Examples of hexagon quilts continues

These are part of my second batch of hexagon quilts that I found in images on Google.  There are so many extraordinary examples of hexagon quilts.  There are some who make their hexagons very small in order to create very detailed layouts.  These may at times only measure 1/2" across, like the size of a person's thumb nail.  Others may choose to do them a bit bigger to create a quilt that can be used and enjoyed. Plus there are many more sizes In between.  Whatever the size, these are beautiful, yet time consuming quilts to make, as they are usually made by hand.

This first one is a traditional layout.  Not as common as the usual grandmothers flower garden, but still a well used pattern.  This person looks like they chose civil war type fabrics.  One day I would like to make one of these, but with different colours, maybe a bit brighter. 

It is difficult to be sure, but my guess is that these are about 1/2" in size.  Mega amount of hexagons went in the making of this one.  I would love to have seen this one in person.  It looks to be assembled with precision and has a lot of detail.

This next one was a simple diamond layout.  This would be a great grab bag quilt.  You could carry enough hexagons to make a full diamond.  Once you had enough of them, and you could lay them out and slowly attach them together with the grey row between them. 

This next picture is a digital layout of another very detailed hexagon quilt.  This will look stunning when completed.  I can also see this done up in soft Easter pastel colours.

I found a quilt similar to the one that I am presently making.  The differences are that my centre diamonds are two outer rows surrounding a yellow hexagon.  My quilt will use purple for the small border, instead of pink and my purple border will only be one width, not two. There are also more white rows separating the diamonds from the florets and again more white rows separating the pink from the final border of multi coloured hexies, where as mine will have no white separating the final border from the last small purple border with only one row of white.

I saw this picture in Google images too.  This one is the starting of the second hexagon quilt that Bonnie Hunter, from Quiltville.com, is making.  If you go to her site you will see what she has completed thus far.  It will be approximately queen size, I think, and it is looking very nice.  I believe she is now working on the last few border sections to square off the quilt.

This last example of images that I have saved is an example of exemplary hexagon design.  This would have been a labor of love.  All those tiny hexagons is just amazing.  The planning of this quilt with all the different layers of different borders and fitting them all together in a pleasing colour coordinating way took a lot thought.  Someone else thought so too as I see the quilt won an award.  A red ribbon. This is also one I would love to have seen in person.

What's in a couple of hours?

Well, let me tell you what can be accomplished in a couple of hours.  The following pineapple block was already started.  I had the red centre, the first round of light, a dark round and another round of lights.  In one hour I was able to complete this pineapple block with the three rounds of dark, two rounds of light and the final points in green and blue.

So, in the two hours that I had, between my shift of babysitting the puppy, I got two pineapple blocks done.  Doesn't seem like much, but it is more progress than I had the day before.  These two blocks now need to be trimmed down and paper removed.

Yesturday, while I was going through some of my saved favorite links, I came across Bonnie's addicted to scraps blocks.  I wrote this one up to do shortly.  I still have some cute kiddy type strips that I need to do something with.  I have decided to trim them to use in this block.  I can also use up some of my 2" strips in the drawer.  It will make for a nice charity give away quilt.

Now, as I finish my quilts and trim down my left overs, not only can I cut up the scraps into Monkey wrench pieces, but also into pieces for this pattern.  This pattern will make chains across the quilt with little dark chains running on a diagonal up to the right and bigger dark chains running on a diagonal up to the left.

While the puppy sleeps I have been working on my friend Flo's hexagon quilt.  Right now I am sewing the edges in envelope style before I can finish quilting the hexagons on the edge.  So far I have three sides complete.  I should have this one done by the end of the year. That leaves only tomorrow!!!

I am getting ready to do inventory of what I got done, what is left to do and what it is that I really want to get done.  I have already picked out my top twelve quilts.  These will be the ones that I most want done in 2016.  A couple of the quilts belong to my cousin, some are charity give away quilts, others are for family and some will be to finally finish some of my own.  All this between a few other quilts that I know of, that are coming, to be quilted for friends.

