Pumping Up The Volume

After getting the Star Flower quilt all quilted and the binding attached, I needed a bit more color saturation to brighten the day. I dug deep into my bin of 4.5" square scraps and after a quick pass through the die cutter I set to work on this scrappy hexagon quilt. It's vibrant and fun. I have half of it pieced as it's shown here on the design wall. It will measure 56" X 72" at completion, containing 280 bright/medium/dark scraps out of the bin. Yay! Waste not, want not! 

So, here's the Star Flower quilt with the binding all basted in place for this evening's hand work. I love this quilt! There's so much to love: the softness, the "Puddles" quilting design, the ultimate binding choice (after load of auditions and consultations!), the pop of color on the backing, the fact that this one has been YEARS in the making! I'm claiming this one and keeping it forever.

Here is a sampling of the binding fabrics up for their audition.  Ultimately, I chose the one on the right.

Once the selection was finally decided upon, it was applied for stitching- a first view of the backing.

Another month has passed and a new one's begun. I'm SO READY for the warmer spring days. A dear friend gave me this Quiltfolk calendar at Christmastime. It hangs right over me desk space in the sewing room and where look at it every day. This month's photograph depicts a stack of stitched squares with this explanation: "my mother, who's battling dementia, finds familiarity in taking stitches on small squares of linen, filling them with circles, sweet meandering lines and and tiny hearts, forming new memories for herself and for her family." 💗

March 1st is my parents' wedding anniversary, this year they've celebrated 69 wonderful years! 💗💗

Star Flower is all ready to curl up under. As winter slips into spring I'm to celebrating with brighter, louder colors! For me, that means back to the scrap bins; I've got well over a hundred more hexagons to cut, that might just make a dent! 😉 Maybe. 

Life is Good!

Star Flower Sew-Along

I took part in a Sew Along back in 2013. Yes, you read that right; it was here, on a Crafty Fox's blog. As you might surmise I didn't keep up the pace. I did find, when I unearthed box #5 (of 8) of my UFO's this week, that I did have all of the star flowers pieced. Why did I ever lose steam on this project? Well, maybe, it could be all those thousands of Y-seams! Anyway, there's no time like the present and being MINDFUL this year, it has been moved to the front burner. Low volume quilts are already timeless, right? 

I still have two more rows to add but I should get them done and added by the end of this weekend. I'm wild about the soft, vintage look of this quilt. After cutting all of those setting hexagons I was left with a pile of equilateral triangles in the bottom of the project box. 

A sane person probably would have tossed them. Well, I know that I'm crazy and I have bins of scraps begging to be combined with these. After a few trials I found just the right shape to run through the die cutter along with a few handfuls of brights out of the 4.5" bin! So, UFO #5 has given birth to yet another UnFinished Object! 

Those background triangles will set off these hexies perfectly!

Yes, this will do just fine. I guess this new, baby quilt, will be need to be numbered #5.1!!

I hope to get this one moved on to the done list too; as well as make a BIG dent in the scrap bin.

We'll see...

Life is Good! 

Sew Berry Sweet

I had amassed a nice collection of various hexagons following our last block-of-the-month series. I knew how I wanted to set them together, and yet, they languished on the design wall. I had a stretch of a few days last week with nothing else on the calendar and began the process. I was excited about the prospects of this becoming a flimsy. 
Row by row I worked, since each block had been cut precisely using the Hex n More and the Sidekick rulers they fit together perfectly. I was on a roll. All of a sudden my roll was slowed; no, stalled... no, stopped altogether! This was my roadblock:

Where every other block measured 8.5", unfinished, this one measured a full 9"! What? How did this happen? I considered leaving it out and substituting another block. No, I loved this one just too much! I was stymied, where did I go wrong? I was left with no alternative but to take it apart, each segment of eight pieces each, and try to pinpoint my error. It didn't take long. 

