Welcome to Fabulous Freebies Blog Hop hosted by Calico Joan of Moosestash Quilting. Thanks Joan.
Let’s explore the world of online bee swaps and a very special quilt-a-long as part of Fabulous Freebies.
This is the second year I’ve belonged to online bee swaps. Doing so has been fun and has given me a chance to try out patterns to see if I’d like to sew more of them for myself and make a quilt. It also gives me a chance to make just one block and not commit myself to making a whole quilt if I don’t like the pattern or the technique.
I haven’t written much about my bee blocks so I thought I’d take this opportunity to show you what I’ve made and remind you to look at Stash Bee and Bee Inspired for inspiration and free patterns.
You can find the free tutorial here for the block pictured below.
This block is 12.5″ square.
I requested this block, pictured below, last November. You can read my post and find the free tutorial here.
I made two samples. Each block is 16.5″ square.
Sometimes I saw stars. This was one of my favorites to make. You can read more about it here and find a link to the free pattern.
It was a large one at 16.5″ square.
Everything’s coming up flowers! Well, at least buttercups. The free tutorial can be found here.
This cute buttercup is 12″ square.
Who doesn’t like cake? My post for the cake block with a link to the free pattern can be found here.
How about a piece of German Chocolate Cake with Creamy Coconut and Pecan Frosting?
I made several animal blocks, too. The link to the free puppy tutorial can be found here and the cats can be found here.
But I think my favorite animal was the poodle that I requested last year from my Bee Inspired mates. I posted a series of tutorials about this one block. Day 8 here (on the Bee Inspired Blog) includes links to all those posts as well as what I learned during my vacation to Paris and what I learned while making this block.
There’s one block missing because that naughty puppy decided to stay behind when the rest of us headed south last winter. I’ve now retrieved him and he’ll be meeting up with the rest of the bunch when the weather turns cool here and we “migrate” south for the winter again.
I could go on with my favorite blocks but I’ll finish with this bookshelf. You can find the info here with links to the free mixer pattern here. (Update: Evidently the mixer pattern is no longer available. Sorry about that. I will continue to look for it. In the meantime, maybe we can all learn a lesson from this. If you see a free pattern out there, download and save it on your computer. Otherwise, you might be sorry when you can’t find it anymore.)
Saving the Best for Last
Finally, I invite you to join in with the Fall Into a QAL. There’s still 4 more blocks to release. Each pattern is free until the last day of the QAL in November. Check out my latest post here for more info on how you can join in, where to find the patterns, and how you can win some awesome prizes. The next block to be released and the best block pattern is still coming on Sept 4th but that’s because I’m partial to it as it’s MINE! Yes, my block pattern that I designed for this QAL is scheduled for release on Sept 4th and it will be free until November 13th.
This Fall Into a QAL is brought to you by Partners in Design: Where Friends and Fabric Meet.
Find More Freebies Here
Monday August 20
What I Learned Today:
- I like to make individual blocks.
- I have lots of quilt ideas. But I already knew that; it was just confirmed.
- I miss the poodles. This will be a very cute quilt. Those poodles are spending the summer in the desert and waiting for me to return in the fall.
- I love free patterns but I still have several shelves of books and boxes of patterns.
- I bought a lot of loot on my Quilt MN shop hop trip, see my post for Day 7 here which includes links to all the days and the introduction. I am still working on my loot post. It will be coming soon.
Question: What is your favorite block? My favorite one seems to be the one I’m sewing at the moment. I haven’t met many I don’t like; that is the problem.
Thanks for stopping by today and do come again.
Karen, Tu-Na Quilts
Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats 
Great post Karen and a bit of a trip down memory lane.
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So many fabulous blocks! Those poodles are really wonderful! I don’t think I could pick a favorite block from all I’ve seen over the years.
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Such fun blocks! I love the buttercup one… but I should download them all for future reference 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing! xx
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Thanks for the links to all the free blocks, Karen! I am partial to buttercups in the spring so I can see myself making that block!! For her president’s quilt this year, our guild president requested those cute kitty blocks – they are FUN and CUTE!! I enjoyed making that one!! I have collected all the Fall into a QAL blocks and can’t wait to see what you have designed for the September block! I hope to get started on that one soon! So much to do…so little time! LOL
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Thanks for the wonderful tour of your blocks. Oh, those poodles are so special. Thanks for sharing your ideas and those of your bee friends.