2016 looks like it will be a very busy year.  I am up for it, you just have to keep rolling along.

Working on my daughter's sixteen-patch pinwheel quilt

Yesturday I finished all the quilting on my daughter's sixteen-patch pinwheel quilt.  Unfortunately, because the quilt is so multi coloured you cannot see the actual quilting.  You can see it up close, but it is difficult to photograph.

You can't see very well the large block, but the picture below is of a corner which shows one quarter of the quilting design that makes up the full block design.  In the picture below you can also see the small border.  My daughter asked that I intercept the side border with two large chain loops in the top and bottom borders.  It took a bit of maneuvering to manage it, but I made it work.

Yesturday, after cleaning out and sorting all my fat quarters, I than trimmed the quilt, made the binding and attacked the binding to the quilt.  Now I need to find some time to tack down the binding.  My daughter expects the full service quilting on this one. You will have to excuse my bright green track pants.  I was getting comfy.

We've only had our puppy (Maddie) for a week and a couple of days. Initially she was barely able to see over her toy basket.  Now she can check out what is in it and retrieve it.

She not only checks things out in her basket......sometimes she even gets right in it.  Soooooo cute.

Maddie is a Vizsla.  She is now nine and a half weeks old.  She is very energetic when she is awake and gets into everything, literally.  She is a very affectionate little puppy and does not want to be separated from her people at all, for any length of time.

A shared quilt from the Tiny Town class

A while back at the last Tiny Town quilt meeting, one of the ladies brought in a quilted quilt for show and tell.  The only thing she has to do is trim the quilt and add the border.  She had the quilt professionally quilted by a long arm quilter.  The quilting was fabulous.  Unfortunately, I was not able to get a close up of the quilting.  But to give you an image of the quilting, the quilt was quilted with royal blue thread in an all over design of pretty snowflake type motifs in various sizes to match the various sized stars on the quilt top.  

You will have to take my word for it, that this quilt in person is much much better than what it looks like in this picture.

Working on my paper piece pineapple quilt blocks

It has been a very different week, this past week, around here with the new puppy.  We have been taking care of the puppy twenty-four hours per day.  She has been learning things, at an amazing rate.  She has been with us since Saturday and already she is almost house broken with only one accident today and that only because the neighbours dog scared her, so she held it in and immediately releases when she got carried in. Otherwise she does a crazy dance for me to show me she needs to go out.

The other two main things we are working on are her biting/nipping and nighttime create training.  She is getting better with the biting, but when she gets excited she seems to forget everything.  The create training is also getting better as she gets more comfortable with the separation from us.  This week someone has stayed with her in the same room to console her when she needed the reassurance.  Each day she sleeps for longer periods of time and though sometimes she starts up she is learning to calm herself.  This puppy business is a lot of work, but everyone is excited to have her and dedicated to her.

We made up a schedule of the puppies meal times and stuff, as well as a schedule for us to have equal time, not only to take care of the puppy, but also to make sure everyone has some time to do their own thing.  For me, obviously that would be to get some quilting time.

Yesturday. I had one hour before my next shift and decided to pull out my paper piece pineapple quilt blocks.  These were given to me by my friend, Sharon.  She started them, but realized she did not like the random scrappiness of the block.  Her taste run more along the lines of organized colour placement.

The picture above is the paper side of the block.  It shows you where to place your colours, such as light and dark. The lines are where you sew.   The picture below is the opposite side of the paper.  On this block I have completed the red centre, surrounded by a round of light fabrics, surrounded by a dark round and again another light round.

This next picture is another example, like the picture above, yet this one has the four dark colours to complete the next round.  In the hour that I had before my next shift, I managed to get ten blocks sewn with the light round and all are ready with their dark fabric pieces to do the next round.

