Hexies!!

It is finally time for the Be A Hexie Queen blog hop with Madame Samm and Debby as our cheerleader.  A fun and inspiring hop it has been so far.

I started out with my seven Kaffe Fassett hexies that I had basted long ago.  I was so excited about the colors of the fabric and using them with hexies I knew I had to find some way to use them that was unique.  After rearranging and turning them all in different directions I finally knew how I wanted them, I just needed some more fabric.  An hour of searching the internet and I found two different places to order more.  Once the fabric was here I quickly got to work.

Only 217 half-inch hexies and countless hours later my table topper is finished....This is a huge stretch of the imagination for me as I never in my wildest dreams would normally use these fabrics let alone together.

(click photo for a closer look)

The Sewline glue pen I used to baste them worked wonderfully.  The papers came out easily when it was finished (which I have often wondered about as I have never removed all the papers from a hexagon quilt before), and the fabric was nice and flat against the papers which made them easier to sew together.  I am pretty sure it will be quite a while before I use these half-inch hexies again...it takes many hours to make a sizable piece, but well worth the extra time!  Please visit the other blogs to see their hexie creations.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

Tuesday, August 27

    

We Shall Sew  

   

Life@RuffHaven

Pieced Brain  

    

Den Syende Himmel 

    

Creatin’ in the Sticks 

    

Meadowbrook (You are here!)

    

Sandra Kaye Designs  

    

Let’s Patch it Up 

    

Sew Many Yarns  

   

Around the Homestead 

Sew Mollie Sue, Quilt Much?

Hexagons and French Knots

Today has been a weird Sunday.  I am motivated to do everything and nothing all at once.  This next week is so crammed packed full that I think I'm kind of taking it easy mentally before everything comes flying at me.  

I started basted these back in March when I picked up a Rowan Kaffe Collective set of 2-1/2 inch squares.  I thought I knew what pattern I was going to use them for, and then a found something fun to try and soon realized I didn't have enough fabric.  I spent over an hour last night looking for these fabrics on line and did get some ordered.  I'm hoping they get here quickly as although basting these little guys goes quickly, sewing them together does not.  

I spent some time in the swing on Friday night making french knots...I used to hate french knots, that is until I learned how to do them and now I have to say they were enjoyable.  No pattern watching, just sat and enjoyed the beautiful weather while completing my sheep and star.  Now to decide, a pillow or an ornament?  I'm off to do some cleaning.  My son's teacher is coming for a home visit before school starts to get to know him a little, and I'd hate for her to leave with threads and fabric snips on her backside! :)  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

A Little Sunshine

This is one of those projects that was almost never finished.  I took it along to two different basketball camps to work on while waiting for my son this summer.  I had the sun completely finished twice, hated it, and pulled it all out.  The instructions called for one strand of thread to be used with the punch needle.  I did not like the way it looked so I started over and then over again each time hoping I wasn't completely ruining the fabric.

The third time I used three threads and definitely liked the result better.  This project was a good reminder for me that I don't always have to follow the pattern (definitely a problem when you were a little girl who always followed the rules)!  It is a sunny and cool day here, a little reprieve from the heat and humidity that we are in for again this weekend, and I'm thinking the perfect opportunity to work on hexies in the swing in the back yard.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

The Christmas Itch To Stitch

Ever since that Ho Ho Ho blog hop I've had nothing but Christmas on my mind.  I love Christmas, always have, I even have friends who called me Christmas instead of Kristen because I love Christmas that much.  So for the last week I've been taking it easy, enjoying the weather, and working on some Christmas stitcheries.

I love to do needle punch and I always seem to forget about it.  This candy cane is from Lizzie Kate and is one of three different ornaments.

Needle punch always uses more thread than you think.  This one used Week's Dye Works threads so I just HAD to run to the shop to pick up a few more colors. ;)

This embroidery pattern is Christmas Joy by Once Upon A Vine.  It is old (I bought it the year my son was born and he just turned 13).  I think the sheep needs some french knots for fur and the star needs a few for texture...we will see how far I get.

I think I hear some hexies calling my name now.  This fall weather gets me wanting to do some hand stitching and I know I need to do some more quilting.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

HO HO HO Blog Hop

Its that time again, you know, get out the Christmas music, Christmas movies, and get some Christmas sewing done.  This is a little early for me because I usually get the Christmas excitement starting in September, not July, but after working on this quilt I'm glad I started early.

This quilt was in a magazine from 2009 and I have loved it since the first time I saw it, that is until I started cutting it out.  Now I may have been the problem, but from the beginning I just found the pattern very hard to follow.

When I started sewing and the flying geese did not have a seam allowance at the point, I knew I was in trouble.  I ended up recutting a lot of the pieces and adding or subtracting an 1/8 inch or a 1/4 inch.  It took me five days to cut and piece this quilt, and I full well intended for it to be done three days ago with another quilt finished.  It is 47 inches by 47 inches with 389 pieces.

Sometimes the quilts we struggle the most with become our treasures, and I am just sure this one will become my all time Christmas favorite.

Thank you Madame Samm and Carol for all the work you put into this blog hop, it is TRULY appreciated!  Here are the rest of today's participants.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

August 7

Cherry Blossoms Quilting Studio

From This to That

I Like To Quilt Blog

Leah @ L3designs

Sew Mollie Sue, Quilt Much?

Just Quilt It

Meadowbrook

Peanut’s Patchwork

Around the Homestead

Feathered Nest Studio

In The Boon Docks

MO Broker, My Creative Side

Cutting, Cutting, And More Cutting

One would think that I love to cut pieces for quilts.  It seems that every quilt I choose to make anymore has an abundance of cutting involved, and this one is no exception.  I am noticing, however, that not all instructions are created equally.  Thankfully I learned something with the last 208 piece quilt block...labeling your pieces as you go can make all the difference in the world.

I have pieces all the way to Q so there was definitely no shortage of cutting with this one.  I'm off for a walk and then hopefully back to sew.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen