Our guild is having a Quilt Bee block swap this year. This is the first time I've participated in a Bee Block swap. I'm sure you are all familiar with the swap concept but in a nutshell each month a person is the 'Queen Bee'. The Queen Bee picks out a block she or he wants made and passes along to the rest of the 'bees' the directions/tutorial with any other information about how they want the block to look or fit within a completed quilt (palette, preferred fabrics, etc…..) In the month that follows, all the'bees' in the 'hive' make one block from the tutorial given. Those blocks go to the Queen. Then the role of 'Queen of the Hive' rotates to a new Queen. It is a great way to learn new skills, get a jump start on a quilt and end up with a wide variety of fabrics in your quilt that may not be In your stash.
In February I am Queen bee.
I have always loved 'I Spy' quilts and Polaroid blocks and now that both my grandchildren have migrated to regular beds I need a quilts that my grandchildren can use when they are at Grandma's house. I would love to make an I Spy quilt for each grandchild. The challenge is that I don't have a lot of novelty fabric and the novelty fabric I do have my grandchildren have already 'spied' in their quilts on their beds at home. Knowing this I thought an I Spy block would be the perfect block for my month as 'Queen Bee'. There are many I Spy block tutorials on the web but I also wanted to incorporate two other elements, a Polaroid block and an overall wonky design. Combining a typical Polaroid block with 'liberated' log cabin technique taught in Gwen Marston's book, Liberated Quiltmaking II would be perfect . Since I couldn't find a tutorial for such a block, I decided to write my tutorial.. So here goes!
Wonky Polaroid I Spy Block
Begin by cutting a 2 ½" square block of a focus print. This is the 'photo' that will be centered in the Polaroid block.
Making the Polaroid
The photo is framed by a sewing on a 1 ½ " strip of white fabric on the bottom, a 1" strip of fabric on the top and then a 1" strip of fabric on each side. The fabric should be true white or as close to true white as you have in your stash. When I add the white fabric I do not cut my pieces to size. Such small pieces can be hard to handle. Instead I cut a strip the correct width and then sew the block to the full strip, press and trim to the right length. This works especially well when sewing on the 1" strips. Once you have sewn on your white strips you have created your 'Polaroid' photo. It should measure 4" by 3 ½".
First Wonky Border
Cut 2 ½" strips of a fabric that compliments the 'photo'. Sew a strip on the top, the bottom and then each side. You can cut the strips to size before you sew but I use the same 'strip' method to sew on the borders as I do when I make the Polaroid. There's a slight bit of waste when you do it this way but there is no worry that you cut a strip too short.
After you add your borders lay the block down on your cutting board and lay your acrylic ruler across one corner at an angle with the ¼" line touching the corner of the Polaroid border and the edge of your ruler; is ¼" from the corner of the Polaroid. You determine the angle. I try to make sure it tilts the Polaroid while the line of the ruler spans as many inches as possible across the border fabric. Trim.
Then take your trimmed side and align it a long a straight line on your mat. On the opposite side of the block align your ruler so the ¼" line is touching the edge of the Polaroid and the edge of your ruler is ¼" away from the corner of the Polaroid. Your ruler should be on the other side of the trimmed side of the Polaroid and parallel to the trimmed side. Trim.
Turn your block 90 degrees so that one of the trimmed sides is along a line on your board. Line up your ruler so that the ¼" line is touching the corner of the Polaroid block and the edge of your ruler ¼" away from the corner of the Polaroid. Trim. Turn your block again, align on a straight line and trim as in the other cuts.
You will now have a rectangle (or it could have turned out square) where the Polaroid is tilted in the middle. Don't worry what size it turned out or that the 'setting' triangles may be different sizes. That's the beauty of wonky! As long as the trimmed edges are ¼" away from the corners of the Polaroid you did fine!
Second Wonky Border
Cut 3" strips of a second color that compliments the 'photo'. I've tried several width of strips for this border. Three inch strips seems to give just the right amount of play without too much waste in trimming for a finished 6 1/2" block. The second strip can be a contrasting color or an analogous color. Sew a strip on the top, bottom and both sides. Once this is done take your 6 ½" acrylic ruler and angle it over the block until you get the desired wonky effect you want. One word of caution…….make sure you have at least ¼" distance from the edge of the ruler and the corners of the first border block on all four corners. This allows for the seam allowance in joining the blocks into rows. Once you have your ruler aligned, trim. You are done! Again, your 'setting' triangles will probably be different sizes and angles. That's okay and the fun of wonky!