I thought I would also share with you one of my presents that I received for Christmas.  This was part of a gift that I got from my mom.  This book is now the second book I have by Mary Etherington and Connie Tesene.  This one is called Civil War Remembered.  The first one I have is called The Blue and the Grey.  Both have great examples of scrappy quilts in more traditional patterns.

Including the quilt on the cover, here is another one of the many quilts in this book that I really like.  The quilt on the cover is called Devil's Claw and this one is called Line Up.  There are another five quilts at least in this book that I am tempted to make.  All of them go on my wish list for now.  I have a bunch I need to finish first.   All of the quilts are made using civil war type fabrics, but you could use anything you wish to make them and they would still look good. 

Today, during my off schedule, I did some quilting on my daughter's sixteen patch pinwheel quilt.  I finished quilting the centre in the morning and the borders in the afternoon.  Now when I have some time I will trim the quilt, make the binding and attach it to the quilt.  It looks nice.  My daughter is very happy that the quilt will be done in time to use it this winter, when the weather turns.

During my doggie sitting time, while the puppy sleeps, I have been working on my cousin's Dresden plate blocks.  They are also coming along.

Extra ordinary quilting inspiration, continues

I was browsing through some images on Google, trying to get some quilting inspiration.  There are some really amazing quilters out there.  One date when I get a long arm of my own, I hope to get to this level of quilting.  These few examples that I saved are only a small fraction of what is out there.

The first images is of a modern quilt with what looks like large prints and solids.  The person that quilted this quilt decided to treat every area separately.  The middles/large prints are done with loops to fill the space, and the surrounding areas were quilted with different fillers.  What I thought was really nice was the light blue areas that were all done the same with an echo, little pebbles and another echo.  This pattern kind or frames the circles and emphasis the shape. Very pretty.

The image above was, I though, very unique.  This is also a modern quilt.  The quilter decided not to follow the design or blocks of the quilt and go with a zig zag all the way across the quilt.  She did the zig zags in varying widths with a version of feathers between the large spaces and chains or pebbles between some of the small spaces. Very effective quilting.  Absolutely gorgeous.

We have a beautiful example of using a feather design to fill in a corner space.  I like the flow of this feather.  It make the simple yet beautiful quilt stand out a bit more.  

For this next design, I think I am going to change up a little to make it better for machine quilting.  So, that you don't have to cross back over a quilted line to get to the next destination.  There are not many feather designs out there for the diamond shape. I felt that this one also had a nice flow to it.

With the new little puppy around here, it is difficult to find the time to do quilting.  Though my daughter looked after the puppy all day yesturday, so that I could work on quilting her quilt.  I have 2/3 of the centre done.  Once I am done that, I will be left with the two borders.

More Dresden plate blocks done and pic of Maddie

I've been working on some more Dresden plate blocks in my spare time. Any spare time I can get, which isn't much these days.  This time of year is so hectic.  Things should settle down in a few weeks.......or maybe not......with the new puppy coming.  Two more sleeps as I tell the kids.

So, today I finished two more Dresden plate blocks.  Here is a blue one and a beige one.  Now I am down to only Eleven more to go.  I am over the half way point and heading to the finish line. 

I thought I would share the latest picture of our little girl puppy.  We're naming her Maddie.  Isn't she cute.  I already got her a little pink bone shaped name tag to wear with her little pink collar.  She is going to be a real ball of energy.  I am hoping we all survive.....in one piece.

Hexagon placemats

I have been busy around here, like most people during this time of season.  I've had a couple of good shopping days in and figure I am pretty close to done with my Christmas shopping.  Still have to do a final tally of what I have for who, but I think I am almost there.

Been plugging away at the laundry room renos.  Almost done there too. Yesturday our whole family, aunties, grandma, cousins and all went for our Christmas trees.  Always a fun time.  I am slowly warming up to Christmas this year.  The tree hunting went a long way toward getting me there.