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Wow so many blocks! I like trying new blocks too. My favorite is applique though and flowers, especially sunflowers and coneflowers.
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I was very tempted to make a cake block, just because it is so cute. The fall QAL blocks are really fun too, and I’ve enjoyed watching the blocks pop up on my feed. My favorite block is a toss-up between New York Beauty and Bear’s Paw. Well, any block with pointy things (triangles, etc.) makes me happy!
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I love seeing all these blocks and get tempted by the online bees. Hadn’t checked out the websites for the groups before, but I did today. May consider one next year…. Favorite block – not sure I have one as they all serve a purpose. I am going to work on that thought and see if one sticks!
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thank you for sharing today. yes i have the same problem. too many blocks that i love. and the one i am working on now is my favorite. LOL i love the dogs and the poodle.
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So many freebies out there to enjoy…thanks for the links. I love, love, love that poodle!
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Hey Karen! Thanks for the pictures of all your fun blocks! I especially love the poodles and your kitchen shelf with mixer and cookbooks – so darn cute!!! My fave block of all time is flying geese. However, if I am making several different blocks like you are, I do tend to really love each one and think “what if I did a whole quilt of this block?”!!!! So much to do, but so little time!!!! Glad y’all had a safe trip and I can’t wait to see the loot!!!
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Adorable poodles! Love the eyelash quilting white/black fabric background – got that one in my stash too!
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Karen, what great free block ideas. I love your poodle quilt. My daughter and family have a poodle that is on the cusp of minature/toy. Abby is quite a girl. When I go to Albuquerque to keep the grandboys, Abby sleeps with me when Mom and Dad are gone. She is aging and my daughter plans to get a standard when Abby goes to doggie heaven, after a period of grieving. I think a black and white poodle quilt would be perfect for the family. Thanks for all the inspiration and I trust that the trip is as great as in previous years.
Susan
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Fabulous Freebies! Love the poodle block … and I know a great project for it …thank you for sharing … 🙂 Pat
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Wow! You do have lots of wonderful free blocks; thank you for the links. My favorite is the star block and I’m headed there to pick up the free tut. Thanks for all the great shares.
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Thank you for the great list of freebies! So many to choose from. My favorite is the poodle. Can’t wait to see what your block will be on September 4th.
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Karen, you always crack me up, but who wouldn’t love that Poodle quilt. It’s absolutely adorable. I love all the other blocks also, and someday perhaps you’ll put together a sampler quilt, or make them into bags, or some other fun project, so it’s handy to have finished blocks just laying around. 🙂
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So many ideas, so little time. Thanks for all the freebies!
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Oh, I do love those poodles. What sweet little things they are. Great collection of fabulous freebies. There is just so much online, it’s nice to be routed right to them. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful ideas!
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I like making blocks too, and my last two for the 2018 Monthly Color Challenge have been a sewing machine and a cake block of my own creation.
The poodle block is my favorite of yours and I can see myself making that one in the months to come.
I do like those bookcase quilts so I could see myself making one of those one day too.
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Lots of great freebies. Thanks Karen.
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The poodle blocks are very fun. I love how one is reversed – looking forward to you having all your dogs in one location and finishing the top 🙂
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Love seeing your bee blocks again! Favourite blocks are hands down Stars and Schoolhouse blocks. 🙂 Free is always good, but also good to pay sometimes for all the generosity out there in QBL right! I like how you ladies have set up your QAL.
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That’s a great mixer pattern, and the poodle is darned cute. I often find things I like on Stash Bee.
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Thanks for all the freebie sites. Your poodles are adorable. Thanks for sharing.
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Lots of fun and free blocks. I like the poodle blocks and have that one book marked to make for a friend. Thanks for sharing all those sources.
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thanks for the links to the free quilt blocks! the maple leaf quilt block is my all time favorite — I started my quilting journey in 2012 and have made something with the maple leaf block each year.
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I love seeing a highlight of your bee blocks, though you know my favorite is that mixer since I was the lucky recipient! So excited that your block is next in the fall QAL! Can’t wait to see what it is!!!!
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