Hexie Quilt is Finished

Three years after starting it, I put the last stitch in the binding of my 1 1/2" hexie quilt on Saturday. I still haven't settled on a name for it.

 It may be the last big quilt I try to quilt myself on my Juki.  Handling a quilt this size has just become  too difficult for me.  All that moving around of the arms is hard when you have breathing problems like I do.  Because of all the seams it is a very heavy quilt.  I used a wool batting so that helped a little, but it is still very heavy.

I wish I had better pictures.

I really didn't work on this at all last year.  At least half of it was completed after July of this year, so it's more like a year's worth of work. I will enjoy looking at all the different fabrics that range from vintage pieces from the 1950's through all the quilts I've made.

Wishing you Happy Quilting in the New Year!

Block Five

I finished block five earlier this week and forgot to post it.  I didn't work steadily on it so it took awhile.  I have to say these aren't my favorite flowers of all I've ever appliquéd.  Rather strange, at least the many petaled ones.  Maybe the designer wasn't a gardener.  I've never seen flowers quite like these.

I've developed some carpal tunnel problems, especially in my left hand, so I'm not sure how much more I'll be working on this for awhile at least.

I spent Christmas feeling ill so our plans to join family were cancelled.  Luckily we have a second gathering planned for tomorrow and I'm hoping to feel up to that.

Merry Christmas all.

Block Four-Grapes

Lots of grapes in block four.  I have Karen Buckley's Perfect Circles, but I decided to just sew these without gathering them.  They aren't perfect, but real grapes aren't either and this was a quicker way to go, eliminating the gathering step, and not all that difficult.   I'm putting my block in upside down. I just didn't like the bird swooping in from the top and looking backwards.

Hope your holiday preparations are going smoothly.

Block Three--The Bride

Block Three is complete.  I debated how to dress my bride and decided to make her pretty plain.  Sort of like me.  I've never been very snappy or classy.  Just a Plain Jane and so my bride is a rather Plain Mary.  I like that she is surrounded by flowers as I've always loved growing and tending to them both indoors and out.  I added a tiny bit of embroidery to my flowers to  make them a little more interesting.

Block Two is finished.   I'm really ready to take a break from leaves.  Not sure if I will continue making the blocks in order or not.  Block Three is the Bride and she is surrounded by lots of leaves!

       Having finished the piecing of my hexi quilt I've given myself permission to finally start work on another quilt from my To-Do List.  Winner is The Civil War Bride Quilt, based on the Bird of Paradise Quilt in the American Folkart Museum in New York City.

It will be another slow project, but these days I have nothing but time and I'm fortunate to be able to spend as much as I want of it on quilting and piecing.  I'm particularly fond of appliqué so I know I will enjoy this journey.  

The first block is finished.

  

So many versions of this quilt are available to admire and give inspiration.  

http://thecivilwarbridequilt

The pattern by  Corlis Search is available here  http://www.threadbear.com.au/online-store/product/view/29/44

Ready For Quilting

35 months after beginning my hexie quilt I appliquéd the last flower a few minutes ago. And it is finally done! Now if only it was quilted and named.  I am  so happy to have the hand piecing done on this huge project.  It measures 95" square.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hexi Progress

Slowly but surely I'm gaining on the hexi quilt.  As of last night two of the four borders are complete (unless I decide to add another design element).   I'm hoping to have this at least finished by year end.  Any bets?

Checking In

It's hard to believe I've let almost an entire year go by without posting.  It's been a rewarding year emotionally,  a challenging year health wise and what has felt like a mostly non-productive year quilting wise.

One of the highlights of this year was traveling half way across the country to meet four half siblings that I only learned about a year ago.  I can't begin to describe the enormity of this event for me at age 68.  My life is forever changed .

A month later we traveled almost as far to celebrate  an astounding achievement for my oldest son, being inducted into the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Hall of Fame.  We were so happy to be able to share that special week with him and his wife.

 


   


   












Both trips were so important and I wouldn't have considered missing out on either of them, but they took a toll on my health and I'm not sure I've recovered yet.

On the quilting front I've only finished ONE quilt.  Yep, ONE.  Unheard of for me, right?  This string quilt, lap size, was made last February for a dear friend who is currently battling lung cancer for the third time.  Her courage and determination are an inspiration to me.

I also made a little table runner for a new coat rack purchased by oldest son and his wife.  They wanted it to coordinate with a print hanging nearby on the wall. I think it managed to do that pretty well considering I was going by an emailed photo.


Here I am comparing  it with their photo on my computer monitor

The finished project

I spent a few days cutting out and piecing half blocks for a Stack 'n Whack or One Block Wonder Quilt.  (I'm not sure which it will end up being )

This is the original fabric

And some of the half blocks.  

Stack 'n Whack variation would have coordiating triangles where the carpeting shows through in this picture.

The One Block Wonder version would have them set block to block like this

One of these days I'll get back to working on it. In either case I only sew half of the blocks together initially.  Then I can sew rows of blocks together and avoid set in seams.

By mid summer I returned to a hand project, working on my hexie quilt that I started in 2012 using English paper piecing and 3/4" hexagrams.

I took the center to this point and added plain cream borders :

Now I am adding appliquéd hexie flowers made with 1/2" hexagons (3/4" in the corners) and rick rack for the vine.  This won't be a quick project either, but maybe one day I will actually finish this quilt.

 That brings us up to date. Perhaps next year both my quilting and blogging mojo will return.  Until then, Happy Quilting  my friends.

2013 is Over

Hard to believe how quickly this year has come and gone.  I set my goal of making a quilt for each of my sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to be given at Christmas.  12 quilts in all and there were certainly times I didn't think it was going to happen.  I used one quilt that was made in 2011 and made the other 11.  Because my sons live in there different states and quite a distance apart, we only manage to get all of them home for Christmas every two years these days.  That happened this past weekend and the quilts were well received. 

So, since I have nothing new to show, here are some pics of the quilt distribution and the recipients.




                       I hope Miss Aly liked her quilt better than it appears in this picture.

 

Granddaughter Ashley and her husband Steven

 

Great-grand Bryce loved his Thomas the Train quilt

                                                                          Do you think?

 

Granddaughter Caitlin

                                                Great-grand Gabi had hers mailed . It was a hit

 

Son Jeff and his wife, Deb

Great-grand Jeramiah  said he "finally" has a quilt of his own. He actually has three others but Mom either has them put up or was using them as couch quilts. This one goes on his bed.

 

Brother Maison now has one for his bed too (and it's quilt #4 for him as well)

                      Granddaughter Kelley has a big one to take back to Massachusetts

Son Mark and wife Stephanie wanted a new pastel bed quilt.

 

 

Son Mike and wife Lindy wanted a sofa quilt

 

Grandson, Greg, is in Belgium and asked that I keep his until he returns to the states

                     .

                                                     My three guys.  Don't see them often enough!

 Happy New Year!