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

If you want to hear God laugh tell him your plans.

Last writing I was excitedly waiting for Bonnie Hunter's Mystery and working on a winter Celtic Solstice for our home. I had my next months of quilting planned, but life had other ideas.

In November I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. I started treatment, but things went awry and by the end of December I was hospitalized with kidney failure. Three weeks later I was home, but not feeling like quilting, or doing much of anything. That was early January.

Funny thing is, piecing and quilting is healing. I sew when I'm sad, when I want to celebrate a loved one's memory or special occasion and as a way of saying I'm there for you. From reading blogs I know I'm not alone in the way I use my quilting as a healing art, for myself and others.

With this is mind I could not let Celtic Solstice go. The idea of making those chevron blocks was overwhelming and I decided to abandon that block for a simpler design. I had finished the star blocks before getting sick, so if I could only find a replacement block I could get this beauty done. I decided to use the friendship star as the replacement. It represents the friendships and support I continue to get from my wonderful friends. This quilt is far from perfect. If it was a gift I would have redone several blocks. But it is a symbol of survival, and hope and stubbornness too. I am not going to let this get the best of me. So here is the finished top. I have an appointment to quilt it in March.

Modified Celtic Solstice-

With this done I moved on to a quilt I have had in waiting for several years. It started with a farm fabric that reminded me of my mother's farm. She had many varieties of apples, and her house and barn resembled the house and barn in the fabric.

I could not decide what to do with this fabric and I only half about a yard and a half. I came across "Crabapples" in Bonnie Hunter's book and decided it was the pattern, because it fit the theme of the fabric. You can find the pattern in the book Adventures with Leaders and Enders.

Crabapples

I have 12 tree blocks completed. I am going heavy with the apple theme, as you can see below. Even the sashes will be red with apple seeds.  I am still not sure how and where I will use the farm fabric, perhaps cut it into blocks for the border?

Sample Crab Apple blocks.

As I look through my stash and patterns I am identifying quilts I want to make and pass along to family and friends.  I guess having a serious medical problem changes your thinking in some ways, help one prioritize.   I hope to have Crabapples completed in time to take to my quilting appointment in March.

And what about the Mystery quilt Allietare? The fabric and instructions are in a bin waiting it's turn. For now it's about fourth in line. I'm so excited to report Bonnie Hunter is coming to Cincinnati in early March, so I'll be taking two of her workshops: Talking Turkey and Cathedral Stars. I am so excited..oops...maybe I could not say that, life being so unpredictable. But keeping fingers crossed, God willing and if the stars a line,  I'll have two more Bonnie quilts, I can't wait.

I'm so happy I can't stop singing Allietare, Allietare!

Do you have that one idea for a quilt that you really want to do, but just don't have the  right pattern or vision?  Do you look through books or magazines hoping for inspiration? Me too, and Bonnie provided the  inspiration. I'm IBM, Italian By Marriage. Since Bonnie took her trip to Italy I have hoped against all hope that Italy would be the theme of this year's Mystery Quilt. As you all know my hopes have been fulfilled and I am so happy. I have the paint chips and shopped my stash. I even have my easy angle and companion angle in my container.  Every piece came from my stash. I have not purchase even a fat quarter for this quilt. I think Bonnie would be proud.

It is almost like Bonnie could see my stash because these fabrics are only the tip of the iceberg and I have many other options in these color families if I want to go extra scrappy.

Reds-Not sure about the one with the green leaves.

Golds, the light fabric in the middle is much darker than it looks.

All kinds of neutrals-going a little wild with the black, but is reads neutral

Flash too close? These are actually black on black.

I'll get another picture of the black.. I am still on the fence about which to use as my constant fabric. I really like the grey with white and pieces of gold. I think it might bring the quilt together. The solid fabric seems a little dull.  I will wait to see how it's used and what colors are the companion for that step to make my final decision.

Which grey to use? Doesn't the white and gold brighten things up?

 I am all ready for Allietare. While I am waiting I will be working on my winter solstice and a project for my Cincinnati Ohio Star Quilt Guild.

Finally I have a new quilt inspector. His name is Smoky. He thinks he owns the place and is usually very nosy. I think he will make a good inspector. For now, he is not feeling the excitement. He just says wake me when it's time to start working on that first step.

Lastly - thank you Bonnie Hunter - Can't wait to get started.

Taking down the stash

It is the first of November, and I am so excited about the upcoming winter mystery I am having trouble finishing my current project. On my last post I shared I am making a Winter Solstice. It's inspire by the winter sky and Bonnie's Celtic Solstice pattern.

I am trying figure out the best way to add a little zip. I'm nearly half way through the stars and they are kind of bland. This sample is actually turned around. The dark blue squares are the corners.

Fabrics with snowflake and  the night sky set the mood.

My plan is for the alternate block to sparkle like stars on a moon lite night. But I think I need some contrast or another color.  Here are my colors for that block. My last decision will be to decide if I want to do the work of making the center pinwheel, or just use the gold as my center. Since this is a holiday quilt I'd like to simplify things.  I also have a green that picks up the blue on the left. I may use that for the chevrons. I think I'll make a few samples and then decide. I love this pattern, so I don't want to venture too far from what Bonnie designed.

Today I hope to complete a few more star blocks and make some samples of the chevron blocks. If this does not make sense check out Bonnie's  blog or Facebook page and see Celtic Solstice in all of it's glory. You can also click the link on this blog.  A word of caution...it can be addictive...but oh so rewarding.

