Little Hexagon Progress!

I spent a couple days this weekend relaxing with my Dad.

He watched football and I sewed hexagons...lots of little hexagons!

 

 

By Sunday afternoon my hands were all cramped up from handing those little 1/4" hexagons  but they are so worth it!  

 

I have 4 more stars, all the neutral 'in-between' hexagons and a few partial blocks that go around the outside edge still to make. Lots to do but I made good progress!

I placed a dime down on the block to show just how little those pieces are!

 

 

Happy Stitching!

 

Quilt Therapy

I have immersed myself into quilt therapy and have hardly left my sewing room the last few days. I was still getting my new sewing space organized so I worked a bit on that in between other things.

 

 

I almost finished the cowboy boot quilt top. The border fabric I had set aside was older fabric and when I spread it out to cut borders I found that at some point it had been exposed to the sun and had a faded grid all over it. It will be a quick finish though after I get some border fabric for it! It is going to be a Christmas gift for one of my stepsons! He is going to love it!

 

 

I finished a second block on my Posies quilt. I am much happier being back to my usual freezer paper method. One thing I am keeping though is the vinyl overlay idea for placement of the pieces. I really like that!

 

I have one more hand applique method I want to try - back basting. I've been reading a little about it online. The people who do it seem to love it. I think thought that instead of trying it on this quilt I will just make a small wall hanging to test it.

 

I've basted and pressed my pieces for block #3 and I am ready to start pinning pieces to the background.

 

 

 

 

 

This is going to be such a whimsical quilt. I have been thinking it either needs embroidery or big stitching to add to it's playfulness. Maybe even some beading!

I suppose I have a while before I need to decide what route to take. 

 

 

I have been having Dear Jane thoughts again. While sorting things out I found an old packet of some Dear Jane blocks (8 of them in fact). I am not sure what stopped me from continuing, but I kept those little blocks. After finding them I started dreaming a crazy dream...what if I changed the color scheme to blues and browns and instead of 4-1/2" blocks maybe I could do 3" blocks! I did say crazy after all. So I printed off a couple of 3" block samples from my software to compare.

 

 

It is something to think about....

 

 

And now that summer is over I am back to hand quilting. It feels good!

 

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond Sadness

I usually keep my personal life away from my blog, mainly because my blog started as a place to get away from the stresses I was facing at that time.

It has been a place of peace for me.
 

But something happened...my little brother had an accident and fell, landing on his skull and fracturing it. The resulting brain damage was severe. After 5 weeks he passed away. As his big sister it was always my responsibility (at least I felt so) to protect him, but I couldn't protect him from this. I could not have asked for a better brother. Although distance kept us apart I never felt he was that far away. He was creative and giving and sarcastic and wonderful. He was only 47 when he passed away. 

 

A picture from long ago... and a favorite for both of us.

 

 

 

He was always the biggest supporter of my blog. He would often email me little comments and sometimes would ask if what I was making was for him. Knowing that he will never again read my blog or comment on it breaks my heart beyond words.

 

 

A picture from just a year ago at my wedding. It was a happy day.

 

 

 

It is time for me to start healing and I know that my quilting and keeping my blog updated will help me get through this.  
 

So it is time to get quilting and blogging again...
so back to my sewing room I go.

Another Surprise!

I'm still on my mission to slowly get my space ALL put together.

I happened to look in a small bin and I found something I wasn't expecting - a box of 2-1/2" squares!

 

 

 

They are all scraps cut a very long time ago and I don't have a clue what was ever intended from them. So when I need some mindless sewing I am going to start putting a light and dark together! I am not going to put any thought into it - it will just be random.

 

I will see where that takes me...but I suspect it will make an 'ugly' quilt that someone will love!

And that someone might very well be me!

 

Happy Stitching!

UFO's....again!

Moving into a new space really brings out the UFO's!

 

The cowboy boot quilt is going to be a Christmas gift for one of my stepsons. The boots were all in pieces so I got them put together. It's a fun quilt and a great way to use up those 'western' look scraps! It is from an old Fons and Porter 'Love of Quilting' magazine.  

 

 

This is a fast, easy quilt made from10 fat quarters. It's a pattern from The Quilt Patch - 'Take Ten'

It will go into my 'to be quilted pile' for a quick wedding, shower, birthday or just because gift.

 

 

Then I found a UFO from probably 4 or more years ago. These were made from a Honey Bun.

 

 

My pieces came with one little diagram I had scribbled so I am not sure what my original  intent was... I think it got put away because I need one more dark star to make any of my preferred layouts work and there are not enough strips to get one more star..

 

I do have some yardage as well that goes with it -one light piece and one dark piece.

Here are a couple of possibilities.

 

 

 

 

 

I will layout a few more possibilities but I think this is going back into the UFO box again- for now at least. It did inspire me though! Maybe a better planned one is in my future.

 

Happy Stitching!