How to Hold a Quilting Bee

When yesterday's pioneer housewives gathered to stitch a quilt spread over a table, they completed the project quickly while enjoying news, gossip and laughter. A "bee" means folks meeting for a specific purpose, such as a barn raising. Modern quilters hold bees to work on a single quilt as a fund-raising project.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Quilt Patterns
• Batting
• Fabric Pencils
• Fabrics
• Needles
• Quilt Frame
• Straight Pins
• Templates
• Threads
• Straight Pins
• Snacks
• Scissors
• Scissors
• Snacks

1. Appoint a chairman or committee to organize the event.

2. Arrange a date, time and meeting place with a large work area.

3. Select a simple pattern and purchase required fabric and other quilting materials. Templates can be made or purchased at craft stores.

4. Package materials and instructions for making each block.

5. Invite members.

6. Prepare refreshments.

7. Hand out one-block packets with a deadline for returning finished quilt squares.

8. Plan a second meeting on the deadline date for piecing squares together and a third meeting for the actual quilting.

Tips & Warnings

• Some groups prefer to have one person cut all the pieces; others simply distribute fabric and allow each individual to make her own squares.
• If you're not fund raising, invite quilting friends over to help with a big project or show off individual creations and share ideas.

[PammySuzie]

on 10/13/2008 If anyone has trouble threading a needle, you can get a new kind of easy to thread needles called Spiral Eye Needles. They have a small opening on the side of the eye so they practically self thread. And they stay threaded. You can get them at www.SpiralEyeNeedles.com