Some time today I will have to find time to clean out the living room to make room for the tree and decorate for the holidays.  In between this, I will try to get the painting done in the laundry room and do some more quilting on my daughter's 16-patch pinwheel quilt.  So far, I have all the in the ditch lines done and the corners and points of the perimeter blocks done.  I will show the pictures of that once the quilt is done.

Today I thought to show you the pictures of the last minute Christmas gift that I was working on.  It is safe to show them now, because the recipient, my sister, does not use Internet.  She may search on google from time to time, but otherwise she is not a computer type person.

The idea for these hexagon placemats came about when some time ago my sister bought a round kitchen table which only measures 34" in diameter.  Regular placemats do not work and you just cannot find any that would fit well without overlapping.

I kept thinking of ideas that would work, but for some reason or another, they just did not suit.  I kept thinking a rectangle with cut off corners, circles or something to that affect.  Even while working with my hexagons, I still did not clue in.  Until one day I thought oh, wouldn't a large hexagon work!  

At first I thought I may be boring, so I tried to come up with ways to dress it up.  In the end, I went with this simple yet elegant design.  I got the measurement of the table from her husband and made some paper templates, just to make sure I had the size to fit right.

These are my sister's colours a purplish wine colour and taupe. I hope she likes them.  We don't usually exchange Christmas present, but when something calls out to us, we get it.  These were definitely calling out to me.  I couldn't stop thinking about them.  I think she will be happy.

Now back to working on my daughter's quilt.  My daughter has been so patient.  She's had this quilt top done for a long time, but it kept getting put aside for other pressing stuff.  Stuff with deadlines.  I'd like to get it done for her, so she can use it this winter.  More on that to follow.

Musings, not all quilt related

I am taking a few minutes before going to bed to calm my thoughts.

This time of year gets the thoughts going, with the end of the year and the question of "What have I done?".  I know, how original, the words in a song.  But this time of year, these words are so up front and personal.  I believe everyone goes through these thoughts.  You know, at the end of the year, before the New Year.  All the reflections and New Years resolutions.

Well with everything that has gone on this year, outside of my quilting life, I am "blank?".  I do t know?  I am trying to continue, still setting goals, loving my family, yet I feel suspended.  Waiting....  For what, I do not know.

Right now my immediate goals are trying to get into the Christmas mood, for my children and everyone around me.  It is hard though, with my father's resent passing......

I watched a movie tonight called Christmas in handcuffs.  Sounds kinky, but it's not.  It's a weird movie about a woman that resorts to kidnapping a man to pretend he is her boyfriend in order to please/impress her parents/family.  Funny in a weird way, but also sad that the woman gets caught up in a world that is really not hers.  Trying to impress/appease her parents instead of standing strong and being her true self.  Kind of corny, but sometimes you just need a frivolous type of pass time. 

Anyways..... I am going though some kind of funk and trying to get make my way though it.

Just to keep this post quilting related, I am heading into work tomorrow with two donation quilts.

This Christmas, we (everyone in our department at work) are making several donations to a bunch of children, by donating toys/present to each child, for Christmas.  Plus we are sponsoring a couple of families.  

I offered some of my quilts if they/work organizers, felt it appropriate to give as a gift for the cause.  In the end it was decided that two of the quilts would be used for one of the sponsored families.  

This one will be for the two year old girl.  The backing is in a pink design.

And this one, which is larger will be for the Eleven year old girl.  The backing is black with a two tone purple design.

I hope the children like them and find comfort in them. 

Hoping everyone Is finding comfort where they can and making the best of the upcoming season.

Another floret done and a mini quilt

I have been busy plastering and painting the laundry room.  It's coming together. It is difficult around this time of year to get much done, with special lunches, dinners, Christmas shopping and last minute gift making.  But we keep plugging away and somehow it all gets done.

I managed to get this floret finished while having my tea yesturday morning at 6:00 am before I started into the ceiling paint.

