Thursday, March 15, 2018

Making Hexagons

Hello Everyone

Here in the Midwest, it is almost spring.  I'm looking forward to sitting out on the porch to do some hand stitching.  I'm also looking forward to attending some quilt shows and some one stop shop hops.
I've had several people ask what has happened to my blog.  My laptop is mostly in my sewing room, so instead of sitting at the computer I usually sit at the sewing machine.   And, I know a lot of you out there are closet game players.  I usually sit here and play the daily solitaire challenge.  I know it's a bit of a time waster, but I look at it as exercise for my brain.....   That's my story anyway.  So sometimes the solitaire happens and the blog post doesn't.

I am over on Instagram a bit.   Over there it's just a photo with a couple of sentences and some hash tags ####.   I never thought I'd see the day when I would hash tag anything, but I do.  That was what we used when we played tic-tac-toe to kill time in study hall back in high school.   A hash tag is just another word for labels.   I put as many labels as I can on my blog posts and Instagram posts so if someone is searching for a topic, they might come across my posts.   I've put the link to my INSTAGRAM account over on the right side of the page so you can come over there and follow me.

Here is what I've been spending a lot of my sewing time on.  These are 3/4" hexagons - my favorite size.   A group of us over on Instagram and Facebook are making the quilt that Libby Morgan made in the book by Leah Zieber, Libby Morgan Reunion.  The quilt is made of hexagons surrounded by a path.   .  

The next few photos are of some of my 3/4" hexagons.   Most of my hexagons are fussy cut...probably 99% of them.   Most of my fabric looks like Swiss cheese, but I love the look of fussy cut hexagons or anything English paper pieced.   And I do revisit my pieces of swiss cheese to cut other hexagons or cut for scrap quilts.   Those scraps are also good for applique'.





This container is just my 3/4" basted and cut hexagons.   Honestly, I found this blog post in my drafts folder.  I had it scheduled to post almost a year ago.  Something happened, and it didn't post.   I have the quilt top almost put together and am ready to choose a border.  

 

Here are the beginnings of adding the path between the hexagons.  Karen over at FaeriesandFibres blog  adds 5 path hexagons to each rosette, and they fit together kind of like a puzzle.  That is really a good way to work on the path right along with sewing the hexagons. 



I'm not exactly sure what fabric I will use for my border fabric, but I auditioned this fabric by Di Ford Hall and think it is a definite possibility.





Then a few of us over on Instagram went off the deep end and are making these double hexagons.  We hashtag them Liberated Libbies because they are the regular inside hexagon arrangement with the outer ring arranged in different ways.   They are really just double hexagons.  You saw the photo above with the container of 3/4" hexagons cut and over half are ready to be glue basted to the paper pieces.  I have two other containers of 1" hexagons with the same amount or more.  One has Civil War/repro hexagons and the other has bright fabrics.  I also have a bag of 1 1/4" hexagons left over from my Road 66 quilt but I'm cutting them down to use with my other 1" hexagons.  



Here are some of my double hexagons.  I've cut a few "new" hexagons, but I'm trying to use those that I already have cut to make this quilt.  I'm not quite sure of the arrangement I'll use yet.  Right now, I'm just having fun matching up the fabrics and sewing them.



I  really love to fussy cut hexagons or any English Paper Piecing as much if not more than I like to sew them.   Here is the link to my fussy cutting tutorial.   I explain how I choose fabrics for fussy cutting and how I place my templates on the fabric.   I use pretty old fashioned methods, but I enjoy tracing around my template with a marker and then cutting the hexagons out with scissors.  That is great TV work in the evenings, and I find it relaxing.  

Here is the link to my Lucy Boston Framed Tutorial showing you how I fussy cut a striped fabric to make a frame around the outside round of a Lucy Boston block.  

I have a lot more in the works to show you, so I'll be back again soon.  


Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

I hope you're finding some time to stitch today!

13 comments:

  1. It always makes me happy to see a post pop up from you on my reading list!
    You have always done fussy-cutting so well, and these examples in this post prove my point. Every single one appears so carefully thought out, and the results are incredible!
    Thanks for sharing the method of putting 5 of the path pieces on each rosette. That is brilliant!
    Your possible border fabric looks really good to me. :)

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  2. Nice to see your post, I enjoyed seeing your hexagons - you really are a fussy cutting expert. Intersting how the online world is moving....I stick to blogging mostly as I generally do all my onine stuff on a PC.

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  3. Your hexies are delightful! I am so glad you shared with us blog readers. Your tutorials on fussy cutting is exactly where I'll begin my Lucy Boston project. Nice to see you again!

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  4. Enjoyed your post and seeing your lovely blocks. Keep 'em coming!

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  5. I think the Di Ford border fabric works very well. Seems like I have some of that.

    I look at Instagram but have never posted anything. I should give it a try.

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  6. Your hexies look beautiful! Thanks for the update.

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  7. You've been making some beautiful hexies. Loved seeing your Route 66. Beautiful!

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  8. Love your Libby's--so cute! The fussy cutting is so amazing and your quilt is going to be just charming!

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  9. I really love your Post LuAnn and so many pretty hexagons completed! I love the Di Ford border - pretty pretty!
    I also look forward to your posts! Keep on posting!

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  10. Watching you work with fabrics to create hexies is the best tutorial ever...every one is a jewel! Good to see you post up as you always have so many wonderful things to share. And Di’s fabric is always a good choice!! BTW I know how frustrating it is to try blogging from an iPad. I have the iPad Pro and have been using Blogo (free app at the Apple app store with the option to upgrade for a small monthly fee) to post to my blog. The app is about a year old and the team over there seems to be periodically adding features and are also very responsive when you contact them with an issue. I can upload my images and type text quite smoothly - the only quirky thing so far is if you try to edit your draft more than 3 times the program seems to think it should be published immediately. If you have any questions, let me know...I keep discovering more ways to work with the app. Hope this helps. (I am not affiliated with Blogo)

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  11. Found some saved posts to comment on.......
    love the fussy cutting in your blocks......it is so much fun fussy cutting and can create some amazing effects........

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  12. So glad to see your post!!! I absolutely love your Hexagons. You really helped me with my Briton Hall in 2015 and I am grateful for the tutorial you put out! Keep up the beautiful work and I am ready to see the finished quilt! Hugs

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