Hexie Weekend!

Two hexie projects to show you.

First one was on my design wall.  I got it put together after I watched this You-Tube video:

Such a neat trick she has - no marking corners! Sorry this was from 2012 so probably no kits left - LOL.
Here's my finished top:

 I still have to decide if I will square it or leave two of the borders zig zaggy.

AND I've almost finished another hexie flower.

What have you been up to?  Link up and show us your eye candy - hexie or otherwise. Linky below.
I'm linking to Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it Up Friday since I finished putting together my top. See you there.

An InLinkz Link-up

Applique Tuesday

Still no applique. Alan here today, and yesterday, I drove two hours to the store where I bought my Juki.  After several calls to the service dept, we both realized that there was something not quite right about the TL 2010Q and they needed to see it.  I got there a few minutes after the store opened.  They helped me unload and set up my machine.  I then began with the walking foot issue.  I put that foot on and started to sew.   After about a minute, both the sales rep and I noticed a definite change to the noise the machine was making.  Right away she sent for a technician.  Mario, a very nice and patient tech, listened to my concerns and my machine and said, yes, it needed fine tuning.  First, the walking foot was getting hung up on the screw that holds the needle - happens sometimes - he bent the arm and now seems to be working and adjusted the needle to go down directly in the center of the whole of the throat plate - thus making the bobbin hook consistently catch the top thread and stop the skipping of stitches.  Took it home and have been sewing with it for about 2 hours and it looks like the problems have been solve. Thank the Lord!

And today, Alan is here so no sewing being done.  I am presently quilting another baby quilt that I need to gift by the end of the week. I'll take a photo for Friday.

In the meantime, here's a tip about applique fabric I learned from Marguerite Tate at the workshop she gave for my Guild.

Keep your bits and pieces of fabric to which you have ironed Soft Fuse, Steam a Seam, Heat and Bond, or any fusible in a air tight plastic bin.  She has multiple bins with a different color in each.  Mine is not that extensive of a collection so they are in one.  This makes it so easy to find fabric already fused for my LE.  You know how many fabrics are needed in tiny pieces for that WIP.  Marguerite said keeping them away from air makes the fusible last longer until you need to use it.

In closing I have a question for those of you who machine quilt on a domestic.  What size needle do you use with Superior Bottom Line or any #60 weight thread?  Look forward to your replies.  Blessings!

Sunday, Sunday 8/17/14

First, the linky party for eye candy of any kind is still on til Monday, 3PM, PDT.  See the previous Hexie Weekend post.

Second, going through more boxes found about 20 yards to donate to the Lutheran Church for charity blankets.  These are big pieces that will make great backs.  I also used 1.5 yards to make my next charity top for St. Anne's.  I bought a JayBird Quilts Hex N More ruler and decided to try it today (I just got it yesterday).

Will measure about 32"by 37".  Good for infant, stroller or car seat use.  These blocks are actually on the wall on an actual design wall.  I bought a block butler way back in 2004.  It's been buried behind a pile of boxes, and I couldn't reach it.   I was able to take it down today, wash it and put it back up again in a new place.  I'll probably buy some flannel to go over it as plain unsewn blocks stay up, but once I have blocks that are sewn together or have seams, they don't stay up too well.

Numbers on the right sidebar.  I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times and Lyn's BOMs Away. See you there. And thanks for stopping by.

Hexie Weekend

At last a hexie flower to show.  Sat down to watch the first of the Lord of the Rings movies and got it done.

The little lizard is actually a blue color, but that's what I get taking a photo at night.  Started another one, but the movie was so interesting I was doing more watching than sewing - hehe.

What have you been up to?  Would love to see you link your hexies or otherwise so we can all see your eye candy.  Linky below.  Ends Mondy, around 3pm.

Blessings!

An InLinkz Link-up

Applique Tuesday

A process I'd like to share with you -and it does involve applique:

 I did finish that block you saw in the previous post.  It is a block from a BOM from a 2010 blog hop.  I had no choice in the fabric selections, though I love the collection they used.  You got the blocks as kits.  This paper piecing one I have been putting off for a long time.

 Above you see the finished and joined 4 units.  Phew, that took me a while to do!  I then pulled off the paper at the seams I pressed open and the seam paper allowance around the outside of the circle formed by the units.

