Hexagon quilt progress

Yesterday, I forgot that I was going to share the progress I made on my hexagon quilt.  In an earlier post, I posted about the finish of the top half of the quilt and how excited I was to finally see some real progress on the quilt.  This quilt is all assembled by hand with English paper piece, hexagon patties that I made out of file folders, a template, and the 60 degree line on the straight ruler.  I posted about the top finish on June 22nd.  Just last month.

I was so excited that I made a pact to continue doing my handwork, while having my morning tea on weekdays, before work.   The progress has been steady.  I got the left hand border completed with some side half diamonds, the bottom triangle and one diamond at the top.

I finished the border above on Monday, and since I already have many of the parts to complete the first diagonal row that fits inside that white V shape.  I realized this morning that I forgot the white hexagons for the first diamond shape, of this next row and the ones on the diamond already on the border piece.  The two pieces at the bottom of the next picture are what is complete and on the white flannel covered insulation foam board are the hexagons that are still to be hand sewn to the shape on the right hand side to form the second diamond.

It's really coming together!  I am so excited!!

Sabryna's embroidered blocks & bar quilt

Just getting back from a 30 minute walk with the dog. Prior to that was out in the garden trying to tame the mess.  I finally got the large bush stump and root out of the centre island garden, put in some new dirt and planted some plants from another section of the garden, that I am trying to clear in order to make a running path for the dog to do laps.  It is always best to not fight it and move the plants instead of having them trampled.  I even have to put a knee high fence around the gardens to keep her out, otherwise she starts eating the new roots in the spring.  She especially like Hosta roots.  Weird, I know.

So all of that took me all my work breaks and after work until 8:30pm, I put the water on for 30 minutes, watered the new trees from a month and a half ago.  All but one is doing well, including the new bushes I planted.

Needless to say, I didn't get any quilting in today either.  So I will share with you a couple of finishes from Mar/2022.  The first one is part of the box that I unpacked that had a bunch of odds and ends from my daughter.  She had four embroidery blocks that she didn't want.  I turned them into a NICU quilt.  I used a pink fabric with little blue rosebuds and did a nine patch layout.  Added a small blue border to match the rosebuds and finished it with the same pink fabric.  I think it turn out cute.  I finished this one off with a gingham fabric for the binding.

This next one was part of the challenge from the person who collects our Project Linus quilts.  This was two pieces of fabric that was given to me to make a quilt.  They are both from the same line of fabric.  The first one is taupe with birds in purple, yellow, white and rose colour.  The second one is a bit busier and also has trees with leaves all over.  The only thing I added from my stash was this small border which had all the colours of the birds in it.

I chose this pattern, as I had exactly one meter of the border print and only a quarter of a meter of the second print.  I cut 5 1/2" strips x7 of the first print and x2 of the second one, with nothing to spare.  The quilt centre height is the full length of the width of fabric, minus the salvages. and the width of the top and border was also the width of the fabric, minus about 2".  There was absolutely no better use of the fabric to use it all up.  That excites me, when the plan works so well.  I think I will be making this one again, but next time with brighter happier fabrics.

Have a good night everyone.

Teresa's pineapple quilt

I've been busy yesterday quilting a customer quilt, which took me some time, as it was over a queen size, but not quite a King size.  I have to trim it still and take pictures, so that one I will share another day.  In the morning I had to take care of some cleaning and taking in another customer's quilt.  After that I did get a bit of time to sew up some blocks from the Bonnie Hunter 2021 winter mystery, Rhododendron Trail.  It felt good to work on this one again.  

While making these blocks I am using my 1 1/2" squares as my leader/ender to make four patches.  It is amazing how fast they add up.  I work on my main block, as far as I can go, before I need the piece under the foot to sew the next piece.  I put a dark and light set through the machine.  I did three main blocks and from that was able to assemble sixteen four patches in between. Fastest way to make progress on another quilt.

In the meantime, I thought I would share this beautiful quilt that I quilted for another customer.  Back in time to March/2020.  This is Teresa's pineapple quilt.  Look at all those pieces.  Teresa pieced it really well and the colours are nice too.  I can't remember now, but gauging by the picture, I am going to say this is a lap size quilt.

Here is a close up of the quilting.  I suggested the pattern based on the flowers in the border.  This pattern is called Painted Daisies from Urban Elementz.

Hope everyone had a great day!  Enjoy what is left of your night.  Tomorrow I am thinking of taking pictures of the progress I made recently on my hexagon quilt.  I am so excited about this one.  It is coming along nicely.  Slowly....but nicely.

2022 Shop Hop - The Hobby Horse Quilt Shoppe

12707 Ninth Line, Georgetown, ON (soon to be moving)

This was, for my mom and I, the last shop of the 2022 Shop Hop.  As this shop is in our neck of the woods, we go here most often.  The shop has been lately changing, with branching out into different lines of fabric.  I am assuming that the family is getting more involved in the selection process.  This shop has been in this location for at least 40 years.  It will be odd at first to visit them at another location.  We found out only a few days or so ago, in the shops newsletter/announcements.  Per the announcement, they are selling off the farm and moving further into Georgetown.  That may increase their visibility.  I can't wait to see where they go, how they set up and who will be the next generation to take over the shop.  Best of luck for a smooth transition!  It can only get better with moving to a busier/central location, where they can also get some passing by pedestrian traffic, who may be inspired by their visit to the shop.

