Honeybee Quilt Block

Honeybee Quilt Block

According to Quilt Historian Barbara Brackman, the Honeybee quilt block dates back to at least the 1840s. The block was pieced with a solid square for the center; then "bee wings" were appliqued in place.

Sometime in the 20th century (1920s or so), quilt designers of the time began to use a nine patch for the center square. Ruby McKim created a Honeybee pattern showing a nine patch center for the Kansas City Star in 1929.

More recently, Roxy Burgard of Calico Hills Farm, published her version of the Honeybee quilt block as part of her traditional quilt pattern, Honey Bees, in the 1990s. She used a traditional nine patch layout to create her pattern, with five Honeybee blocks and four Bee Skeps. Popular for the past 25 years, the pattern continues to be available at Grandma's Attic by clicking here. If you would like to read a more in-depth history of the Honeybee quilt block, you will want to read Barbara Brackman's Material Culture post by clicking here.

Honey Bees Quilt Pattern

Sweet Laundry Bag

Do you remember Grandma's old-fashioned outdoor clothesline? Laundry bags such as this one were filled with clothespins and hung on the line so they would be in a convenient position when you began to hang up clothes to dry. 

This adorably cute little Doggie Laundry Bag is not from those days gone by, but straight out of 2016! Our classroom instlructor, Cheryl Libby, made it using a brand new book called Vintage Stitching. Filled with more than 400 authentic embroidery designs, this is a treasure chest of patterns you will want to make! There are projects to complete, plus hundreds of retro-cool art embroidery patterns from classic catalogs and magazines.

Vintage Stitching Treasury

There are also projects for making quilts, aprons, tea towels, and potholders. How-to pages and tips are also included, as well as a color gallery where you can see many different embroidery projects from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Each of the popular embroidery stitches are illustrated so you can remind yourself how to create those stitches you may have learned long ago. You'll find a page on tinting with crayons and another on caring for vintage linens.

If you love embroidery, you will love this book!

Memories of Old Oregon

Memories of Old Oregon

This beautiful appliqued sampler quilt is the newest Block of the Month Club by Grandma's Attic. Reminiscent of the traditional applique samplers from the 19th Century, our Memories of Old Oregon block of the month club commemorates early Oregon landmarks and towns.

There are 24 applique patterns, in the traditional 19th century colors of red and green, each of which can be made using either traditional or fusible web applique. Each month, you receive the pattern and fabric needed to create one 12" quilt block, plus a mini-history about the town or landmark for which it was named.

These gorgeous applique blocks will look beautiful in the sampler setting shown, surrounded by an applique border, or in any other quilt setting you choose. We are currently working on a border treatment for this quilt and will post photos as soon as it is complete. The finished size of the Quilt is 52" x 76".  To order our Memories of Old Oregon block of the month club, click here.