Hexagons – Page 8 – Kelly's Kwilts

Hexagon Diamonds Update

Well, I FINALLY got the 6th row added onto the main piece last night. Waited until today to get the picture just because it was so late when I got the last piece added. There’s only 7 more rows to add on to this and I’ve already pulled the baggies for the next row. Of course while I was trying to get a picture this morning, Alex wanted to lay on it so I got a picture of him posing. He was crawling all over it finding all the blue pieces of fabric – that’s 1 of 2 colors he can say. He understands what the colors are, he just only says blue and black (this is new in the last week or so).

Hubby and I have been working to get our macs setup the way we want them (he got a new Macbook Pro last week). We’ve been buying things we need for the machines or our network at home so I decided to buy a few things for myself too! I ordered 2 dies for my Accuquilt Go, a 3″ finished half-square triangle and a 2″ finished half-square triangle. The 3″ die is going to be used with my signature die, and the 2″ die is going to work quite nicely with my 2″ finished squares. I have so many designs in my head I’d love to do and having the 2″ finished triangles and squares will take care of MOST of them! I have 2 dies I’d love to have custom made, but they are each just under $100. I wish I could get them done cheaper somewhere else, I just haven’t bothered looking yet to see if that is possible. It’s on my large to-do list!

I fixed the row that was messed up on Wiggly Whimsy, but then realized I had another row that was messed up. I took the stitching out of that row this morning and was hoping to sew it this afternoon, instead I’ve been working on my computer all day. I hope to get it pinned tonight and I’ll probably sew it tomorrow. Once Alex gets up from his nap, my sewing time is gone and he should be getting up in the next 45 minutes or so.

Can’t decide if I want to work on hexagons tonight or hand quilting. Maybe I’ll do both! We were at Home Depot last week and I wanted to see if they had 1/4″ blue painters tape and forgot to look. I’m going to Target this week, maybe I’ll see if I can get some there. Then I wouldn’t have to mark the hand quilting lines when I’m doing 1/4″ in a block. Looks like Alex is up, and I haven’t pinned the pieces togther for Wiggly Whimsy, guess that’s on the list for tomorrow’s nap time!

Design Wall Monday – 04-15-13

I have decided to work on my hand quilting practice piece for awhile this past weekend in an effort to finish it and get my first hexagon quilt basted and in the hoop. I’d like to have it ready to go before we start camping so I can work on it while we are gone. If I can get the hexagon quilt completed this summer I can enter it into our guild quilt show in October! I’ve been expirimenting with different marking pencils/markers and I think I like the disappearing ones best. I don’t think I like all the chalk ones, hopefully they will come out of this since I started this using them.

I spent yesterday working on my Wiggly Whimsy quilt and I got all the rows put together. I’m not posting a picture of it yet because I need to take part of it apart and resew it because I somehow managed to mess it up last night. Hoping to get that taken apart tonight and put it back together tomorrow while Alex naps. I really like how it looks and I’ve decided to finish it for Alex to use in his bed. He’s starting to like sleeping with a blanket and he has to have one from momma!

I also finished up the last 2 diamonds I need for the next row in my hexagon diamonds quilt. Hope to start putting them on in the next few days. I’ve already pulled the baggies for the next row, so I have those to work on as well – prepping them to be sewn together. I am beginning to think I was overly ambitious in wanting this quilt completed for our first camping trip. So when I was out buying things we needed I found a nice blanket for our bed until I can get it completed. I can work on it while we are camping.

While I was putting the Wiggly Whimsy quilt together yesterday I was also working on the scrappy 9 patch quilt and putting the 4 patches together for the border. Since that is a long term project and I’m in no hurry I don’t mind using it as a leader/ender project. Of course while reading blog posts yesterday I saw a quilt on one of them that was all 9 patch blocks and solid squares set on point. I spent a few minutes designing it in EQ and thinking about how I could do it with the fabrics I have. It would look really cool as a 2 color quilt, but would also look nice scrappy. I just have way too many ideas in my head! I was perusing Pinterest today and saw directions on how to do a disappearing 4 patch block. Oh did that look cool! I have a ton of 4.5″ charms I cut from scraps with the value die on my Go that I could use to do this. Maybe with black squares and scrappy squares? I’ll have to see if I can figure out the best way to design it in EQ and play around with colors.