Today though was a lost cause on trying to get to the laundry room.  Couldn't get too involved, as I had to take my son out to get pants and a winter snowsuit. So.......in the meantime I spent some time in my quilt room cleaning, sorting and cutting up scraps. Half of the contents of the laundry room are in my quilt room at the door, it is starting to dive me bonkers.  I can't wait to finish the laundry room.  I am stating to feel claustrophobic. 

While cleaning up in my quilting room, I came across this little mini quilt.  It used to hang in my quilt room before I painted and moved things around.  For a while now it has been laying in a cupboard.  I offered it to my daughter-in-law if she wanted it.  So, it is being shipped to New Brunswick, where it will be used and appreciated.

Here is a picture of a close up.   There is not much quilting that can be done on such a small quilt.  These red blocks are only 1/2" square.  The whole quilt measures 10" X 14 1/2".  This is my second mini quilt that I made.  This one was made sometime near Valentine's Day, hence the red and white, plus the hearts quilted in the small border.

While I was cleaning, I also came across some fabric that I picked up in colours for my sister.  I will tell you more in another post.  Let's just say that this is the last minute gift making.

Two more Dresden plates done

On the weekend my family and I went on a trip to Norwick to visit our new puppy.  We are all very excited.  The puppies are now five weeks old.  We will be getting her on December 19th.  We are going to be very busy trying to train the puppy and trying to keep her out of trouble.

While on the way I had an hour and a quarter to do some hand stitching.  On the way up, I finished this pink Dresden plate.

On the way back I finished most of this peach one. Yesturday I finished it up.  All I had left to do was one half side of the purple centre.  Now I have 14 of these left to do.  They are coming along.

Here is a picture of a few of the puppies. Until they are seven to eight weeks old we will not know which one we will get. It takes that long to establish their characters.  Aren't they the cutest?

Enjoy!

Finished the Midnight Flight quilt top

I finished the Midnight Flight quilt top. Yay!!!

Once I got going with the borders, it didn't take too long.  By the time I got to bed, it was close to 11:00 pm.  A bit later I wanted to, but I really wanted to call this top done.

I have a few ideas what I want to do with the quilting.  Still playing them out in my head.  This one though has to wait in line to be quilted, as I have some in front of it.

Here is a close up of the four borders I decided to go with.  The original quilt, designed and made by Bonnie Hunter, has fancy borders, but I decided to end the quilt with simple borders.  I like the centre of the quilt and feel it can stand on its own.

My daughter has been working away on her handwork with her snowman quilt.  I will share those with you shortly.

Enjoy!

Started Mel's Romance & Roses quilt

I did finish the Midnight Flight quilt.  I am just waiting for some time to take the pictures with natural day light. 

The Midnight Flight quilt is for my first and eldest niece. This quilt Romance & Roses is for my second niece, the second eldest.  I plan to make my my way down trine to all my nieces and nephews in order of birth.  The only time I will divvy from that is if someone "really" likes a quilt that I made already and doesn't have a home.

This quilt is called Romance &Roses from the book Simple Blessings by Kim Diehl.

My version of the quilt will have a different border though.  I will do the diamond borders, but I plan to change the applique to something with a bit more softer feel to it.  I think it will suit my niece's taste a bit better.  In the picture below on the left hand side is a sample of the applique border I plan to do, or close to it.

Here is what I have done so far.  Nine blocks done.  These are my nieces colours.  Her bed duvet is in a taupe colour and her apartment accessories throughout are a deep burnt red with blacks scattered about.  For the applique vine that will go around the border I will need to add in a green, but I will go with something deep, so as not to overwhelm the rest of the quilt.  

When I asked my niece to describe what she wanted in a quilt, she just said she wanted it to have a feminine feel to it.  I think this will work.

