Camping

Ok, so these are kind-of strange photos to take while camping... but this is what the non-drinkers do while they are camping!!! We sew!

 I've made this entire hexagon made from 3 diamonds over the Easter weekend....

And here it is with some of its friends.... ahhh...

Such a convenient project to take away with you - only needs one little ziploc bag. If you've pre-cut your fabric you don't even need scissors....

What I forg...

What I forgot... and what I just realised.....

Whoops.... feeling a bit blonde at the moment... I've just realised that I didn't share the finished hexagon triangle from the weekend... stitched while I watched The Hangover 2 with Mum, and while the bones were stitched onto the Poky Puppy Quilt...

And while laying these out to take a photograph, I've just realised that the latest one I made is a different size! I've used a different size hexagon template... derr....

I am using the same sized hexagon template to make another piece... but this is part of a diamond. Oh my....

Do you know this means I just started ANOTHER project? Oh no!! hahahahha... I have no idea how many projects are on the go now...

Doesn't take long...

It doesn't take long to knock up a few of these hexagons... just a couple of hours at Wednesday night sewing..... oh! I hadn't been there for about a year! I'm so glad I went.... I have a feeling I will be sewing a lot more in the next little while...

Cruising....

Over Easter I worked on the black and pink triangles for the outside of a star... Then I took the completed triangles on a cruise into the Pacific Islands... oh yes... maybe it's time for a cruise pic too?

I finished the centre on the cruise, and this is what it will look like when its sewn together...

In case you've never been on a cruise, let me give you a hint... don't bother taking any sewing... you'll be too busy relaxing, or enjoying the onboard activities... or you'll feel a little too rocky. :)



A lot of black...

I am working on the little hexagons over Easter.... is that why my thumb is a bit sore? These are little and fiddly, but oh so easy to pick and go with...

I need to make 6 of these triangle units to make one large star.... I'm going to need a lot of black for this quilt...

And.... I've been thinking, that I might need to sell some of my quilts.... I really don't need quite so many at home anyway....

And it's back to...

And it's back to the hexagons... Here is another diamond shape...

I've started fitting two of these together...

Then for something different I am starting to make a large star with lots of hexagon pieces... these are the first identical parts of the star.

These little pieces are so convenient to carry around... I'm loving them at the moment...

That is, until I can get my machine out and about next...

Little little hexagons....

I've been carrying around a little bit of hand sewing.... loving these little hexagons...

I've finished two diamond segments... And started another one.... I just realised why I'd put them aside for a while (there is always a reason isn't there??)... and it's because I needed another ice cream container lid to make a hexagon template... mine was getting worn out...

I'm not entirely happy with these photos... they were taken on my phone.. but I'm blogging on a laptop now, and it's better to blog on the run than not at all.....

Hexagons

Every now and then I go a little mad on the hexagon thing, then I become tired of it. Looking at these fabrics has made me want to tidy up my fabric stash.

The pen is in the photo for scale.

I read an article in Quilter's Newsletter - one of the points that stuck in my mind is this: Imagine the kind of fabric stash you would like to have. Now go and look in your stash, and remove anything that doesn't fit into the type of stash you would like.... I've got some really old fabrics (well 10-12 years old) that really aren't my thing anymore. I think if I can "remove" them (give them away) the rest of my stash could be more organised, tidier and take up a lot less space. I will keep you posted.

A couple of nights handwork...

This is 3 nights of hand-sewing...

Every now and then I seem to do machine-sewing in a frenzy (when I have a block of time). The rest of the time it's hand-sewing....

This will form part of my 1800s hexagon sampler. I am making up the designs as I go.

Handy hexagon handwork

These hexagons are great for handwork when it doesn't matter if one is travelling in a bumpy ute!!

When applique just isn't suitable, or doesn't pack up into a small enough bag, or when I don't have enough ready, I take out my handy hexagons.

There's still a lot to go... but I don't mind. VBG.

A bit of black

I've started working on one particular section of the Civil War Hexagon quilt - it's a large block with black dividing various areas.It looks really black at the moment. Once there are larger areas of colours it will look more colourful. This section shows about 3 night of sewing.

I was just too tired to work on the Dollhouse blocks a couple of nights ago.. so I worked on my Civil War Hexagon quilt (did I mention the dollhouse blocks are part of a Block Of The Month called "It's A Dollie's Life" designed by Rosalie Quinlan - you can search for these patterns on the web).

I thought I would give you an indication of scale with these hexagons. This is just a project I pick up when I need some handwork. It requires no preparation, so I can pick it up and just go. Obviously it is a long term project.