 Next, with a dry iron, I ironed over the seam allowance onto the paper.  This was to make it easier to starch the seam allowance in the next step.  The copy paper was stiff enough that I could use it for the freezer paper in the starch method.

 Next I got out my spray starch, spritzed a little in a dish and with a brush proceeded to starch/press down the seam allowance on the outer edge.  Above is what it looks like once starched in place.  I then took out all the paper, turned it to the front and pressed one more time to get the seam allowance to lay flat again.

I then placed it on the black background and sewed it between the black fabric and the ground (black with green dots).  Then I added the river and sky.  It is now ready to hand applique around my half circle.  Think I now have 22 blocks of this series done.  Maybe 2 or 8 more to do.  Can't remember how many of these 8" blocks are left.

So not an applique block per say, but one in which I incorporated applique because I either lost or never got the template for the black piece to put these two parts together in the normal way - sewing a seam.

What are you up to?  I'd love to see your eye candy!  Leave me a comment and I'll come and visit to take a peek.  I'm linking to Connie's Linky Tuesday Party.  Blessings to all.

Sunday, Sunday

Still sorting through boxes and found this project.  It;s from way back in early 2000s when Sally Robbins released Spring Mix at P & B Textiles.  I only had the very center done and some yardage of the stripe.  I was going to just add the stripe, however it was overwhelming yellow that way, so I knew it needed something.  Going through the stash found one of the greens used in the colorways and used that for an inner border.  I wanted to miter the corners but didn't have sufficient stripe fabric for that so I did the partial seam sew around thingy.  Was just enough.  Another UFO from the boxes done!  Now I need to sandwich and quilt. How would you quilt it?

I'll be using a yard and a half from the stash for the back. That's my stash report for this week.  Numbers on the right sidebar.  Oh yes, filled a box with fabric for the Lutheran Church sewing group and a box for the guild - about 20 yards there.
And on my design wall is a block from a BOM from 2010.  It's paper piecing block.  It took me almost three hours to do just this little bit!  Most of that time was doing the first section.  I've learned I need to cut the pieces with at least a half inch seam allowance around the sides to get it right the first time.  I want to thank Karen of Faeries and Fibres for her excellent instructions on how to paper piece.  Couldn't have done it without her.  Now to do the other two sections. This plus that other half will make up most of an 8 inch (finished) block. The easy part will be appliqueing it to a dark piece and then adding strips to come up to size.

I'm linking to Judy's Stash Report and Lyn's BOMs Away.  See you there.

Hexie Weekend 8/8/14

No hand work for me yet - maybe I'm in a hexie funk, I don't know.  Still going through boxes.  I'm happy to report, I have three boxes of stuff to go away.  So I'm down to 16 boxes, geesh!  In going through those boxes, I found projects I definitely know I don't want to work on.  So , I put the fabric back in the stash and added the sample blocks to my orphan block pile. It felt kind of good to make 3 PIGs (projects in grocery sacks) disappear.  Very liberating.  What I did find is this stack of hexie like shapes- or diamonds if you wish.

Haven't a clue as to how they go together.  I was trying out something, I guess.  Any suggestions?

Here's a close-up of the fabric.  Betty, did you give these to me?  A real puzzle.  What has you puzzled?
Linky below - you can link any kind of eye candy - not limited to hexies or quilting.  My plan for this week is to actually DO some hexie work during hexie weekend.  I've been telling myself to do it ahead of time in the days  before and then POST my hexies, but that isn't working. So will now try the reverse.  Wish me luck.

An InLinkz Link-up

Applique Tuesday

again has no applique for me to share.  I had to get this baby quilt done for tomorrow as baby Eliana is three weeks old already.  Liz, a sweet employee of the Library where I volunteer, told me she was decorating the nursery in Pink, White and Black, and that's what I picked:

for the back at least.  And the front does have the trio, but looks a little different:

I like the black binding.  Now to clip a few threads and wrap and it's ready to deliver tomorrow.  Hope you had time to applique.  Kerry at Simple Bird showed a lovely block on her blog.  You can see it here.  Tell me about your project and I'll come over to visit.  Blessings!

DWM and more

First, the Hexie Weekend Linky party is still open til midnight, today.  Share what you did this weekend.
Second, my stash report is on my right sidebar.  Added yardage from orphan blocks from my stash, borders for my Orphan block quilt, charity donation, and fat quarter to winner of my giveaway.
Thirdly the weekend was busy as I had grandkids over from Saturday through this morning.

