Monday, March 30, 2015

Spring is sprung, the grass is riz....

I wonder where the flowers is?

Trust me....the background crabapple tree blooms in late May! We are not there yet, but I sure do miss the flowers! Hexies that is!
My hexie box is near empty! Time to fill it up again for evening stitching!


I started with a photocopied sheet of hexies. Free on the internet. I then took 5 sheets of plain white freezer paper {I found this was the max that is easier to cut without hurting your hand)

I then cut strips off my photocopied page and attach it to a strip of the wax paper -- remember nothing is pre-measured. Just chop a width off your freezer paper - remember, 5 sheets thick. You then place a staple through these layers in the middle of each hexie.

When you have a whole batch, start cutting along the line. This is where the # of layers are important. With more layers, your cuts can be off, even by a fraction is enough that you don't get nice matching petals when you whip stitch them together. Some people at this point will put a hole punch in the center of each hexie to make removal easier. For me, it wasn't a big deal at the end to remove the paper. It came out easily enough!

Remove the staple, discard the paper piece, unless you want to use that piece and glue onto your strip of fabric. I don't use this piece because then I would have to take out my glue and glue each piece onto the fabric. Make sure that you have shiny side down onto the wrong side of the fabric. Remember you want to be able to adhere the waxy side to your 2.5" strip, or scrap, or whatever you are using. I find 2.5 strips easy to manage and store in my hexie box.

Then place each of the hexies along your strip and press down on the paper side so the hexie adheres to the fabric.

This is the important part Morgan -- do not be in a hurry or you will slice your finger off! LOL... I do not use a ruler, I just trim enough to leave about 1/4 of an inch all around the hexie. I am using my small rotary cutter as you can see.


This is what it looks like. I tend to cut a hundred or so of these and then spend my next hexie day as a "glue" day. 

I have tried all types of glue. You name it, I bought it -- but the cheapest is Elmer's stick glue. It washes out very easily and lasts a long time. It is also easy on the budget. It's up to you, but make sure that it is washable as you don't want the residue of the glue to gum up and when it comes to quilting time, or removal time, you don't want the wax paper hexies stuck on there! You can see that I am focusing the glue on the fabric, rather than the paper.

Use your fingers to press down the edges to the paper side of the hexies - remember the wax side has adhered to the wrong side of the fabric.

Make sure you do the corner as well.

You can see the I am getting some glue on my finger as well! No worries! it washes off! I want to make sure that I have the whole edge of that fabric so it will stick where it needs to! I've even glued hexies in the car while travelling through Portugal! This is the easiest step where you really don't need to watch too carefully! I also have a couple of those wet-naps in my kit so I can clean the glue off my fingers!

Closer picture so you can see some edges are narrower than the others  It's ok if they are a bit narrower and a bit wider! It will all work out when you start stitching! You can see the corners are nice and tight. Excuse the lack of manicure! 

This hexie is ready to go!

These were the different glues that I used. The ONLY difference is all three of these are about 3-4 dollars MORE than Elmers. You pick!

Fuzzy pile of hexies!

Voila! After sticking all of them together. Once the whole quilt top is together, then I start picking out the papers.

So my dearest Morgan -- now that you know how to hand-stitch! Guess you know how to put these together! No worries! I am STILL working on this one for you!


Happy Quilting everyone! What are you doing today?

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Retreat Love!


 I was all set up and ready to go! I was at the end of a table, which I love! I love sitting next to Trish! She's an incredible quilter and creates some amazing bags! Here's a couple of them. I am sure the colours are not quite right, but you can imagine the work that went into these!




When we arrived, our seats were marked by these cute little treats! I  understand that Trish and Michelle worked on these! Michelle also had a Fabric Bingo game for us! Wish I would have taken a photo of the cards! What a clever idea! (lots of work though I am sure and much appreciated! Thanks ladies!)





 

Our room was off the lobby. See the chair with the black sweater? That's MINE!!! ALL MINE Bwahhhh haaaa haaaaa!


Beautiful colors! Forgive me for forgetting the name of the quilter who made these! Phyllis' daughter!