I enjoy working on these now and again... especially when I am tired. I don't have to think too hard.

Civil War Hexagons get an airing

I made this triangle of hexagons while at the Strath Quilt-In last Saturday. It was lovely to catch up with friends, and hear Corliss speak about the Civil War Bride Quilt. (I really can't wait to start it!).Here are all the pieces I have made so far... Would you like to see what inspires me?

You can search the web to find out more about Albert Small who designed and made quilts using tiny hexagons (not necessarily the quilts pictured here are made by him).

Mine will be out of all my scraps.. I will be adding black between and around to add definition to the designs.

Heyyyy, I've got plenty of time right??

On schedule

I am right on schedule with the finishing of my Paris Holiday quilt. I finished it on Sunday night!!

Last Monday was a public holiday here in Victoria. My DH and I went for a drive to the beach... the sea air was refreshing. We have been working 7 days a week since opening our own business.

I had another day off yesterday and went out with my girlfriends. We visited the Couture Exhibition (from the V&A Museum). Oh, it was inspiring. Embroidered clothes and underwear, tiny-stitched gloves, full evening gowns...

I worked on these little civil war hexagons in the car... This is going to be a mini quilt to hang on my little quilt wall.

I wrote this nearly 2 weeks ago and did not post because I can't seem to find my camera... I still haven't found it (I am using my DH's camera and the photos aren't as colour-rich as usual). I have just posted this entry on the 23rd March!!!

Civil war building blocks... er hexagons

I have finished the binding on the Kaffe and Liberty quilt - but I need someone to hold it for a good photo.

I can show you a photo of the latest civil war hexagons I have been working on...

Today is "poem in your pocket" day at work. We carry a poem around and share them with each other. I have chosen 2 poems. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost (1928) and "Warning!" by Jenny Joseph (1932). Hard times seem to have been good for poetry - one needed something to dream about I guess.

I am dreaming of finishing the Chicken Soup quilt ready to start a fungly quilt... (well, that's all I'm going to tell you anyway!!)

One reason or another

I was in a panic when I made that UFO list... but now I have listed 8 finished items for 2008 (with more already finished items to add), I can see a pattern emerging.

Six of my eight finished items were started and finished this year. Why haven't I finished the old ones?

I lost momentum for one reason or another... I tried not to go onto another new project until I finished one - that has really helped me not to add to the list. It gives me incentives to finish something so that I can start my hot new project.

It is important for me to discuss what the "reasons or another" are that have built up my UFO list - I hope that you will modify your behaviour if you recognise these "symptoms"....

• Run out of or can't find fabric for the task (hell-ooo! that happened with the 2007 mystery quilt! I needed fabric for 2 leaves and couldn't find it anywhere despite asking all over the internet. Five months later I found my piece... where it wasn't supposed to be!
  
• Start stitchery block per month and get sidetracked when waiting for blocks (if I had them all it would only have taken me about 2 months to do them all) - know what I mean?
  
• Need to buy fabrics to suit e.g. initial swap blocks, 1930s baskets, wedding blocks from friends - while trying not to purchase fabrics.. therefore, need to get into a lot of temptation by taking blocks along to match for sashings (going on a hunt for fabric allows too many opportunities to regress into fabric collecting)... it's so scary!


• Had to stop the quilt while collecting co-ordinating fabrics - mind you, that was a long time ago. I do not need to collect fabrics anymore, I am trying to use them up. But, when I started the Jane Stickle quilt in 2001 I had to stop several times to collect more black reproduction fabric, then more brown, more purple etc.


• Won blocks in lucky block draw and therefore did not fit into the urgent, mad rush that comes with deciding on a new project (Christmas redwork, old chooks blocks).


• I stuffed up and it needs unpicking and a clear head to suss out what I did wrong.
  
• I don't like it anymore - either the fabric choices, or my skills have improved so much over the last 7 years that I can't bear to look at that atrocity let alone finish it! But, I can't throw it out either (I have given one UFO away to a good cause).


• Another deadline took over - e.g. a wedding quilt had to be finished so I put that one away for a little while.


• It's a project to pick up when I am between projects (e.g. civil war hexagons)
  

I would love to hear your excuses... or is it "recognised reasons" for building up a list of UFOs. Please post a comment.
I must add one more thing before I add a picture - I make quilts because I find it relaxing and soothing. Why should I work on something if I don't feel like it? This is why I have limited myself to working on four at the moment...

Maybe civil war hexagons will be removed from my list of four before it's finished because I will tire of it, but that is my perogative.