Tips for a Successful Quilting Bee Experience

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a little out of my depth when it comes to this topic. I’m a blenders girl. Give me bold, bright, simple geometric prints, preferably in a single colourway, and I’m a happy camper. I know what to do with these fabrics and I can make them play nicely together. Which is not to say I don’t own novelty fabrics. They’re in my stash, largely untouched, on the too-hard shelf.

While I’m mostly happy with the bulk of my stash, it does bother me that my novelty prints get overlooked. Especially when I see other quilters work magic with novelty prints! So it’s time for me to release the bad memories of I-spy quilts from 2003 and take another look at novelty fabrics and how modern quilters can use them.

So, it’s the new year and you’ve succumbed to the temptation and signed up for a quilting bee. Quilting bees can be a great experience and can lead to long-lasting quilty friendships, so here are a few tips on getting the most out of your bee experience.

What is a quilting bee?

Back in the good old days, quilting bees were groups of women who got together at someone’s house to make short work of the hand quilting of a quilt, which was on a communal frame. But in the Internet age, quilting bees are a bit different – they’re groups of quilters who make specific blocks for each other over a certain time period.

Usually, they are organised in groups of twelve quilters, and they run for a year. Each month, one quilter gets to be the queen bee, and she chooses the block she wants made and the other eleven quilters each make one. It’s a fast track to a whole quilt top (or at least a good start) when you wind up with 11 blocks made for you.

Rules and communication

If you’ve joined an organised bee, you will probably find the rules have already been made. In this case, you have agreed to the rules when you joined the bee.

If you’re organising a bee then it’s important to put rules in place so everybody knows what is expected of them. This includes deadlines, how the bee will work, and what sort of patterns and fabrics can be used. Make sure these are clear before people sign up for the bee, as signing up is generally considered as agreeing to the rules.

Communication is essential, so it’s a good idea to set up a central group on Facebook, or at least a chat on Messenger or Instagram. Make sure you have everyone’s key contact details in a place that’s accessible to all bee members.

Being a good bee mate

Quilt bees are only as good as the participants in them, and sadly it only takes one flaker to ruin it for everyone. You’ve made a commitment and it’s important you stick to it. If there are extenuating circumstances that will prevent you from getting your block made on time, then let the queen know as soon as possible.

Use a sturdy envelope and protect it by placing it in a ziplock bag. Include a return address. Most quilt blocks can be sent as a large letter which is cheaper than a parcel, so investigate postage options.

You don’t have to be a master quilter, but you do have to do good work. This means accurate points, accurate seam allowances, trimmed threads, removed papers in paper piecing blocks, and blocks that finish at the correct size. Use quality quilting cottons and adhere to the colour directions the queen asks for.

I just can’t wait to be queen!

When it’s your turn to be the queen, there are a few things to keep in mind to make the experience pleasant for everyone involved. Keep the skills of your fellow bee mates in mind. It’s certainly better to ask for a simpler block than something really complicated.

Be prompt in getting your block directions out at the start of the month and make sure all your directions are clear. Pick a free block pattern and direct everyone to that particular website. Do not expect your bee mates to purchase a pattern just to make you one block.

Do a test run of your block before you send it out to your bee mates. This will help ensure the instructions are easy to follow. When picking fabrics or colours, be specific but not overly specific. Be open to communication with your bee mates.

Creating your own bee

If you’ve found a tribe of quilty friends and want to start your own private bee, that is also an option. Even when you’re good friends, you need to have guidelines and rules in place.

The good part of starting your own group is you can choose people with the same aesthetic as you. You can tailor the blocks to the skill level and interests of the group. When there are friendships at stake, you may need to alter things along the way.

If you run your own bee you can also make the schedule work for you. For example, we ran one round of Wombat Stew so that each queen had two months but got two blocks from each member.

This is an extract from Quilt Bee Etiquette by Jane Kelly. Read the full article in Make Modern Issue #26.

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