Paper Pieced Bee Blocks Come Together in a Springy Table Runner

Create a springy placemat set featuring foundation paper pieced bee blocks that come together like a “quilting bee” on your table. Print the paper pieced bee patterns onto Sulky Paper Solvy, a water-soluble paper that is easily sewn through and removes completely without the need to tear away pesky bits after piecing. Moisten a cotton swab and run it along seamlines to lift away the paper sections carefully and accurately. Or leave the paper intact until the placemat is complete; then, wash it away in a rinse and spin cycle in your washing machine.

PAPER PIECED BEE PLACEMAT SUPPLIES

Supplies listed are enough to create four 15″ x 21″ placemats.

FABRIC

(Based on 40” to 42” of usable fabric)

• Fabric 1 (Light Grey) ¾ yard
• Fabric 2 (Dark Grey) ¼ yard
• Fabric 3 (Light Yellow) ¾ yard
• Fabric 4 (Dark Yellow) ½ yard
• Fabric 5 (Black) 1/8 yard *Used for Bee only
• Fabric 6 (Print) 1 ½ yards *Used for backing & binding only

Additional Supplies

• Bee Paper Piecing Template (included with pattern download)
• Bee Corner Template (included with pattern download)
• (8) sheets of Sulky Paper Solvy™
• 50 wt. Cotton + Steel Thread by Sulky color 753-1002 (for piecing)
• Organ® Universal Needles size 70/10
• 30 wt. Cotton Thread Blendables® color 733-4002 (for quilting)
• 30 wt. Solid Cotton Thread color 733-1001 (for quilting)
• Organ® Quilting Needles size 90/14

PATTERN NOTES

Grab the free pattern HERE. Download it to your computer and save it for future reference. When printing the paper pieced bee and corner templates, be sure to set your printer to ONLY print those pages onto Paper Solvy to avoid wasting the product on instructional sheets.

First, create the flower block, which consists of four fabrics in various yellows and greys. This finished block measures 15 1/2″ square.

Then, the paper pieced bees are sewn to either flower side edge.

Quilt the placemats however you like! Sulky 30 wt. solid (White) and Blendables (Buttercream) Threads are used in the finished sample above. Channel quilting, straight line quilting, matchstick quilting are all great options for the gray background fabrics. Choose different shapes, such as curves and intersecting X’s inside the flower petals for visual interest and fun. Stitching those elements with Blendables Threads give more dimension and color to the flower as well.

To make a table runner, add more bees to the opposite flower side edge. Or stitch two flowers with six paper pieced bee blocks, two on each side of each flower. Sew even more blocks to make a larger quilt, if desired. Stitch only the flower and appliqué it to the back of a jean jacket to make a very on-trend quilty jacket. This versatile pattern is great for a variety of projects!

BONUS BEE COASTERS

Create a few bee blocks and quilt and bind them alone to create a matching coaster set. 

Layer the placemat top with batting and backing fabric, using Sulky KK 2000 Temporary Spray Adhesive to secure. Quilt as desired. Then, bind the placemats with double-fold bias or straight-grain binding strips in the method of your choice. The coasters above are finished with a blanket stitched binding using 30 wt. Blendables Thread for another color pop.

Enjoy your free pattern! We can’t wait to see what you’ll create.