Ripples Block October IG Honeybees

We are the ‘queen bee’ for October in the IG Honeybees group we joined this year.  Our block is called Ripples, and you may find the pattern for it on the Blossom Heart Quilts website. Over the last nine months, we have made a variety of blocks.  All of them we’ve enjoyed making, some more than others.  Truthfully, we selected a block before we even signed up to join the group.  We poured over all the blocks, discussing fabrics and such.  It was NOT Ripples – our pre-joining block was called Bunting.  I spent months imaging what it would look like in a finished quilt.

Ripples For April

Jen was the queen for April and she requested that we make the Ripples block.  She carefully sent each beehive member a centerpiece for each block highlighting cacti.

Here are the three Ripples blocks we made for Jen, and after they were mailed we didn’t give the block another thought.  UNTIL it was time to really get serious about our block for October.  We started having doubts that Bunting wasn’t our block; Fizzy was easier to make than it first appeared.  Mary made us do paper piecing and that wasn’t all that bad after all was said and done.  We kept coming back to Ripples, especially if we could come up with a special center fabric.

Ripples Center Mania

Last July, we won two Riley Blake charm packs from Carol at Just Let Me Quilt.  Hmm.  What if we used those charm pack pieces as the center for our own version of the Ripples block?!  The name of the charm pack is Christmas Delivery and we both love Riley Blake Designs.  It seems that waiting 14 months to be used is the perfect amount of time for these charm packs!

We had our center block pieces and I started mailing them out.  Next, we had to complete the samples to show our beehive friends.  The road with good intentions was paved early in our sewing room, as Sue laid out the fabrics over Labor Day weekend.

Ripples Slow Down

It wasn’t until Saturday late afternoon on September 28th that work began in earnest on our Ripples samples.  We all know it doesn’t take long to make two 12.5-inch blocks, right?!  Just 24 HSTs, a little trimming, and Bob’s your uncle.  You’re finished.  Take a couple of photos, throw a few sentences together, and share with your beehive mates so they get a general idea of what we’re looking for.  How hard can it be?!!  Exactly, in theory anyway.  In real life, the school year has just begun and Sue is exposed to new germs.  Last weekend, I had a headache from the weather – this weekend, she wasn’t feeling 100%.  Nevertheless, all 48 HSTs (two blocks EACH require 24 HSTs) were sewn and pressed open. 

Trimming ensued and then we took a break for the day.  No worries about the deadline since we still have Sunday!  Unless we didn’t have time on Sunday . . .

Ripples Layout and Colors

No worries though – we were hard at work, sewing away, by 9:30 a.m.  A little coffee time with Sue’s mom, Jeanette, and then we cracked the whip.  I split up the HSTs into two piles – one for each block – and then tried a ‘random’ layout.  Chain sewing ensued and it wasn’t long before we had a vision of the block.

I have the directions propped up so I can check that I have the orientation correct.  How many times did I have to study those instructions, saying “huh” to myself?!  I’m not saying!  At last, block one was complete but we had to take a sump pump break.  It kept running and running and running . . . but Sue’s dad fixed us up!  Phew!

Ripples Non-Traditional Holiday Colors

As you can easily see, the colors in these blocks are red, green, gray, black and white.  It’s holiday-themed fabric without it being in-your-face, and it uses some non-traditional colors.  We are so thrilled with it!

I did remember to take one photo of block two in-process – Sue did the layout of the fabric pieces.  We will be making two more of these blocks during the month of October because we have only 10 bee mates (one dropped out in January) for a total of 22.  Of course, we’ll share blocks as they arrive throughout the month.  Our design wall has been cleared in anticipation of the lovelies arrival.

Ripples blocks waiting on the design wall

Stay tuned for the next installment . . .

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