This little project has not begun to put a dent in my stash. I've barely put a dent in my holiday fabric container.  I will not look at new fabric until I can close the lids on all my containers. I realize that my stash is small compared to many others. It's also a mess, and I still have another shelf that looks about the same.

You might notice a container of reds, golds, blacks, neutrals and some grey too. Those are Bonnie's colors for Allietare, the winter mystery.  I'd say I'm set.

Coming soon my fabric selection for Allietare.  Thanks to Bonnie Hunter for sharing her talents.

Bonnie Hunter on My Mind

I know I am not alone when I say that Bonnie Hunter is on my mind a lot these days. She has so many wonderful patterns that it's hard to decide which to do first. My bucket list of Bonnie's quilts seems to grow and grow. Will I every find enough time to complete them?

Everyone is already talking about the upcoming Mystery Quilt. We can hardly wait for the colors and name to be announce so everyone can get their paint chips and start searching their stash (or the local fabric store), for that perfect fabric. Secretly I hope that it is an Italy inspired quilt . I have no clue what it will be, but I am going to make a serious effort to make it entirely from my stash.

In the mean time I have worked on a few of Bonnie's patterns. I used her Scrappy Mountain Majesty to make a quilt inspired by the Great Smokey Mountains for my eldest son. I quilted this myself at The Workshop at Quilter's Studio of  Loveland, Ohio.  You can see the quilting detail in a picture below. I love the idea of the leaves floating on the wind over the mountain. Check out the workshop link http://www.quiltersstudioofloveland.com/contact/. 

I've had three or four appointments at the Workshop and am just starting to get comfortable with the long arm machines. The difficulty is remembering all the instructions between visits. Initially I dreaded it, but this last visit, I actually enjoyed myself. Piecing is still where it's at for me....I love to piece..but have discovered the joy of working a project all the way from the first cut of fabric, to the binding.

Quilting detail

The idea for this quilt was to represent a day in the mountain, from the pale blue morning sky through the darkening sky of a late evening in the mountain..The picture does not do it service. Once it was completed I did see a few things I would have changed, like beginning the dark blues earlier in the quilt. Regardless it is very pretty in person.

Evening Comes to the Mountains

This is a versatile pattern. I have seen it made in various colors and layouts and it is always a charming quilt. My granddaughter and I complete a smaller version for her mother  a while back. This was to represent the forest floor in the fall.

Scrappy Mountains Majesty, fall theme.

Tumblers is the leader/ender project Bonnie has going now. I completed a scrappy Christmas tumbler quilt.It put a nice dent in my Christmas stash. I used the process where all the pieces are in a paper bag, and I use what I pull. The only exception was if the pattern needed a certain orientation. In that case I'd just pick another for the interim piece.

Holiday Tumbler

The backing is this holiday fabric, I purchased one year after Christmas.

. I must remember that tops gets smaller when you quilt them. After this was quilted I wished it was a little bigger. It is big enough for my 5'4" frame, but my six foot son.  You can't see the quilting detail in the picture, but it is ribbons done in gold, which is why I used the old for the binding.


What's under my needle now? Do you remember Bonnie's Celtic Solstice? I am making another winter inspire quilt with that pattern.  I plan to make all the star blocks first, using blues and white. I hope that it will look like the night sky. I'll decide about the chevron block once I get this section completed.  This is really my favorite Mystery Quilt, so I am hoping my planned modifications are successful.This will be an easy does it quilt. I'm in no hurry, and not even concerned about getting it done this winter.

Fabric for Winter Solstices

I think these projects will keep me busy until Bonnie announces the next Mystery.  If I do get bored I do have the fabric for Crab Apple waiting on the sideline.  This is too much fun! And I will keep the balance, eat right, get that exercise, be healthier! That will give me lots of energy to work on quilts...

Catching up and finding balance

Searching for Balance

I realized it had been a while since I wrote on this blog, but was shocked when I logged in and realized my last post was March. Where has the time gone?

I've had several distractions that kept me from the blog. I have been working to find balance in my life. January through March I sewed like wild. After all the weather was cold and it got dark early. Unfortunately I didn't get out and walk, or swim, and barely did my yoga. As a result my diabetes went a little wonky and I've spent the summer finding a balance between work, gardening, exercise and quilting..Believe me, it hasn't always been easy. I am not giving myself permission for any sewing marathons unless I began the day with a hour of some kind of workout.

Here we are in September and hopefully I can kept up with the schedule I've created for myself. Of course that does includes time to quilt.

My last two projects where for family friends and both where inspired by patterns found in Quiltmaker.  The first pattern is from a recent Quiltmaker magazine. The pattern is designed by Heidi Pridemore.

Clemson University Quilt

Pattern

 

Prior to that I modified another Quiltmaker quilt. Summer Joy is designed by Ann Weber and can be found in the Mach/April 2015 issue. I am not an applique fan so I changed the applique blocks for blocks featuring some fun beach fabric. I liked the large block size as it enabled me to use the beach and lake fabrics. I also make use of the left over half square triangles from the block to make the pieced border.

Summer Joy

Here is a  picture of the magazine cover that inspire the quilt above. 

Pattern Summer Joy

I plan to stay connected. I follow Kevin the Quilter's blog and he is inspiring me to get back on track. Coming up next blog is Bonnie Hunter on my mind. I've completed a few of Bonnie's quilts in the last few months and have one under the needle right now...but that's for the next blog.