More Great Granny Blocks for Kim

Hi Everyone!! Happy FALL!!

The cooler temperatures are welcome here!! :)

It's been a whirlwind of a year for our household and I'm hoping that we are finally done moving for at least a decade (hopefully longer). We are mostly settled and enjoying our new home!! It's a HUGE blessing being back in Utah near most of our family and most of our grandchildren. Our hearts literally ache having two of our children and their families living out of the country. The good news is that they're all planning to come visit us in 2020. Yippee!! :)

Kim's Great Granny Square

This month I decided to have y'all help me make more Great Granny Squares for a quilt I started several years ago. When Lori Holt did her Great Granny Sew Along I made a quilt using 9 blocks. I loved it so much that I started making more blocks for another quilt but, with all of our moves over the last five years the blocks I'd made got put in a box and set aside for another day. Well, it's time for the blocks to come out of storage and get some attention!! I'm hoping to make a kingsize quilt for my bed. I've been digging into my stash and pulling out lots of my REDS, BLACKS and GRAYS and mixing them with an assortment of background fabrics. I started with one background and then added a second background but I no longer have either so I decided to make it scrappy with a variety of different backgrounds as well. I think it will all work out in the end. Thanks for all of your help this month!! ~Kim 

Here's the link to Lori Holt's Great Granny Sewalong she posted July 9, 2014

http://beeinmybonnetco.blogspot.com/2012/07/great-granny-along-and-giveaway.html

The photo below is of the fabric I cut and prepped to send out to each of you. You should be able to click on the photo to get a closer look at the variety of Red, Black, and gray fabrics and the different backgrounds I put with each of the combinations.

Here's a preview of the information that will come in your packet.

I've Included the following fabric pieces to make ONE Great Granny Block:

Fabrics in Red, Black or Gray:

(1) 2.5 square for the Baby Center

(4) 2.5 squares for the Mama Round

(8) 2.5 squares for the Granny Round

(12) 2.5 squares for the Great Granny Round

Background Fabric:

(12) 2.5" x 3.5" rectangles for the ends of 7 rows 

(4) 2.5" x 5" rectangles that will be sewn on the ends of the four corners.

Basic Instructions:

Sew all seams using a 1/4" Seam Allowance

1. Lay out the fabric squares starting with the (1) Baby Center Square (see photo 1)

2. Proceed by placing the (4) Mama Squares around the Baby Square (see photo 1)

3. Then place the (8) Granny Squares around the Mama Squares (see photo 1)

4. Then place the (12) Great Granny Square around the Granny Squares (see photo 1)

5. Lastly place the (12) 2.5" x 3.5" rectangles on each end of each row (see photo 1)

6. Sew the fabric together from left to right in each of Rows 2-8 (see Photo 3)

7. Press fabric in each row toward the darker fabric. (Refer to photo 2 for back view of the block)

8. Nest the seams when sewing the rows together. Use pins if needed, to make a snug fit.

9. Press the rows outward on each side of the center row. (see to photo 4)

10. Trim the fabric that hangs over on each side of Row 4 and 6. (see photo 4)

11. Then center the (4) 2.5" x 5" rectangles on each corner and sew in place (see photo 5).

12. Press seams outward toward the corners. (see photo 2)

13. YOU WILL NOT NEED TO TRIM DOWN THE BLOCK. 

Here are three other photos that I included on the information sheet in your packet.

I had to rotate the view of the above photo so you could see the block as it's constructed in rows.

The above photo shows rows 2-8 sewn together with the excess fabric

having been trimmed off both ends of rows 4 and 6.

The above photo was taken prior to sewing on the 2.5" x 5" rectangles that will form the corners of the block after it's trimmed.

The above photo shows how I pressed the seams on the back of the block. This photo will be a good visual reference to help see and understand how I press my Great Granny Blocks.

Just a reminder that I'd like you to NOT TRIM DOWN the BLOCKS! I will take care of that when the blocks are returned to me. Thanks.

This last photo I used some of same fabric that I used in the first block but with the Black fabric in the Great Granny round and the Red Fabric in the Mama Round. It's fun to change fabric positions to get different looks.

Bee Block Questionnaire

1. What size quilt block do you want your bee partners to make? (Give finished and unfinished measurements, just to be sure.)

