Scrappy Hexies

The longer I follow Bonnie Hunter, the more I appreciate scrappy quilts. I came across this  Scrappy Hexies pattern in the Spring 2015 McCalls Quilting magazine. It caught my eye and I thought it would be fun to make.

I started this quilt nearly a year ago as a Block of the Month with the Clermont County,  Ohio Star Quilt Guild. Nearly a dozen members donated a block and I was off to a great start. Life intervened and also other quilts took priority, so I just finished the quilt this week.

If you follow this blog you know I do a lot of Bonnie Hunter patterns. Well this is not Bonnie's pattern, but everything she loves: scrappy and hexies!  And without her influence I would not have tackled this quilt. First I would not have the strip stash I have today. I am sure my strips are no where as organized as hers, but at least I have them and it makes taking on project like this easy.

The second influence was being able to transfer some of the methodology used in her classes and patterns, especially cutting strips and using the easy angle rulers. While I could not use the easy angle ruler, I adapted the process and used the provided template, flipping as I cut. I used a grunge fabric  for the neutral to give the quilt and "old" look

Rather than use the template provided for the center hexie I used the template from my Go Baby. This made cutting a breeze. Since the final size of each block was what mattered, it was not a problem that my GoBaby template was slightly different that the pattern.



So let the piecing begin. I had a great time pulling scraps from my bins and finding those unusual pieces to give blocks a certain spark. I was really excited to find fabric with text, or special interest, like cats, space and fishing. Everyone and nearly every quilt I have made is represented in this quilt.

Here are some samples:

I also added an addition block to each row, to make the quilt a little wider. This quilt was easy to piece and went together quickly.  I have an appointment to quilt it on June 2nd. I am not sure what pattern I will use, but they are very helpful at The Workshops at Quilters Studio of Loveland where I quilt all my quilts. I am sure they will help me find the perfect pattern. This easy quilt is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Scrappy Hexies- on design floor :)

I give many of my quilts away. I usually have someone in mind before I start the quilt. My husband asked who this quilt was for and I replied. "Me, It's mine, all mine"!

Talkin' Turkey ready for quilting.

Where have the months gone? It seems only weeks ago that I was thinking about Bonnie Hunter's workshop and working on a CrabApples quilt from her patterns. The past few months have been full of ups and down. But I have pushed through and finished a few projects.

My priority was to complete Talkin' Turkey from Bonnie's March workshop here in Cincinnati. I did mine in blue and  yellow as I  will be gifting it to a very special cousin as soon as it's quilted and those are her favorite colors.. I have an appointment to rent a long arm machine in a few weeks and hopefully the binding will go quickly too.

Since my diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma my cousin Pat has been a super support calling to check in and sending cards and cheerful cartoons to brighten my day. I can't say how much this has meant to me and I hope that this quilt will express some of the gratitude of feel.

This was my first experience at strip quilting. It was fun and I was surprised at how much dimension it added.

Block Center

Strip piecing

Completed blocks

I did not follow Bonnie's design for the border. I wanted to get this finished and the size with Bonnie's borders was larger that I wanted. I decided on a plain border just to frame the quilt. I can't wait to see what it looks like quilted. I'm considering a yellow binding.

Completed quilt top

I also finished CrabApples this week, no pictures as of yet and I played around with the border on that quilt too.

My current project is to complete a  Scrappy Hexie quilt from McCalls. I started this a while back and used it as as my block of the month project with my quilt guild. I need 75 hexies, so while enjoyable, this time will be a time consuming project. Pictures will follow on my next post.

When I'm not quilting and have the energy I work in my garden. It's a little over grown, but once things dry up I hope to get things in order. The garden is a lot like quilting.  It is relaxing, but sometimes frustrating. And instead of piece of fabric, you use plants to create a hopefully lovely scene. I love seeing the perennials return each year like an old friend, and even am surprised by wildflowers or seedling from who knows where who just show up in the garden.

 

Hellebore

Hellebore

Dutchman Britches

Azalea from my mother's property

Sassafras and daffodils