How many hexagons?

Someone asked but I've no idea. If any body knows a quick formula I might try it but am not going to count them the slow way!

Hexagon Star - top finished.

I have a hand full of hexagons (half inch) left over but am calling this a finish at 56" by 62". It will be a good size for a wall quilt . For now - off to join the others awaiting hand quilting. 

 

I really enjoyed the portability of this project - using zip lock bags to store and organise the pieces. I know some will think it quite mad to be stitching half inch hexagons by English paper piecing (stitch basted), but I found it very relaxing and quite manageable. In fact I found this size hexagon was quite a bit more comfortable to handle than the large 1.25 inch hexagons in my Grandmother's Garden quilt .

Chapman Coverlet

On the rare occasions when I feel like machine stitching I make it a marathon session! The last one got me a bit further ahead with this quilt. Still have a box full of appliqued squares to join and quite a few more rows to go...so here's hoping for another "rare occasion" soon.

Posies and Plaid

I've not posted on my applique quilt design since May last year, for various reasons. A lot of changes have been made and the unpicker has been very busy. For example I have scrapped the original broderie perse centre - it was just too dark and distracting. 

Unpicker at the ready

In keeping with mixing modern fabrics in with the repros, I'm trying to interpret a lot of different traditional elements with a more contemporary feel.  It's not coming easy for me but I'm happier with it now. Don't you hate it when there is a vision but poor execution!

I've had fun with various applique techniques:

But mostly I have needle turned with back basting prep:

Just a little more applique to go and then I'll be stitching the blocks together. Hopefully there won't be too many more changes (LOL) as I'm really looking forward to Big Stitch hand quilting this ...maybe with coloured perle thread. 

Works in progress

It's been a few months - well and truly time to stop lurking and update progress.

And what has prompted a return to posting?

Well....

Have you read Barb's  latest great post, and her plea to all quilters to "put yourself out there" - especially the hand quilters? Susan - more quilting please 😊 

Another inspiration has been Meredithe and her "17 UFO's in 2017" - will be fun to follow her progress ....but am not setting myself any schedule. Good to see Carole will be joining her - such a super beautiful list of sewing there.

Then if you want to see a truly accomplished 2016 review check out Kyle's smilebox - just makes me itch to stitch. I added a page to my blog - my 2016 finishes - a modest list compared with some but I enjoyed making them so much. 

On that note -  a BIG thank you to these and many other inspiring bloggers that I follow - and may we have another super blogging year 📝 

Here are some UFO works in progress:

Grandmother's Garden

I started in mid 2014 and am now hand quilting it with big stitches but there has been a Summer pause in proceedings as it is just too hot to quilt in the hoop, especially with a thick wool batting! 

Chapman Coverlet

Started middle of last year - I had a red central fabric selected but wanted to put it into an octagonal frame. First I stitched on pieces of the black stripe fabric. Then I made a bias strip and appliqued it over the seam to frame the red centre.

There are many, many more 4 inch blocks to be hand appliqued -  then joined by machine in rows around the medallion centre.

Hexagon Star

Started early last year - a portable EPP hand stitching project that is not too large as they are half inch hexagons. I had the centre done in August and am gradually adding borders. 

It's a bit tricky turning corners with hexagons - they have a geometry all of their own!  It will have irregularities but I quite like that - just trying to mirror the corners and sides. I'm finding the free downloads of hexagon graph paper and some colour pencils very helpful.

Here's one that's new to the blog -

Forget Me Not - a cathedral window quilt.

I have quite a few old doilies (not embroidered by me unfortunately) that are treasured but unused, many are damaged or stained with age. I was also kindly given some doilies with Forget-me-not flowers on them - hence the name came to mind as a way to honour the embroiders too. 

Forget-me-nots in my garden in Spring

Forget-me-nots embroidered on doilies

I have been in awe of the huge cathedral window quilts on a few Dutch blogs I follow - often with carefully selected window colours. My cathedral window quilt has 'windows' made of squares cut from my vintage doilies and linen. I needed to research the technique in books and blogs - found that there are quite a few ways to do this, and ended up with a combination of methods that suits me. I machine stitch the invisible part - joining the linen blocks together - and then hand stitch the doily windows. Hopefully the pictures will give you some idea what I'm on about. 

A start - getting addicted

I cut linen squares of 9.5 inches. Then I followed the method in this excellent tutorial and they end up as approx 4.25 inch squares. These are joined together as in pics below.

2 inch doily squares are placed on the linen blocks (see picture below) ready for pinning with applique pins. The loose edges of the linen blocks are rolled over the doily squares and then hand stitched/hemmed (as in top picture).

This is part of my sewing room - quite a few other UFO's in there - but not 17 I'm sure...hehe 

Harrison Rose finished

I started Harrison Rose in June 2015 using a lovely reproduction pattern by Dawn Collector with a Needle. With relatively little piecing on the top, and a thin batting (Quilters Dream Request cotton) the hand quilting has been a breeze.

It measures 69 inches square as I only made nine blocks (instead of sixteen) - a great size for hanging or lap.

Then I machine washed it (with colour catchers just in case), and blocked it on the floor to dry. No colour runs - the catchers were clean - phew! 

It dried very quickly after a good spin, and has a nice soft and crinkly feel - just how I like it - am so pleased.

So where will we live? 

Could be here...

Or here...

Settled on here...

.

With that finished it was time to get another quilt prepped for hand quilting. I decided on Wheat and Woods and I'm using the same cotton batting again. 

Meanwhile I have decided to finish my SVBAQ BOM - at just nine blocks. Somehow it's not thrilling me any more - possibly because of my colour choices. Click on the link to see lots of beautiful versions in progress - like Wendy's with a gorgeous cheddar background.

We finally had a day without wind so I whipped the blocks outside for a photo together - the flowers do a little to cheer up the winter garden.

I'm thinking they might look better together with some pieced sashing ...but am not sure? I'll let them sit for a while hoping inspiration strikes. 

The Chapman Coverlet is an 1829 coverlet in the collection of the V&A museum in London. It has been on my "to do" list for a very long time. Finding plastic templates available from Susan Smith decided me - time to take it on! I've still not put away all the fabrics pulled for my Benjamin Biggs quilt top (waiting in the quilting queue) so am using the same reds and greens, and adding black, cheddar and yellows. The centre will be constructed around a red floral piece that has been in the stash a few years waiting for "the right moment".

I found that needleturn applique on the little 2 inch squares somehow aggravated the arthritis pain in my hands - the tight gripping of such small pieces perhaps. So I cut some card templates for the applique pieces and adapted the foil and iron method. 

It works beautifully! more time spent on prep but the applique is quick and requires less precision than needleturn, so is easier on the hands. 

 I found the perfect box to store my squares - can you believe it?! A couple of years ago I got the gift of a china mug from the V&A museum - in a presentation box. The box was too lovely to throw away...

If anyone's read this far -  well done! I've been a bad blogger and that's a two month round up. Must try to blog better...