The finished size will be 12" finished and 12.5" unfinished (after trimming) but. . .

REMEMBER, I will do the block trimming.

2. Can your partners use any of their own stash fabric to use in your quilt block? If so, are there any limitations?

All fabric is provided in your packet.

3. Is there a specific color of thread (white/off white) you want your partners to sew with?

 White or Off white is fine.

4. Do your partners have to use at least a little bit of every fabric you send or can your partners decide?

 Please use only the fabric provided.

It's September!!

Happy Fall Y'all! I hope you are all enjoying the cooler temperatures! I know I am... but I am wanting to cook and quilt! This beautiful fall weather makes me want to make homemade bread for my family and eat hearty meals! I'm going to share my favorite recipe of all time!!

Tri Tips with Gravy

3 T Olive Oil
3 cloves minced Garlic
2 lbs Tri Tip cut into large pieces (I have also used roast, pork loin, stew meat or any other cuts)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 10 oz can Beef Consomme or 1 1/2 C beef broth (if I use pork, I use chicken or pork bouillon)
1 can water
2 Bay Leaves
3/4 T dried Thyme leaves
3 T softened butter
3 T Flour

Heat oil and saute garlic in a cast iron dutch oven with a lid. Salt and pepper Tri Tip and brown meat. Pre-heat oven to 300. Pour broth over meat and add water, bay leaves and thyme. Cover and bake 2 hours until meat is fork tender. Mix flour in softened butter. Remove meat from pan. Stir flour mixture into drippings until thickened. Add a little water if needed to gravy. Stir meat into gravy and serve over mashed potatoes.



We make this all the time with all kinds of meat and it is delish!

In case you wanted to know a little about me... I am a stay at home mom of 3, married to my best friend and love of my life for the last 28 years (In November). Our kids range from 21 yr old son who is getting married soon, 15 yr old son who is learning to drive and a 10 yr old girl who is my sweet girl who likes the same things I do... except slime! I don't get that one! ;)
We love to travel with our camping trailer, hiking, playing board games (Settlers of Catan is our favorite!) and hang out together! We love football and food, which they go together perfectly! I love to cook, quilt and craft! My mom taught me how to make all the best comfort foods and I have been sewing since I could sit at the machine and touch the pedal!! She let me make anything I wanted and my favorite babysitting job was for an owner of a fabric store. She said I could earn money or fabric.... I chose the fabric!! Found some great treasures there! I have sewn

many wedding dresses, curtains for parade of homes, bags, clothes for work the next day, blessing clothes and I was a seamstress for a custom clothing business for 5 years so I learned a ton there!!

We have started our own family business called The Quilted Poppy where we make beautiful Barn Stars... you can find us on instagram@thequiltedpoppy and we all paint and build the stars together. It has been a fun adventure!!! Hoping to build it even more with this crazy crew of ours!!

Anyway... thanks for making my blocks this month! It is one of my own designs and I can't wait for it to all come together!

the August block is on its way!

OK, here we go!  I have selected the "Great Granny"!  I chose my sisters last fabric line, "In the Meadow" (in the stores now) and used some of my stash to add to it!  Oh my these blocks are fun!  What started out as a throw blanket, is now becoming a queen size quilt. You just can't stop once you start these blocks.   I know that there are a million tutorials online and books...but sometimes I like to figure things out.  So, I cut my white blocks at 2.5x3 instead of 2.5x3.5.  Oops!  So when you trim, there will be a little jaggedness to the edges.  No worries, I will be sashing the blocks together.

I also sent you each a little something from my other hobby.  The bookmark cabochon was made by me.  It is out of Box Elder Burl, which is usually a bland blonde.  I then dye them to show off the figure and well, to make them colorful.  I figured you can use them to hold a place in your favorite quilting  book.

And now a word on shop safety!  While fussy cutting...well you know the rest!  Yes, I will have a month or so of healing!  Luckily the shearing was quick and clean and no blood on my fabric!

So please be careful!  I have included all the fabric you will need for the blocks and if you would use white thread that would be great!

Now, I want to take a poll...How many of you have had a wicked quilting accident?  Please no gory details. Just curious if my wood turning hobby (table saws, sharp lathe tools, wood flying at my head) is safer than my quilting hobby?  Your answers will determine if I need more insurance!
Happy sewing my Bee Sisters!