Yesturday, I was running around.  First with getting my daughter to work, my son to his hockey game, and a little later picking up daughter from work. Went out with my sister to Costco. Wow, what a place!  Good thing I do not have a membership.  One can go crazy there with all that they carry.  After that my son and I headed to the hairdressers, he was so bad we could have just put a ponytail in his hair.  Not that I have a problem with boys and long hair, but that is not what he or I wanted. Later we were off on a trip to the pet store to finally get the supplies for our new puppy that will be arriving December 20th.  Round that out with a trip to Walmart for salad fixings to go with dinner.  We finally settled down, my son and I to read for a bit at 8:40 pm.  What a day!  I almost hit my personal best with my steps yesturday.

Today we are off to visit the new puppy!  We are so excited!  The ride will be just over an hour each way.  I will be taking some hand work with me.  I will let you know how that goes.  Otherwise, today is supposed to be another very busy day for me, so I may not get anything else quilty done today.  I am still trying to finish the renos in the laundry room.  Unfortunately, this plaster is taking forever to dry with the cooler weather.

Floret number four for the left hand side Is done

Floret number four for the left hand side is done.  I am getting less time to do hand work during lunches or waiting around, but I did find bits and pieces of time to put this together.

It is really coming along.  Here is a picture of the left side of the border.  You will have to visually remove all the stuff hanging on the design wall around it.  This is almost one quarter of the way done.  The border that is, the rest of the quilt top still has a lot to go.

Not much more to this post.  I am distracted with work, family and renovations that I am doing myself.  Quilting is taking a leisure tour at this time.  I haven't even considered Christmas this year yet.  Not really in the mood for it, but I don't want to cheat the children out of it.  Less than a month left to go and not a gift purchased yet.  Usually, by this time I only have a few more things to get.  I'd better get cracking.

Working away on the Midnight Flight quilt

I've been working away on the Midnight Flight quilt.  I have the centre done.  This was a picture of the two sections sewn together.  The third section is now attached but won't fit here on floor.  I like how it turned out.  I am almost there, and I will attach the borders.

While assembling this quilt I am also making progress on my leader/ender quilt.  See the latest stack I have accumulated?  I haven't counted recently but I figure I am over halfway done on these sixteen patch blocks.

This is all I have left of these parts.  I will move on to the pinwheel parts.  I am getting excited that I am almost done this quilt.

Do you know how easy I get distracted?  Very easy!!!  I am not even done the Midnight Flight quilt and already I have designed a smaller quilt with the leftover pieces from this quilt.  The centre of the new one measures approx. 42" x 60",  It is made up of mostly the dark blues.  I am calling it Midnight Flight Runway.  You will understand the name once you see the layout.  But.....I will keep that a surprise for another post.  

Enjoy your day everyone. 

Finished my Tiny Town quilt top

This is the original Tiny Town #2010, from Bunny Hill Designs, designed by Anne Sutton.  The quilt measures 52 X 60.  This pattern was presented as a block of the month.

This is my version of Tiny Town.  We had our class yesturday to present the last block.  While there, at Sew Sisters, I looked around for the two border fabrics.  These two fabrics spoke to me and the quilt.  Once I got home I wanted it done, so I washed the fabric.  It didn't take too long to assemble the centre of the quilt because I had the top row and the bottom row already done.  All I needed to finish it was to attach the last block to the middle row and attach the three rows together.  I ironed, cut and attached the borders.

I kept all the main elements of the original, but used my own colour way.  I am liking the quilt/wall hanging as a whole.  Not sure what I am going to do with this quilt, so it will get put away with the binding fabric, batting and backing, until I am inspired to quilt it.

Here is a close up of the border fabric I chose.  You may not be able to see it but the small inner charcoal border has slightly lighter polka dots.  I chose the charcoal instead of my first thought of black, as I felt it would blend better and not distract from the centre of the quilt.  With the last larger outer border I went with something a bit more beige and white for the same reason.  The beige border actually calms down the colours in the centre of the quilt and helps all the different backgrounds blend cohesively. 

I am so happy to say this quilt top is done!

Today I am back to trying to finish my laundry room.  I have to build a halve wall, plaster, paint and add in all the trim work.  Later I will only have to finish the cupboards and counter.

Until later.