our quilt!

We will be using the large Vintage Trim 

in the color Sea Glass  

 to use in the binding of our quilt:)

For this sew along you will need the 

14 1/2" and 5 1/2"  

 Cute Cuts Trim - It Rulers.

 

Yes you will need the 14 1/2" to

 trim up the applique blocks

 after they are appliquéd but

this ruler size is so very important  

 during the block layout process.

It is how I will show you how the block

 looks and all of the lines on the ruler 

show measurements and spacing

that will be very useful!

I have several sizes 

of my Trim-It Rulers 

that come in handy for every 

applique and pieced blocks that I make

 and this is the only one that you

 will need for the applique

blocks in this quilt.

***NOTE***

(Background fabrics are cut larger 

to allow for working on the block and 

then trimmed up later using this ruler)

The 5 1/2" Trim -It Ruler is

used for squaring up your pieced blocks

before sewing them into rows.

Besides my Trim-It Rulers 

for laying out and trimming blocks...

You will need cutting rulers and 

of course a cutting mat

 to cut out your fabric pieces for each block.

I have a variety of Cute Cuts Rulers 

in 3 different colors and shapes and sizes

and the same goes for my cutting mats.

I have a big variety for cutting and of course

to make your sewing room look cute!!

These rulers are the ones that I use

 to cut all of my fabrics for everything...

including all of my pieced quilt blocks.

You will need my Sew-In Interfacing

for the appliqués.

Since starting my sew alongs that use

 my easy applique method...

 I have developed what I think is the 

perfect strength and thickness of 

interfacing for shaping the appliqués.

I have a package of 3 yards and

also a package of 10" square sheets.

Either or both

 will work perfectly for this quilt

they are the same interfacing

but simply cut and packaged differently:

I also use the

 Point to Point Turner by Clover 

to shape each of my pieces...

I could not do without this handy tool!

I pin and then glue baste 

each block for applique prep.

I love love love this glue

 by Sue Daley

 and affectionately nick named it

 "Sue Glue"

It is water soluble...

dries clear...

keeps my pieces in place for 

applique but can be 

pulled off if I need to reposition

...its a win win!

I have several different sets of 

Pretty Pins and the

 Applique Pins 

in the in the green package are used for 

pin basting into the design boards 

and are essential to me!

These are just the right length 

for this task...

which is why I call them appliqué.

I'm excited that I will be using the 

Flower Power Magnetic Pin Holder

 to make my Home Town Quilt:)

"HOME TOWN DESIGN BOARDS"

 

I'll "bee" using several different sizes of

Bee in my Bonnet Design Boards

when cutting and for pinning and

 glue basting each applique block

and also for each pieced block.

I came up with these handy dandy 

quilting companions several years ago 

and since have made and designed many!!

They come in four sizes...

7" - 10" - 14" and 18"

I would recommend the 18" size when 

you are laying out and glue basting 

your applique blocks for this quilt.

Here are the Clover Bias Tape Makers 

that I keep in my jar...

and what we will need for this quilt.

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

Well whoops!

 I left out the 3/8" size

in this post so I thought I should 

edit this post and add it in:)

Cutting for the 3/8" is in the guide and 

we will need it!

You can watch any of my week one in any

 of my sew along videos if you have not 

seen how I prepare

 my bias strips for applique.

Some strips may be cut on the bias 

but most or all could be cut straight.

If you have never cut strips on the bias

 or watched how I prepare my strips

 using the bias tape maker...

you can watch how from this tutorial

from my Sew Simple Shapes ReMix Series. 

CLICK HERE

Here is a photo of my NIFTY NEEDLES...

they come in a card with several

 of each different kind...

and also come in 

individual needle tubes as well.

There are 6 different kinds 

for all stitching tasks...

shown in the tubes are 

Embroidery...applique and binding.

You can also use the sewing needles

 in one of the smaller sizes 

if the applique needles are 

too small for you.

It's really a personal preference...

they both work just as well and 

there are several sizes 

to choose from within each tube.

Now let's talk thread.

I have a Aurifil thread set

called Bee Happy

and it will work for most of the colors

 in my fabric collections including

HOME TOWN. 

The thread is 50 wt. and 80 wt. 

and is used for

 APPLIQUE and NOT embroidery.

I have a new 45 spool set coming out

soon with an update of favorite 

old colors and new colors too!

In the meantime you can find thread 

to match any of my fabrics 

from my current sets.

You can decide if you would like to 

machine applique or hand applique...

either way you will need to 

have matching thread for each applique.

These thread sets work for both 

machine and hand applique!

If you are machine appliquéing

 you would use it for the top thread

 but you would not need to change 

your bobbin color as it would 

not show on the top.

CLICK HERE

to watch my tutorial on both 

machine or hand applique.

Then you can decide 

which you would like to do!