My seam ripper got a workout. My Mom had gifted me with this a couple of months ago, a Clover retractable seam ripper.  She was cleaning out her sewing room and I became the lucky beneficiary of some really excellent notions. This little seam ripper worked extremely well, I highly recommend it, it fits nicely in the hand and has a sharp blade and won't poke when stashed in my portable sewing kit. Score!

So, here was the problem. I had completed each of the six triangle units but had failed to trim them down to size before assembling them into the block! Groan. I had been in too much of a hurry. See that little pile of trimmings above... something so small and seemingly insignificant was standing in my way! Once I got the problem identified and rectified it was full steam ahead! So, lesson learned. I know better.

One more product recommendation: (also a gift from my Mom) the Gypsy Pin Pal. It is adjustable to fit any wrist, it contains magnets and hold pins securely as I remove them when I stitch. This saves me numerous trips back and forth to my pin cushions or, even better, from retrieving dropped pins off the floor around the sewing chair. I love this clever invention. (I only recommend what works for me and am not promoting or receiving compensation!) If you are like me and have piles of pins placed on the flat surface around your sewing area after every row that's sewn you might want to look into this notion. It has not only made my life easier but my sewing space tidier-- win, win!

Speaking of the sewing chair-- look who waits for me between each trip to the ironing board as I attached the rows. My furry little companion. I sit on the front part of the chair, there's room for both of us!

"Sew Berry Sweet" ~ 76" X 76"

And finally, at long last, a flimsy. I had two yards of Cherrywood in a dark navy blue for the six inch outer borders all around to complete. Once I got that strawberry block fixed it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. I won't ever look at this quilt again without remembering. That pretty little strawberry block makes this almost-finish that much sweeter now, and contributed to this beauty's name!

Life is Good!

And The Hex Continues...

It's cold outside; too cold to do anything but stay indoors, and as long as I'm inside I might as well be sewing-- right? It's a new year but I am still under the hex; I've completed the latest hexagon block (okay, I did five!) for our block-of-the-month classes at my LQS. My newest blocks are all on the top row of this photo. This month we were to make 3-grid blocks. These end up being 6.5" (unfinished); in order to have them play nicely with all of the other 8.5" blocks (again, unfinished) they are banded all around with a one inch strip. I love the complexity that they add to the mix in all their faceted loveliness. We are using two indispensable tools for these blocks: the Hex N More and the Sidekick by Jaybird Quilts. I'm telling you, without a doubt, you can't go wrong with these rulers. This is month number nine, I can't wait to see what's next. I am using scraps for these and have no idea yet how they will be set. But then, with these blocks arrayed just so for now, why would I think too far ahead? What's on your design wall this year?

Life is Good!

Sew HEXciting!

Sewing hexagons is much like eating potato chips-- I simply can't stop!

How will they eventually be set together? What will I use for a background? Time will tell. 

I am enjoying the process too much to worry about that just yet.

Life is Good!

There's A Hex On Me!

Every time I turn around I find that the hexagons are mulitplying!  It's all good. Using two of my favorite tools: the Hex and More and Sidekick rulers, I find that the possibilities of creating new hexagonal designs are, quite possibly, limitless! These shapes are the subject of the current block-of-the-month at my LQS; our instructor (Quiltkeemosabe, see former post!) encourages us each month to explore many different variations using triangles, split triangles, diamonds and, this month, even larger diamonds! I have absolutely no idea how I will set these together, time will tell. I am leaving my options open until the end.

But, of course, I have chosen my setting fabrics already. I scored these beauties at the Pineapple warehouse sale last month. Why let current indecision stand in the way of some serious shopping? That would just be silly; and, in my own defense, I'm under the influence of that hex after all.😉

Life is Good!

On The Edge

The Big Hex is finished, a flimsy no more. It is quilted and edge-finished with a lovely turquoise trim. Let me walk you through the finishing stage with photos; I am happy to report that this project turned out even better than I had hoped. 

