The Bee in my Bonnet Row Along - Row 4!!!...

Good morning my row along peeps!

Have you been waiting for row four?

Well here it is and I hope you like it because I had so much fun designing it and then picking the fabric and then stitching it up.

I love every step of making a quilt...

don't you?

It's apple picking season around here so I thought it was time for a cute row of apples:)...

and a few apple cores too!

(after all...you have to eat a few while you pick!)

It's time to "pick" a few apples from your stash!

I cut five apples in different shades of red...

Along with one Granny Smith (green)...

One Golden Delicious (yellow)...

and one Pink Lady (my favorite kind of apple)

My background fabric...

Okay...

 I'm all cut...let's make some apples!

Easy Corner Triangles -

You all know the drill by now...

 Place a square onto each corner of the apples and stitch from corner to corner.

Mark each of them first...or use the Angler 2.

Chain stitch for quick results:)

Trim off excess...leaving an approximate 1/4"seam allowance...

And press seam allowance towards the triangles.

Each apple should still measure the same...

but have a triangle in each corner:)

Set aside and move onto the leaves.

Trim...

Press and set aside.

Each leaf should 

 have 2 easy corner triangles. 

Now onto stems!

Stitch the brown strip onto the top of the  background strip and press the seam allowance towards the brown.

Measure in from the edge of your ruler...making sure all lines are straight...and cut.

Continue cutting...

each time checking to make sure all seam lines are straight with the lines on the ruler.

 (you will have some fabric leftover)

Sew a leaf onto the left side of each stem as pictured.

Press the seam allowance towards the stem.

Decide which leaf goes with which apple...

And stitch them on....press seam allowance towards the apple.

YAY!

Your apple blocks are complete:)

GOOD JOB!

Now for the apple core blocks.

Stitch a square from corner to corner

 onto each end of the apple core top and bottom... 

and also cores.

Trim and press the seam allowance towards the triangle 

on the apple pieces only...

I decided after I had pressed the seam allowance towards the triangle on the core pieces...that the block would lay flat and seams would line up better if I re-pressed the seam allowance towards the core fabrics.

Sew the remaining white rectangles to each side of the remaining stem segments.

Press the seam allowance towards the stem. 

Here you can see how the block will go together. 

Start by joining the apple tops to a core top...and the apple bottoms to a core bottom... like this.

Press these seam allowances OPEN for less bulk.

Now join the cores together in the middle.

Press this seam open as well.

Now go ahead and stitch the stems to the apple cores.

Press this seam allowance towards the apple top.

YAY!!

3 cute apple core blocks complete.

Apple cuteness:-)

Time to sew them into a row!

As you stitch the sashing in between the blocks...make sure that you don't cut off the points on each side of the apple core blocks.

Add your background strips 

onto each side and trim up!

Cut fabric strips just like

 I explained in Row 2.

Click here if you need a reminder

And now we have 4 rows!!!

Again...DO NOT stitch the rows together until all of the rows are complete.

We are not sewing them in the order that they will go in the quilt:)

Tell me what you think about todays lesson...do you like row 4?

I hoped that you would the entire time that I was designing it...and I'd love to know:)

Don't forget to post your finished rows onto the

 flickr group...

they are all so inspiring for me as well as others in the row along.

Have an apple pickin' quilty kind of day:)

xx

Lori

***edit July 2013

The pattern and instructions for the apples

 and the other rows in my 

BIMB Row Along Quilt are in my new book

"Quilty Fun"

CLICK HERE

to reserve a copy today

My Stitchy Stunt Double...

               

I usually find myself running out of time as quilt market gets closer...

and I always have so many things to do that I just can't do it all myself. 

That's why I feel so lucky that I had a stunt double for this project...

And conveniently...

 she lives right in my house:-)

CLICK HERE 

for the pattern she is working on!

My daughter Kassidy just turned thirteen...

She has been stitching since she was seven years old...

and she has always been a big help to me in my studio.

Right now she is stitching up my 

Daisy Love Stitchery

that is included in my Stitchy pattern:)

I just tell her what color...

what stitch...

 and how many strands to use...

 and Kassidy turns into a stitchin' machine.

Of course while she is working...

she still has to keep up with her social life...

And take a break to play with her hair...

(Kass changes her hair style about 3 times a day!)

I love having her in my studio while we work together.

I love having her 2 older brothers in there too...

but they really aren't interested in stitching. 

They just show up for the treats...haha.

(still...they are good company)

Kassidy Grace is my baby...

my only daughter...

and my BFF 

all rolled up into one cute giggly teenager.

She is always happy to help me out here and there when I'm in a time crunch...

as long as we can listen to her music...

have her fav treats on hand...

and laugh.

 Alot:-)

(of course this usually involves a shopping trip at one point...haha)

Do you have a stunt double too?

xx

Lori

Polka Dot Stitchin'...

Just a quick little post...

 checkin in to let you know that I'm still here and busy

 Polka Dot Stitchin" 

on my projects for Fall Market in Houston.

I have so much to show you over the next few weeks as it gets closer...

but in the meantime...

I am doing a little appliqué and having sew much fun creating!

I am also working on row 4 of the

 Bee in my Bonnet Row Along

...and I will be posting it as promised on Wednesday:)

Do you have your row 3's finished?

xx

Lori