Vera's gorgeous quilt for her mom-in-law! Love the rich colors in this!


Vera's next project. All from her stash!





  1. Three baby quilts in one weekend! WOW! Now she's Val is one prolific quilter!

Phyllis and her daughter just came back from a cold retreat in Vermont! Not to worry! They were all bundled up for the retreat, but the snow surrounded them! Take a look at the beautiful quilt that Phyllis completed! I can just imagine this on a comfy, poufy bed with lots of pillows! 
"Can you bring me my slippers my dear?" with a bejeweled hand directing him!



Phyllis was so worried about this horse! She didn't start the outlining at this point -- but it's just breathtaking already! She was working this into a place mat for her brother who loves horses! She kept at it and sat across from me. She stuck with it and the end result was worth it! 

Here's what I found at the Sugar Pine Company on our way home! Now I know how to to it!

Of course while you are shopping for that "one" thing, there are those other "things" that jump out at you and have to follow you home!  Look at those weenie scissors! I'm going to put those right into the hexies kit! It has a little cover that you just pull from the handle and cover the tips! (P,S. I think I have a scissor addiction along with my fabric addiction, my thread addiction.....)




Phyllis' daughter whipped up this cute little tea towel for Easter! Look at the cute little tail!


Cindy and Karen also had a little store set up! I took myself right over to the table to "look". You know what that's like! The looking turns into fabric fondling, and then you start a little pile of things you just "HAVE TO HAVE"...then out comes the wallet! I couldn't resist getting a couple of those tea towel kits! One's "carrots" and the other I think are "eggs". Just something little to whip up before next weekend for a hostess gift!


I couldn't walk away from the bright coloured fabric! I had my little ironing station set up beside me. I brought my trusty Mary Ellen's Best Press! I found the little bottle put out a great little mist for those smaller pieces that you need to starch!

The moral to my story -- take a look at your sewing machine carefully BEFORE you leave! I didn't have much chance to do much more than piecing a bit. I had my walking foot on my machine. Of course I had to take the shank piece off that you snap your feet on -- AND I didn't  pack that little piece! I was pouting a bit -- but made the best on it and finished all my blocks for my scrap quilt! Another hour or so and I should have a top ready for Karen to long-arm! YEAH!

 Check out my Retreat Packing List ! I think I need to update it!
                Love the colors of Michelle's baby quilt!
Cheeky little whales are grinning!
Michelle is quilting up a storm for all those Spring babies!


We played "Name the Block" -- I guessed 6 out of 12! Look what I won! Little chocolates, a mini charm pack, some needles and chocolate goodness! Look at the cute little carrier! 
How delightful!


Check out Nimble Thimbles Quilt Club on Facebook! It's quite the place to visit and be inspired!

PS -- and a great BIG thank you to Michelle's hubby who set up hours and hours
 of music for us to sew by! Such a change from another retreat I went to with head
banger music blasting me out of my seat !

I felt just like a weekend binge to Vegas!

Now repeat after me..... "What happens at RETREAT ... STAYS AT RETREAT!!!"
My thanks to Nimble Thimbles Quilt Club, Cindy, Karen, Michelle and Trish 
..and everyone else who put so much time and work into this Retreat
 to make it a wonderful weekend!

HAPPY QUILTING ALL! MAY YOU ENJOY EVERY STITCH!
Margo



Saturday, March 21, 2015

National Quilting Day 2015


You may remember this quilt that I posted back in 2013. I entered it into Fon's and Porter's "My favorite Quilt" entry. I entered it and it was picked for today's quilt! Very exciting!

This is my entry. I am very humbled that they chose it for National Quilting Day. Just is a wonderful reminder of how quilting can heal, motivate, calm, and so many other things that non-quilters would not understand. It's more than a "hobby", it's a lifeline for many. It's a way to "create". Funny how some people don't understand why someone would cut up perfectly good fabric to put it all back together again! I am sure many of you have heard that one!

Happy National Quilting Day everyone! Here's my memory lane so far!




















So much more to come -- as soon as I get to it! 

Happy National Quilting Day!

Margo