They live 45 miles away and I don't see them as much as Alan and Will.  Lily and I made a mug rug for her Mom - her birthday is coming up. Little Frank (he's almost 5' at 10 years) kept beating me at dominos. Our son, Frank, came to pick them up. Of course no quilting of mine was done during this time.

I finally finished part 6 of my Happy Scrappy Orphan Block Quilt (just before they got here). This is still on my design wall as it is an ongoing project.  I have so many blocks that read light that I have enough I think for the next two parts of the BOM:

Need to check what Rosemary wants us to do this month.  And that reminds me, better check all the other BOMs I'm following as it is the first of the month. How many did you start?

I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times and Lyn's BOMs Away.  Take care!

Hexie Weekend

Yes, it's that time again, and no, I don't have hexies to show you.  I'm so far behind on several things that I decided to get caught up on at least one:

Well, almost made it.  I have just July's part to add to this BOM - which is the top 12 inches and THEN, I'll be caught up.   I have it ready, but Life is calling. This WIP is the Happy Scrappy Orphan Block BOM.

So I didn't show you hexie eye candy, but would love to see yours or whatever you'd like to share - even if it's a vintage post.  Linky below.  Remember, any eye candy will do, whatever you're working on or place your visiting.  I love to see what you're up to.

An InLinkz Link-up

I'm linking to Sarah's Can I have a Whoop, Whoop as I finally made some progress on a WIP,

Applique Tuesday

At last , I have some applique to show you. I wanted to have the fourth row done on this quilt, but Alan is here so I can only show you the row I was able to finish before he arrived.  Those of you with 3 yr. old grandsons know what I mean.

I have the other seven circles ready, just need to find the time to complete this part of Rosemary's Happy Scrappy Orphan Block BOM.  Maybe tonight after he goes to bed - yes, we're having a sleep-over tonight.  And how am I able to be posting this?  He's taking a nap! However, it won't be long enough to finish that last side.

Are you appliqueing or contemplating starting one? Have you one from before you'd like to share? Leave me a comment and I'll go visit and see your eye candy.  Blessings!

DWM again

First, don't forget the hexie giveaway - see Friday post, ends today, midnight. A brief stash report:  used a yard for the panel I"m quilting, used a fat quarter to repair a sofa cover, gave away 2 yards to a church quilting group. Totals on side bar. How are you doing de-stashing?

Thanks for your advice on that panel.  I chose to use a neutral color on both top and bottom - silver by Superior Threads; Bottom Line series.

Coming off my wall is my ugly, Modern quilt (actually it looks better as a thumbnail - lol).  Hope some mother likes this charity quilt.  I made it with what I was given (the fabric that is) using a pattern from a Terry Atkinson book call Happy Hour.  If anyone wants the book let me know - I don't  want to make another from it.

Do you like all the things you make?  I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times, Lyn's BOMs Away, and Anything Goes Monday.  See you there.

Toward a Finish on Friday

I have finally let sink in that in order to have finishes, tops must be quilted.  In order for them to be quilted, they must be sandwiched.  This is the "hit the wall" moment for me.  Have quite a few tops that need to be sandwiched (my least favorite part).  I won't be making any progress with FMQ and finishes until I sandwich!!

Here's a panel I must finish to gift later this week.

Now that it's sandwiched I have the other difficult questions. What color of thread do I use?  Do I use the same color for top and bottom.  Until I get a handle on these, progress will crawl here.  What would you use?

I'm linking to Sarah's Can I get a Whoop, Whoop as I did get it sandwiched.  And a reminder the giveaway for hexagon paper pieces plus a fat quarter of fabric is still on (ends Monday, midnight).  Just go to my previous post.

Hexie Weekend has gone traveling!

Hi, life is continuing to limit my quilty time and Audrey of Glory Be Quilter volunteered to be a guest blogger for this week.  Yippy!

Audrey of Glory Be Quilter

It all started when Audrey commented when I hosted a TGIFF Linky Party earlier this year She won the giveaway prize! It was a fat quarter and some hexagons to try this method or rekindle a love for English Paper Piecing.  I'm happy to say she's fallen in love with EPP!   Thank so much for guest hosting Hexie Weekend!  To see her lovely hexies and enter her giveaway go here.  You'll find the linky party there - we'd love to see your eye candy - hexie or otherwise!

