Okay I had another slack posting week last week, but I have some good excuses really. Excuse One….camping.
Yep I spent four days camping last week….Four whole days without a sewing machine, a computer, cell phone connection or a shower! Despite the limitations I did manage to get some quilting done….
I hexied up a storm… four days of hand work produced this lovely collection finished and ready to go….
I love the flexibility and ease of English paper piecing. Whenever I am heading out the door to an appointment or event where I think I may have some spare time I just grab my hexie kit, just in case.
So here is a much overdue shot of my quilt top so far… it is growing slowly.
I am adding flowers willy nilly, I am sure there is an easier way to put the top together but I kind of like the “stick and flower here, stick a flower there” approach.
My husband declared a month or so ago that this quilt was going to be his, because (1) this would ensure that he got a quilt eventually and (2) it would also ensure that I did not give this quilt away, as I am prone to do!
The fact that the quilt will be pretty and loud and contains flowers does not seem to bother him at all!
It does not seem to bother the cat either…
Excuse number two for my slack posting will be part of Wednesday’s post….
WOMBAT QUILTS 
You use paper as a template? Do you remove it?
I use precut cardboard heaxagons. I remove the cardboard as I go but make sure I keep the cardboard template in the flowers on the edge of my top wip. The template gives the quilt edge stability and makes it easier to sew everything together.
Did you hand sew the flowers together or machine? I am in the process of making the flowers and getting ready to start putting it together. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Sheila these are all hand pieced. It is time consuming but I love hand work. I do it while watching television mainly. I use a simple stitch keeping my stitch small (I mainly use as small, sharp and thin a needle as I can find – a No.12). I keep the cardboard in the hexies as long as possible as it helps with attaching everything together. Nicole at Modern Handcraft has a great tutorial for machine sewing hexies she is the only one I have seen that uses a sewing machine for 1 inch hexies.
It’s going to be stunning. Love your blog and have put your name in as a suggestion to speak at our quilt guild.
Thanks. Mi am getting good at speaking at Guilds after this year of being an Officer at PMQG. Lol.
Hi Cath! This looks so gorgeus! Your flowers are beautiful and I like your way to sew them here and there, growing up the quilt around. Again I’m surprised how much your cat looks like our Nelli. I think it’s time for me to sew some hexy flowers, too. x Teje
I’d never considered doing hexies at all, especially not Grandmother’s flower garden, but after seeing yours I am! Yowza.
And of course the cat does not mind the loud and colorful; cats are often very intelligent and perceptive and appreciative of excellence. (Not all; I’ve had a couple of doofus cats. Still totally lovable, of course, but not geniuses by any Stretch. Who was my first cat and began my Crazy Cat Lady affliction.)
Susan Stefun susanprincess@att.net
It was a perfect week for camping. I didn’t take any sewing. What fun we had. I’m so glad that you had a chance to get away from the city. Your garden is growing more lovely every day!! Thank you for sharing!!
Looks like your husband has some competition in claiming the quilt. It will be beautiful.
Looking great! Hexies are so relaxing!
Your husband has good taste! Why shouldn’t he love a bright, cheerful, colouful quilt – I think there’s a lot of gender-appropriate boring ‘man’ quilts out there whose owners would prefer something a bit happier. And I hope you also hang onto Starry Night, which is still my all time favourite. My next EPP project is going to be clamshells – eek! It’s a way off, but I’ll let you know how I get on.
Clamshells sound like fun…I think. Starry Night has to be finished before I even think about what to do with it. It is driving me a little crazy.
Your hexies look great! Love all the bright colors. My cat has to “test” all my quilting projects too.
Ohhh it’s gorgeous! I love how your husband put dibs on it 😉
I worked on a 60 degree diamond quilt for two years. Ended up with 2100 diamonds and a beautiful quilt! I took those diamonds with me everywhere. I started out putting them together in a “planned” manner but ended up just sewing them together willy nilly. I love your bright colors. I have an Instagram account if you want to check it out (dmaylor).
Thanks for the update Cath. I’ve just finished tacking 1200, 1 inch hexies and this week started sewing them into individual flowers. Exciting times! As I still have a sizeable pile of fabric cut I’m thinking another bag of 600…? The inspiration for my quilt is this one you are making, so I’m keeping a close eye on it 🙂
I love that you got some time away and that your husband loves the quilt. There’s something very satisfying about hand stitching things. I have a lot of fun toys/tools in my room, but needle and thread are always ready wherever I am! Your colors are so inspiring and cheerful too.
Husband has good taste in quilts to claim.
This is encouraging. I have my hexie travel kit ready to go. If you can get that much done in four days, I am sure I will have a respectable amount sewn together after some painfully long flights and a week in the middle of nowhere – even allowing for my slow sewing. I only have hexies for a bag and a cushion.
WOW that has to be the best hexagon flower quilt I have ever seen! So pretty with all those bold colors 🙂
I love your flowers so far Cath -one of my favorite projects as well. I can relate to your reaction when your hubby claimed it to be his quilt. I am doing blue/blue flowers, and one day my boyfriend said will that be a quilt for me when I turn 40? ………….. Ahhhh, you don´t want a flower quilt do you?. It will not – but he doesn´t know I am doing a nother quilt for him in secret -no flowers =0)….
I love the idea of blue and white patterns, it is classic and clean. I may have to take your lead and try and do a secret project for the husband.
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