 

Of course I'll be using all kinds of supplies

 for this sew along like my scissors 

in several sizes and my readers

 in different strengths...

all for different tasks.

For this sew along 

I'm keeping my notions inside my 

Home Town Project Box

I have already started filling it up...

but everything is not in there yet!

My Home Town Welcome pattern and kit

comes inside the Home Town Project Box...

But you can also buy them separately

because I designed them for storage too!

They stack so nice on top of each other

 and might I say they are a perfect fit

 for my 10" stackers and also my 

10" Square packages of Sew-In Interfacing

My pattern and kit for the

Home Town Friendship Star Table Topper

comes in a different collectable box

and I just have to show you how cute

that it looks on my design wall

with some of the 5" blocks

 for our sew along quilt.

I sure am having fun sewing with 

Home Town and I hope that you will too!

And speaking of sewing... 

like I always say...

you do not need a 

fancy shmancy sewing machine

 to make the applique pieces from the 

Sew Simple Shapes 

or to piece the quilt blocks.

Just a good straight stitching 

machine is all you need...

at just a bit shorter than 

regular stitch length.

 It really is a matter of 

personal preference and what works 

best for you but I would suggest 

doing a smaller stitch

 rather than larger.

As usual...

I am using one of my vintage

 Singer Featherweight machines

 for making this quilt.

Also...a note about washing and ironing.

I do NOT prewash my fabrics.

I did used to years ago 

but now we have such nice 

quality fabric available to us

I do not find it necessary.

 

I do not use steam in my iron 

and you want to make sure not to

 after you have sewn your shapes

 and are pressing them.

Just a good and dry hot iron works well

 and I have found that a 

seam roller works fabulous for

 pressing my shapes after shaping as well.

Use a seam roller that is flat

 and not one that is curved

so that it will not distort the shape.

I don't like to "smoosh" my shapes down

 and iron them too flat.

I like a little poof in my shapes 

because it gives my applique 

a nice handmade finish.

CLICK HERE

to watch my video about why and how 

I use vintage irons and where to

 find them and what to look for!

So here is another sneak peek

of what is to come September 18th!

Again...during the first week I always 

do a video tutorial.

The first block is the 

HOME TOWN FLAG HOUSE 

and I'll be doing that tutorial on my 

YouTube Channel

I'll of course also be posting 

all about week one here on my blog 

and will have a link to my 

YouTube video here for you 

on my week one blog post.

A while ago blogger changed their format

and since then I have not been able

to put a button on my blog

for you to get email notifications

or to follow me here.

But remember that google is your 

best friend and all you have to do

 is type in the name of my blog 

or the name of my sew along

 and it will bring you right here!

I have been using my blog exclusively

for my sew alongs for several years now

except for the week one video.

I like to be able to write everything 

down here for you such as the pieced 

block measurements and applique shape needed

but I also like the visual of 

actually showing you how I do my 

Sew Simple Shapes method of applique.

That's why I do the first week

 on my YouTube Channel.

Using both my blog and my channel

for these sew alongs is a perfect pair!

I do many other tutorials 

on my channel as well.

So...If you would like to know

 what I am up to on a regular basis...

check out my videos on my

 YouTube channel.

There I talk about what I've been doing

and new things happening:)

If you are new to my 

Sew Simple Shapes Sew Alongs...

I suggest that you watch a few 

of my previous week one video tutorials

  because I know that 

they will help a you a lot!!

CLICK HERE

to watch week one tutorial for

Chicken Salad Sew Along

CLICK HERE

to watch my week one tutorial for 

My Happy Place Sew Along

CLICK HERE 

to watch my week one tutorial for my

 PRIM Sew Along and 

Click HERE 

to watch week one tutorial for my 

Flea Market Flowers Sew Along

Click Here

to watch my week one tutorial for my

Prairie Meadow Sew Along

Click Here

to watch my week one tutorial for my

Calico Garden Sew Along

Click Here

to watch my week one tutorial for my

Bee Vintage Sew Along

CLICK HERE

to watch my entire playlist 

of each and every one of my 

Sew Simple Shape tutorials:)

My Goodness!!

That is a lot of information 

but it's all very important and meant 

to be informative and answer all questions

so that you can Bee Prepared

as much as possible.

As for me...

I will be doing what I always do 

while preparing for a 

sew along which is...

Cut my fabric and make kits for each block 

so that every week I am ready to go!

I cut each block kit and place it on a 

separate 10" Design Board 

and then stack them up neatly 

where they stay nice and safe...

waiting patiently until it's their turn 

to be made into a Home Town Block!

I am SEW excited to make my 

HOME TOWN Quilt with you:)

I will meet you right back here 

on Monday September 18th for the

Week One kick off!!

Sew with you soon...

xx

Lori

Other Places to find me:

@Beelori1 Instagram

Lori Holt/YouTube

Bee in my Bonnet Company