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.
Steps:
- Appoint a chairman or committee to organize the event.
- Arrange a date, time and meeting place with a large work area.
- Select a simple pattern and purchase required fabric and other quilting materials. Templates can be made or purchased at craft stores.
- Package materials and instructions for making each block.
- Invite members.
- Prepare refreshments.
- Hand out one-block packets with a deadline for returning finished quilt squares.
- Plan a second meeting on the deadline date for piecing squares together and a third meeting for the actual quilting.
Tips:
- 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.
