summery Bee Blocks

Today I spent an hour or so sewing some deliciously simple blocks for the Comfort circle of do. Good Stitches. Eva-Marie @ZusJeb, our queen bee this month, has asked for simple cross blocks in clear, summery colors.

Clear, summery colors aren’t my forte, but I did find some good candidates in my scrap drawers. You can always count on orange to make things feel fresh and summery.

So, that was quick! The main fabric pieces are cut (4) 3.5” x 6.5”, the cross pieces are (2) 1.5” x 3.5” and (2) 1.5” x 6.5”. Then you finish it off with a 1.5” square at center. If you’re looking for a quick and beginner-friendly scrap quilt, this may be just your ticket.

The only thing to watch out for is to create enough contrast between the cross fabrics and the center square. On my blue block, the center square disappears into the cross fabric, mainly because the cross fabric has a large-scale pattern, which obscures the patchwork itself. If I had used a much darker red for the center square, that would have showed up better. Actually, I’ll fix that before I send them. It’s so easy to make that change, after all.

This afternoon I will drop my blocks in the mail to join the others at Eva-Marie’s. Her photo above shows how far she’s gotten already with our quilting bee’s simple, scrappy, summery quilt. I think my blocks will play happily with the rest!