After the quilting was completed, I trimmed the edges neatly on all sides. I had intentionally kept the quilting away from the edges to give myself enough room for inserting the trim. 

From there I took the quilt to the ironing board. I folded the top back and away from the binding and drew a line 1/2" from the edge directly onto the batting with a Frixion pen. Using that line as my guide I folded the top down exactly along that line and carefully pressed in an accurate 1/2" folded edge, with the iron, down onto the batting. Since the Frixion pen contains thermal ink the drawn line then disappeared.

I repeated the exact same procedure on the back side, rotating for each of the six sides.

I then took the quilt to my work table and worked my way around the edges, I trimmed away the 1/2" of extending batting as I progressed around and slipped the just-cut batting edge inside the folded edge of the top. As I worked, I laid the edge of the trim inside the "sandwich" and pinned through all the layers: top, batting, trim and backing; making certain that the folded edges of the top and backing were aligned and that the corners matched up.

Following the pinning stage I threaded up a long basting needle with thread that didn't match anything (for easier removal later on) and hand basted the edge as I removed each and every pin.

Once basted into position, I put on the zipper foot and, moving my needle to the far right, edge stitched along all six edges. I kept the needle as close to the edge as possible assuring that top and bottom edges were perfectly aligned and stitched very slowly, stopping and pivoting in each corner.

The edges turned out just fine, front and back, and the pom pom trim is securely attached.

This Big Hex quilt/play mat is all ready for gift giving. I hope the recipient will enjoy many hours of happy play time delighting in the shapes, colors and textures as much as this quiltmaker enjoyed every step of its construction!

Life is Good!

Up next: "Light Duty? Really?"

The Big Hex Flimsy

The Big Hex ~ 44"(h) X 52"(w).

I have been inspired by this quilt/play mat for little ones that I found on Pinterest as a way
to combine my own recently constructed hexie blocks (most recent BOM at my LQS) into a similar project for a baby gift; the hardest part, for me, was finding suitable quality pom-pom trim, I am super picky about that! I found some that is absolutely perfect, it is a natural color, I can use it as is and it will add visual interest, texture and assist in weighing down the edges when it's on the floor for baby's tummy time; or, I can get brave and try dyeing it turquoise for one more pop of color. I am still not sure about that. In the meantime, while I decide to dye or not to dye, I already have a quilt on Snowbird, as soon as the quilting is completed on that one I will be loading Big Hex on the rails for its turn and adding the sweetest Goldilocks and the Three Bears backing fabric. I do believe that the new baby, and her Mommy, will really enjoy this gift.

Stay tuned for the pom-pom edge finishing touch; I am hopeful that last step will be as wonderful as I am imagining it to be, I have never done anything like this before (dyeing or adding an embellishment as an edge finish), any advice or tips would be most appreciated. Fingers crossed!🤞

Life is Good!

 

Hexed! (And A Winner!)

I have been hexed; yes, it's true, the textbook definition is as follows: to put a hex (a spell, especially an evil spell) on. The current Block-of-the-Month at my LQS has just begun, this session's theme is "Happy Hexagons". I simply cannot stop! The only explanation for this obsessive behavior must be a hex, although I certainly wouldn't call it evil, I am having too much fun. Armed with a well-stocked stash of novelties and a bin filled with strips for framing, there's no telling when this merriment will wind down. I do have an end in mind: a child's quilt, time will tell just how big this becomes. I need to find just the right setting. I have a winner* from last week's pattern giveaway: it is Susan C! Susan writes: "I love making zippered bags and use them quite often. As I'm on a quilt retreat now my organizational tip is to kit up your projects and put them in their own plastic box along with the instructions, thread and special notions that may be needed. Having everything ready like that makes for more productivity!"  Thank you, Susan, and for everyone who left a comment with an organizational tip, they were all great! Susan's pattern will go out in the mail today.

Life is Good!

*Winner was selected using Random Number generator, the number 12 was selected from a field of 1-16.