I'm giving away  another 100 paper piece templates and a fat quarter. Leave a comment to enter. After visiting Audrey, let me know you did and you will have another chance.  Join the linky party at Audrey's and that will be your third chance!  Summer time is the perfect time to be doing EPP.  Please be sure you are not a no-reply Blogger.  Thanks!

Applique Tuesday

Another life filled week!  But here is my latest hexie love at the top of my wish list:  Applique and hexagons! I've died and gone to Heaven!!

This photo is from the Checker Newsletter - a newsletter for quilt shop retailers, but we, the customers can read it. I've found several wonderful products through it - had to special order a couple - but that's okay.  Let's face it - local quilt shops can't carry everything.  Click here to read the latest with some info on Edyta's new book.

Made tiny step forward on my Happy Scrappy Orphan block quilt.

The circles are now cut and ready to use Karen Kay Buckley's perfect circle templates to turn under the seam allowance.  I use one of the templates to make freezer paper templates (5).  I ironed them onto the back of my fabric and then cut with sharp scissors 1/4" around them.  I'll use a running stitch 1/8th from the edge and draw back the seams. Then I'll starch the edges, remove the teflon template and glue to the border. Lastly, I'll zig zag them in place.  Then I can sew the remaining two side to my medallion center. Phew!

What are you up to?  Would love to see your eye candy in progress.  Leave me a comment and I'll go by. Also, I'm linking to the various blogs on my sidebars - do go by for more quilting fun. Stash report on right sidebar.
Blessings on this day.

FMQ this Weekend

You may remember I did a major shift in my sewing room to make room for a new machine. Well, I was successful and now trying to reduce all the stuff in there.  Yesterday, I spent an entire day sorting through one box!  And I still have 16 more to go!  One day at a time, one day at a time.  Sigh.  In going through the box I found a quilt top I had made maybe 10-12 years ago that actually was partially sandwiched - had the batting.  It's just a mini - 22" square - and was the first mystery quilt I made as a blogger.  I belonged to The Quilting Post at the time - a great group - and they held this challenge.  I seem to remember it may have been for New Year's Day - or Super Bowl Sunday - not sure. Anyway, I didn't have a big stash then, and I was determined to make the quilt. So I chose to make a miniature that would fit the amount of fabric I had. Here it is:

 The dark fabric is really chocolate brown, not black.  I was going to stitch every seam, but in doing just the stars and the brown diamond shaped units - it was pretty much quilted. I did loops in the outer border.

However I outsmarted myself. I picked a thread that so matched the front and back that you can hardly see that it's quilted.  Choosing thread is the hardest part right now for me.  And it's just not only quilted in squares - LOL.

I'm linking to Richard's Link a Finish Friday and Sarah's Can I get a  Whoop, Whoop? as I finished my first Christmas gift and a UFO at that! Do go to both - they have giveaways.  Sarah's is  giving away quilts!

Hexie Weekend Sort Of

Like applique, I've been far too busy with life to do any hexagons, but am always thinking of them as you saw in my previous post.  Tuesday I was finally able to get to Barnes & Noble and pick up the latest copy of

 This is my favorite magazine right now.  It costs a whopping $13.99 US, but it's a bargain, really.  In issue 100 I found four quilts I would love to make.  At $15 - $25 a pattern, you can see why I think it's a bargain.

In issue 101 (which is the one above), I know I want to make the cover quilt and the Hexie one above.  It makes a fabulous tablecloth or lap quilt.  All templates are included.  The magazine is hard to find.  I just stumbled across it at Barnes and Noble when I went to buy a present for a baby shower (I'd only seen it online before this). I was astonished and delighted to find it!  Because it comes from Europe, I've gottten the issues at the end of the time they are released for - ie the May - June copy didn't arrive until the second week of July.  So I probably won't see the next one til September.  Is there a B&N near you?  Check them out - they might have it.  Oh, one more thing - Di Ford is doing a mystery quilt starting with Issue 99.  It's a gorgeous quilt!

What are you up to?  I plan to try and make a flower in the next three days. Would love to see your eye candy, hexie or otherwise.  Linky below:

An InLinkz Link-up

Ideas for Applique Tuesday

Things are slowly getting back to normal, but not normal enough that I've had time for applique.  I feel bad about that.  But last Thursday I was thinking about it as I took my cousins to visit the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino.  I found a lot of quilting and applique ideas there.

