...another Hexy MF update

On Friday night I sewed the last (with the exception of a few for the borders) of the flowers. There are 70 there - seven in each of the fabrics.

For those that are mathematically minded interested (I am sure the minded can work it out for themselves) that is 490 basted 1.5" hexies and 8820" of hand sewn seam. 

I spent some time at the inaugural Sew Shells event laying them out on the floor and mixing them up until I was happy with the placement (there were a couple of changes after this picture was taken but it is the one I am working from)

The background is ordered (Robert Kaufman Quilter's Linen in Beige) along with some samples for the stems and leaves.

Better get to adding more columns to these to then!

...Hexy M(ini)F

It is Mini because there is only 2 so far!

I've finally started, what feels like weeks after everyone else.

I got my fabric chosen just after the papers arrived in the mail. In the end I went back and bought the fabrics from this post that I really liked, rather than those I thought I needed to co-ordinate, and then took this bundle to Amitie during the sale to add the extra 4 prints (or more if it turned out one I chose wouldn't work but that didn't happen).

Somewhere in between the first fabric purchase and the visit to Amitie I came across this series of posts - I found the one about bundles interesting but it wasn't so helpful in the store as I looked at shelves of fabric with a feel rather than a picture of what I wanted in mind. I also chose the chartreuse from Dear Stella for the flower centres, I didn't catch the name of the colour on the end of the bolt.

I made a start at the Sit and Sew evening on Friday night and now I have a couple of flowers sewn, all the centres basted and all the petals cut.

I have cut my strips at 3.5"and then cross cut at 4" to give me a 3.5"x4" rectangle - and then cut this into hexies with a template Lisa made me with the 3/8" seam allowance I like for EPP. Cutting this way I was able to get all the centres cut from just over 3/4 yard of fabric.

Katy has given a couple of different basting methods. My preference is to secure the fabric to the paper with a circle of glue to hold it steady (I find pins move or fold the papers) and then baste through the paper with a stitch at each corner and one in the centre of each side. Leaving the knot at the front when I start makes it easier to remove the basting threads later.

There are 74 of these flowers to make - I'm labelling them as I go.

...a finished top - entierly by hand!

I almost can't believe that I had the patience and persistance to finish this quilt top - and that I still am enjoying it so much that I am already planning the quilting to be done soon - and by hand as well.

There are 32 'star' units in the quilt as well as 6 half 'stars' at the edges, 62 hexagons, 16 half hexagons and 10 half diamonds to form the edges. Each one was basted by hand and hand sewn into the top and then all 304 paper shapes removed. Well almost all, I have left the edge ones in for now and remove them at basting time.

All that adds up to 1592.5" of whip stitched seam. I was glad of a thimble.

The top measures 45" x 56" so it it pretty firmly a baby-lap sized quilt - and leaves me with nothing but admiration for people that can made a full sized quilt in this way - and using much smaller shapes!

I've started on the backing - ready for basting soon. There are 'spare' hexies (basted when I was going to make a multicoloured bacground) joined and then hand appliqued to the backing to hide the seam joining the two backing pieces together. There is a random spare star to be appliqued on the back as well - but I need to wait for after basting for placement. Confused - I'll explain in pictures later!

 

The next job will be to prepare the batting - as this quilt is part of the Scrap Attack Quilt Along I thought I would continue with the scrap theme. I have an (overflowing) box of reasonably decent sized batting scraps and will piece two of these together to get the batting for this quilt!

...like a hole in the head

That is how much I need the project I just started now... but I have no-one to blame other than myself.

Like many other people at this time of year I have a Christmas crafting list longer than my arm and a work list even longer than that and with a shorter deadline. In fact this afternoon I sat at the kitchen table alternating between Christmas crafts, work tasks and a very healthy dose of procrastination, all the while achieving very little a new quilt design kept crowing into my thoughts.

I tried to ignore it, I tried to pacify it by drawing some of it out.

It didn't work. It kept pointing out it was Sunday afternoon and I should do something just for fun.

I decided that it had a point. So I have sewed up a block. Too soon to tell yet if this will be enough to keep it at bay while the other lists are attended to and hopefully get a little shorter.

It  is all machine pieced, and for the record I think Y seams are completely achievable with some accurate cutting and a little marking. As a square it would measure almost 20".

Fabric is Saffron Craig Imaginary Flowers and Beetle Bugs

...a hexagonal baby quilt

I have wanted to make this quilt for age. It still isn't quite finished, I have to choose some fabric for the setting diamonds but I am so excited about it I couldn't wait to blog about it.

The pattern is one designed and originally sewn by Malka from A Stitch in Dye. As I recall it was made for Quilt Market during the second half of last year. I am not sure if it was on display at all but the pattern was definitely featured in the magazine. I thought there was no chance I would ever get my hands on the pattern and then I happened to come across the magazine on some obscure online quilt store in Canberra some time later.

It has taken a few more months for me to find the perfect recipient for the finished quilt. Now I have one in mind I'm finally making it.

The large centre flower garden unit is made of six hexagons, each made of the irregular shaped units cut from string pieced units. The three units that make the hexagon, and the hexagons themselves are all joined with "Y" seams that I had not sewn before.

I was really happy with how they all turned out and with some careful marking they were not as difficult to get accurate as I had feared. The plan is to source this setting diamond fabric this week and get this basted and quilted soon...before the recipient is born!