Adding a Patchsmithian touch to the Bee Happy Quilt It is time for an update on the Bee Happy sew-along quilt. If you remember I had got part way through Row 2. Since then I have taken a few shortcuts to finish Row 2 and I have also completed Row 3. Rows 1 and 2 complete Row 2 required two Hexie Flower blocks, a trio of spools and the Stars and Stripes flag block. I replaced the Stars and Stripes with a Union Jack to add a British touch to my quilt. (Click on the photo below for the FREE paper-pieced Union Jack block.) A Patchsmithian touch to the Bee Happy Quilt To make my progress even quicker I decided to replace the two 6” Hexie Flower blocks with two ‘already made’ butterfly blocks from my Butterfly Patch Mug Rug and Block pattern. I just had to choose which two blocks to use from the three I had to hand .... The Butterfly Patch Mug Rug pattern comes with instructions to make a 6" butterfly block And then it was onto Row 3. First up are three Flower Pot blocks. A touch of Patchsmith gingham ..... of course! I'm using scraps for my quilt so I decided to add some cohesion by using the same fabrics for all three pots. It works well doesn’t it? Next came two of the simplest blocks – a peach and pear block. Two of the easiest blocks so far. This was joined by the very first Churn Dash block I made – the gorgeous Bee Churn Dash. For a beeautifully quick was to make the bees just click HERE. But then I hit a snag. The next block, the Bunting Block, required bias binding made using fiddly little gadgets. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get the gadgets to work. I needed a super-speedy solution and I needed it NOW! Thank goodness for my ribbon box! Ribbon to the rescue. I would strongly recommend ribbon for this block as it doesn’t fray, is easy to place and saves so much time. (I fused a thin strip of fusible webbing to the back to keep it in place whilst I stitched it down.) The Bunting Block hangs over two thermos' and my favourite block so far in this sew-along – the Hens. Aren’t they just the cutest you have ever seen? Bee happy hens hanging out together! So that is Row 3 complete and stitched together with Rows 1 and 2. But there is no time to stop and chat – I am way behind on this sprint-along – Row 4 is calling me. Until next time........