First was the mansion which is now an internationally known art museum.  Two of the most famous paintings there are of Pinkie and Blue Boy - and yes they are the originals.  Many fabulous paintings there. Here's another one:

Look at these designs I found!  What a fabulous EPP this would make.

How's this for a border? Part of a mantel for a huge fireplace.

Loved this altar piece in the chapel - so art deco.

 Love this William Morris framed fabric.  I can see making this as an applique piece.

Then on to the Chinese Garden:

 There were wonderful motifs everywhere like this hexagon pattern in a walkway.

Here's a window that would make a great pattern for a silhouette quilt.

 Another pattern in a couryard.

 Here's the five of us resting at the end of the day in one of the mansion's beautiful gardens.  I'm on the right. We were exhausted by 4PM - arrived at 10:30.  But our guardian angel (a tram driver who was assisting some of the guests) met us at the exit and drove us to our cars. What was special was the trams weren't even suppose to run that day because it was the free day of the month. Thank you, Lord, for sending Gabriel!

And here is my niece, Erica who was taking the photo above.

She loved the staircase in the art gallery.

I'm setting a goal to have some applique progress next Tuesday!  Did you get some done?  Leave me a comment and I'll come visit.  Blessings!

Stash Report and Design Wall Monday

First the Hexie Weekend linky is still open.  Would love to see any eye candy you have -recent, old post, ideas for a quilt - whatever you'd like to share - closes Monday, midnight and you find it in the previous post.

I bought a new machine for quilting because I realized I was asking too much of my Bernina 130 as far as quilting. Still works like a dream for piece and sewing, but after much thought and asking around I tried out a Handi-Quilter Sweet Sixteen and a Juki 2010Q .  I liked them both but after trying out the HQ SS  I knew I would have a long learning curve of getting use to the machine facing me and dealing with the way the quilt would be oriented.  I decided it would take me too long to reprogram myself after 23 years of sewing the other way. Also, although it has a 16" throat, facing me quilts would pile up in front of me instead of spreading out in the huge space I had before. The Juki is wonderful for quilting.  I know I am still guiding the stitching in FMQ, but the stitches look way better (than from my Bernie and no tension problems) so far! And it's quieter than the HQ.   Here is my first top I quilted with it.

This is my first Christmas quilt for 2014.  Here's the front:

I used some orphan blocks from my stash and a yard of fabric.  I also in my frenzy of making room for the new machine, and its table, donated 15 yards of fabric to a Lutheran Church mission group that makes quilts for Africa.  You'll find those numbers in my right side bar.

Still have a long ways to go in fitting everything in the sewing room - I may have some giveaways in the future as I sort through everything.  Here are the two ladies:

This corner was filled with boxes piled 4 high.  I moved my old Koala cabinet and Bernie to there.

Turning with my back to Bernie, here is Juki in her new Sew Easy Table. Came in two days!  I was impressed with the quality of the table.  She's backed up to my cutting table so I'll have plenty of flat surface for the quilts.  As to the other corner's of the room - you don't want to know - LOL - so much stuff to find a home for!

Finally, coming off my design wall is my Guild Heart challenge which I named Purple Hearts.  We had to make a quilt with hearts in it.  This is 36 by 45" in size - perfect for laps and wheelchairs.

I'm giving this to a Vet in our local VA hospital.

I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times and Marelize's Anything Goes Monday.  See you there.

Hexie Weekend and I need

your advise! I've been rearranging my sewing room as I bought a new machine (but that is for another post). In going through boxes I found this:

I had bought the top a few years ago at a quilt show near Carlsbad and forgotten about it.  It's totally done by hand:

Whoever made this made a truly scrappy top and some creative piecing.

 She even used the fabric where it was joined at the mill.

My question is this - do you think this can (or should) be saved.  The white muslin is fraying at seams. Click to enlarge the fourth picture and you'll see what I mean. Someone (not me!) must have washed it in trying to clean it and made the seams fray even more. I'm considering making the missing flower, replacing the few printed fabrics that are shredding with some 40s-50s fabric I have, laying the top on a piece of white fabric and then sandwiching to thin batting and a back.   Then again, I might just salvage the flowers and set them on white Kona and remake the top.  Help!

What are you working on?  Linky below.  Would love to see your eye candy.

An InLinkz Link-up

I"m linking to Sarah's Can I get a Whoop, Whoop and Richard's Link A Finish Friday. See you there.