So, here is the inside of the shop, the now picture.  We will call it the before picture, soon to be the after picture.  The shop has two levels. This picture is just as you walk into the store.  Behind the display counter, are the fat quarters, the cutting tables, lots of fabrics, with books, patterns and notions, all along the left hand wall. At the moment they have their Christmas fabrics on the right in the back corner, which used to mainly reside in the lower level in a large alcove of it's own.  Now the alcove holds sale fabric bolts and fat quarters.  There are a couple of other areas in the lower level for specific types of fabrics and the class room is also down there.

From the sale area in the lower level, I picked up this bolt of flannel for backings.  It is so sweet with the words 'lil sprout on it amongst the sprouts.  Who doesn't like a good flannel to snuggle up with?  While there, I also picked up a meter of a couple other sale fabrics and a few fat quarters from upstairs for a few quilts I am making.

This post concludes the 2022 Shop Hop.  I hope you liked it.  I know I did!  Being able to get out on the country roads, enjoying the scenery and getting to mingle with the shop owners and staff after such a long time of only able to do online shopping was great.  There is nothing that can beat the sensory of actually touching the textile....lol....isn't that why we fondle it so much...

Today I see rain outside my window, but I am ok with that.  I have a lot of quilting to get caught up on and I want to get back to some sewing of my own too.  The plants can also really use it after the week of really hot and humid weather we've been having.

Take some time today to enjoy yourself!!  Relax and recharge.

2022 Shop Hop - Heart and Home Creations

115a Peel St, New Hamburg, ON

This was the third stop we made on Saturday.  This one was also in New Hamburg and fairly close to the last one, however the store content was completely different.  

This store had some fabric in a corner with a portion of the store that had patterns and notions, but the majority of the shop was more of a gifts type of store.  They had calendars, candles, puzzles, kitchen woven mats and various other country type nik naks.  The back of the store appeared to have some older used furniture for sale (not antiques).  A bit of an odd assortment. 

I should warn anyone who is allergic to cats, that they have two of them that roam around freely.  I was able to tour the store and cash out, but at the cash register I started sniffling with watery eyes.

My purchases at this store were two fat quarters, as I wasn't looking for any gift items on this trip.

Today I had some running around to do, so no quilting happened this evening.  Hope everyone had a good day.  Enjoy what is left of the evening.

2022 Shop Hop - Quilting by Design

 337 Waterloo St, New Hamburg, ON

Second shop on our shop hop this past Saturday was Quilting by Design.  This was the first time I've been to this place.  I am not sure how long they have been around, but I've been to New Hamburg before and didn't know about them.  This was a nice and airy shop, leaning more toward the modern.  I love the barn block they have displayed on the building wall.  Beautiful!!

Their walls are all white with open spaces to see what is around and the windows higher on the wall let in a lot of light too.  At the time that we were going through the shop, they had two longarm machines quilting out quilts in the back.  It seemed like a nice place.

From this shop, I found a pretty pin cushion.  There were many, of all different styles.  The holders of the pin cushions looked to be antique type pieces or votive candle holders.  Really cute idea, so I picked up one for my pin cushion collection.  I also picked up a pattern called Gazebo, which uses a specialty ruler that I have.  The pattern finishes at about 21".  That to me would be like a centre piece size.  The last package is the shops block for the shop hop.

 

Hope you had a nice day.  I am hoping for a bit of rain through the night, for my trees, bushes and flower pots.  We were expecting rain yesterday, but didn't get it.  If there is no rain, tomorrow morning I will have to get out there and water everything.  Good night all.

2022 Shop Hop - The Quilt Place

3991 Perth Rd #107, Shakespeare, ON

First stop on our last weekend of the Shop Hop, for my mom and I, was in Shakespeare.  I have been here several times.  It is a converted house with all the rooms on the main floor set up as the shop.  They have this place packed full of stuff.  I don't think you could get anything else in the store if you tried.  The sign is not very big and because I was coming from the opposite direction than I am used to, I missed it the first pass....lol......seems to be a theme of passing by the shops....lol.

This is the inside of the shop.  I couldn't get a larger view, as there was a line up behind me.  This is at the front of the store just behind the left hand window in the picture above.  They had mostly patterns and fabrics in this section and behind me is the area for the cash register.

I am on their mailing list, so I get updates all the time.  I've also ordered from them over the phone.  Their service is good and I got my order really quick.

At this place I got a couple of fat quarters, a gnome Christmas advent calendar, and another license plate for my small collection.  On the bottom right hand side is the shops' block for this years shop hop.

Today after work, I spent some time trimming 6 quilts.  Four of them for a customer and ready to be picked up.  Two of them are my own and will be given to Project Linus.  I have to put the binding on first though.   I also assembled a backing for another donation quilt and loaded it on the longarm, ready to be quilted tomorrow after work.  It is only a small one so shouldn't take me more than 2hrs, if that.

Hope everyone enjoyed their day.  Take care and stay safe.