The block finishes at 6 1/2 inches square.
In February I am Queen bee.
I have always loved 'I Spy' quilts and Polaroid blocks and now that both my grandchildren have migrated to regular beds I need a quilts that my grandchildren can use when they are at Grandma's house. I would love to make an I Spy quilt for each grandchild. The challenge is that I don't have a lot of novelty fabric and the novelty fabric I do have my grandchildren have already 'spied' in their quilts on their beds at home. Knowing this I thought an I Spy block would be the perfect block for my month as 'Queen Bee'. There are many I Spy block tutorials on the web but I also wanted to incorporate two other elements, a Polaroid block and an overall wonky design. Combining a typical Polaroid block with 'liberated' log cabin technique taught in Gwen Marston's book, Liberated Quiltmaking II would be perfect . Since I couldn't find a tutorial for such a block, I decided to write my tutorial.. So here goes!
Wonky Polaroid I Spy Block
Begin by cutting a 2 ½" square block of a focus print. This is the 'photo' that will be centered in the Polaroid block.
Making the Polaroid
The photo is framed by a sewing on a 1 ½ " strip of white fabric on the bottom, a 1" strip of fabric on the top and then a 1" strip of fabric on each side. The fabric should be true white or as close to true white as you have in your stash. When I add the white fabric I do not cut my pieces to size. Such small pieces can be hard to handle. Instead I cut a strip the correct width and then sew the block to the full strip, press and trim to the right length. This works especially well when sewing on the 1" strips. Once you have sewn on your white strips you have created your 'Polaroid' photo. It should measure 4" by 3 ½".
First Wonky Border
Cut 2 ½" strips of a fabric that compliments the 'photo'. Sew a strip on the top, the bottom and then each side. You can cut the strips to size before you sew but I use the same 'strip' method to sew on the borders as I do when I make the Polaroid. There's a slight bit of waste when you do it this way but there is no worry that you cut a strip too short.
After you add your borders lay the block down on your cutting board and lay your acrylic ruler across one corner at an angle with the ¼" line touching the corner of the Polaroid border and the edge of your ruler; is ¼" from the corner of the Polaroid. You determine the angle. I try to make sure it tilts the Polaroid while the line of the ruler spans as many inches as possible across the border fabric. Trim.
Then take your trimmed side and align it a long a straight line on your mat. On the opposite side of the block align your ruler so the ¼" line is touching the edge of the Polaroid and the edge of your ruler is ¼" away from the corner of the Polaroid. Your ruler should be on the other side of the trimmed side of the Polaroid and parallel to the trimmed side. Trim.
Turn your block 90 degrees so that one of the trimmed sides is along a line on your board. Line up your ruler so that the ¼" line is touching the corner of the Polaroid block and the edge of your ruler ¼" away from the corner of the Polaroid. Trim. Turn your block again, align on a straight line and trim as in the other cuts.
You will now have a rectangle (or it could have turned out square) where the Polaroid is tilted in the middle. Don't worry what size it turned out or that the 'setting' triangles may be different sizes. That's the beauty of wonky! As long as the trimmed edges are ¼" away from the corners of the Polaroid you did fine!
Second Wonky Border
Cut 3" strips of a second color that compliments the 'photo'. I've tried several width of strips for this border. Three inch strips seems to give just the right amount of play without too much waste in trimming for a finished 6 1/2" block. The second strip can be a contrasting color or an analogous color. Sew a strip on the top, bottom and both sides. Once this is done take your 6 ½" acrylic ruler and angle it over the block until you get the desired wonky effect you want. One word of caution…….make sure you have at least ¼" distance from the edge of the ruler and the corners of the first border block on all four corners. This allows for the seam allowance in joining the blocks into rows. Once you have your ruler aligned, trim. You are done! Again, your 'setting' triangles will probably be different sizes and angles. That's okay and the fun of wonky!
The block finishes at 6 1/2 inches square.
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