Hexagons resurrected

 After more than 2 years I've taken my hexagons out of storage and done some work on them.

These were made in the Hemisphere Quiltalong designed and hosted by Sheila Christensen through the autumn of 2020. All fabrics are from stash.

The pieces were already joined into 10 rows of half-hexagons and at the beginning of this week I joined the rows into pairs, and yesterday joined rows together: rows 1 & 2 are joined, 3, 4, 5 & 6 and 7, 8, 9 & 10. It took a lot of pinning, matching the points, but most of them so far are spot on! This afternoon I hope to finish joining the centre of the top. Then I'll be cutting and attaching the borders.

It feels so good to be working on this again.

I'm linking to:

Quilting Patchwork Appliqué

 

Wendy's Quilts and More 

Happy sewing

Marly.

One November goal

 My monthly goal for November is to trim and bind my Pluses throw: "Staying Positive". I made this last month during a QAL with Brigitte Heitland of Zen Chic; it's one of her patterns.

I quilted it during a long-arm quilting lesson with Elly Prins a week or so ago. At her suggestion I used a meander motif, and I left the pluses unquilted. I'm considering doing some straight line hand quilting in them, but haven't made up my mind yet. What do you think?

I'm linking up to One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts.

Happy sewing

Marly.

Pluses quilt is a top

My September goal has been to complete the top of my Pluses quilt that I have made during Brigitte Heitland's quilt along of the same name. Pluses quilt is the working title, now mine has been renamed "Stay Positive" For the first time in a very log time I have achieved my goal!

Although it's a lap quilt it's too big for me to quilt on my domestic machine, so it will soon be heading towards the long-armer. This will be a first.

Close up of part of the lower section.

Fabric used:

4 metres Kona "Storm", although there is a lot left so I'll use it for the binding too.

Pluses in fabric from stash. They measure 6" square, and 9" square.

This has been a very interesting experience; it's the first time I've cut all the fabric for a quilt before making a stitch!

I shall be linking up to 

Elm Street Quilts for One Monthly Goal

Alycia's Quilts for Finished or not finished Friday

Keep healthy

Happy sewing

Marly.

Dancer in the woods

 

 

The dancer was made using a pattern by Laura Heine in February 2020, just days before our first Covid-19 lock-down. I attended a workshop given by Elly Prins on collage quilting and I've now finally finished the collage. I still have to embellish the piece with embroidery and beads and, of course, quilt it.

I'm linking to:

Finished or not finished quilts at Alycia's Quilts

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and more

Click on the links to see more finished quilts and works in progress.

Marly.

Monthly goal in September

Having failed to meet my goals in June and July, I've taken a rest from the Do. Good stitches quilting for the Comfort Circle. I've been steadily working on it, but progress has been very slow. 

In August I started a new project: the "Pluses Quilt" quilt along, organised by Brigitte Heitland and using her pattern of the same name. My goal is to produce a completed top by the end of September. At the moment I've sewn all the pluses for the throw and have laid out the the first three rows with the background fabric. 

 

The little labels on the background fabric give the code name, as few background pieces are identical. This is Brigitte's idea, and it really works; having initially cut and labelled all the background pieces locating them in the quilt becomes easy. Once they are sewn together the labels will go, of course!

This way of working is new to me. This is the first time I've used a Zen Chic pattern and I had always thought Brigitte's quilts were improv. Far from it! This is carefully calculated cutting. I'm going to try this approach myself in future, although I'm afraid the maths will do my head in!

I'm linking up to Elm Street Quilts for

Click on the link to see more  quilters' goals.

Keep safe and healthy

Happy sewing

Marly.

July: new month - old OMG

 

Unfortunately I didn't achieve my goal of finishing quilting the Do. good stitches quilt last month.  

 

So it has carried over into July; my goal this month is to move this quilt on further. 

I just haven't been able to settle to it. I have been finding recently that manoeuvring the quilt during FMQ puts strain on my hands so I can't do more than about 15 minutes in one stretch. The recent high humidity doesn't seem to help. My machine is due for servicing so I think I'll make an appointment with the dealer this week and give myself an enforced rest from FMQ!

So what did I do to this quilt in the last month? I finished the "wishbone" motif on the sashing and quilted a few hearts on the blue crumb squares. I've decided to do a simple motif in every square, giving squares of the same colour the same motif.

We'll have to see how far this project advances in the next month.

I'm linking to:

 

Click on the button above to see more patchwork and quilting aspirations.

Happy sewing 

Marly

June's monthly goal

Unfortunately I didn't make much progress with my goal in May. I started quilting but strained my right shoulder and have stopped again for the moment. My goal for this month is the same as for last - to quilt the Do Good Stitches quilt the Comfort Circle group made in March.

Proof of progress: 

assembled, layered, pinned and partly quilted.

I'm quilting the sashing with, supposedly, a wishbone motif but the loops are turning out too rounded when I'm moving the quilt away from or towards me. I only seem to get it right when sewing from right to left. Still, it looks quite pretty the way it is.

It's not perfect; I blame the shoulder! However, more practice wouldn't go amiss!

I'm linking up to Elm Street Quilts for One Monthly Goal in June.

Happy sewing,

Marly.