Hopefully I’ll be back soon with pictures of a completed Wiggly Whimsy top!

Wiggly Whimsy & Scrappy 9 patch

I finally got another hexagon diamond finished, only 2 left and I can attach to the main piece. I really like the colors I picked for this one, but I can’t stand the maroon fabric. I don’t remember when I bought it or what I bought it for, but I really can’t wait until it’s gone. It is really stiff and hard to work with, especially when working by hand.

I decided to finish up the rows for Wiggly Whimsy. I still need to iron them and put all 7 rows together, but at least these have been finished. I really think I’m going to like this when it’s all put together. Still haven’t decided what I’m going to do with it, or how I’m going to quilt it. I might give it to Alex for his bed, he’s started wanting a blanket in bed lately. I think it might fit in his toddler bed without being too huge. We’ll have to see once it’s all put together though!

While I worked on finishing up Wiggly Whimsy I pulled 2.5″ squares so I could start working on the scrappy 9 patch quilt. I needed to cut more black squares with my Go, but that’s so easy and fast it really wasn’t a big deal. I now have 120 twosies that need ironed so I can make the 4 patch blocks that make up the border. I’ll need to cut more black squares for the 9 patches, but that can wait since I have the 4 patches to put together. I’m thinking that I’ll work on this a little in the afternoons while Alex naps, along with putting Wiggly Whimsy together. I can listen to the tv or a podcast while I work and time just flies.

Alex has finally hit the terrible twos and has little tantrums at stores, usually when I tell him no I’m not buying him something. I’m at the point of ignoring him even though people are always looking at me because he’s screaming and crying. All of a sudden he doesn’t want to nap, he plays in his room for hours until I finally let him out. He’s locked his door twice in the last week, the first time I FREAKED out and had to call hubby to find out how to get the doggone door open. I just could not think clearly or rationally. There is now a wire hanger outside his door for easy access :).

I guess I better go start gathering things for the trip to the in-laws for our Easter celebration, tomorrow we’ll be at my parents all day. Hope everyone has a Happy Easter!

Small Updates

I have been trying to work on projects again now that everyone is on the mend. I spent the afternoon putting binding on some baby quilts for the guild. These are just pre-quilted pieces of fabric that needed binding so I said I’d take 2. Granted I brought these home in February and should have finished them already, but that’s ok. Binding is now attached to 1 side, and I’ll work on sewing it to the back this weekend during all the family travels for Easter. I can return these in April so they can be donated to one of the charities we support.

I’ve gotten another hexagon diamond done this weekend, I have 3 more and I can start adding the next row. Hoping to have another overall picture by Monday, but I’m not counting on it! I am planning on working on another diamond tonight, might be able to get it done while I watch tv.

I did manage to get all the squares put together into sets on Sunday afternoon. So next time I can sit down and work on Wiggly Whimsy I can attach the rectangles on all of them. I love that this is a SAL, however these rows go together so fast I just can’t wait until the next month to work on it. So I’m thinking I’ll just work on it in batches when I can and see when I get it done.

We had our taxes done last night and are getting a refund. Hubby said I can get a Mac mini since my PC is getting older and having issues. Instead of reformatting everything I’d much rather get something new. I think we are ordering it tonight, I hope it gets here fast!!!

Wiggly Whimsy – Row 3

I am FINALLY able to sit at the sewing machine and work on a project. We’ve had a lot of illness in the house the last few weeks and when we weren’t sick we were either packing my sister’s apartment or actually moving her to the house. The move is all done and while Alex and I are still sick, we are feeling much better!

So while Alex napped today I decided to work on the next row for Wiggly Whimsy. 3 rows are now completed and I can’t wait to see this completed. I think it’s going to look really cool with the black background. I’m really happy with how this quilt is turning out. I just finished sorting the rest of the 2.5″ squares into 4 piles for the rest of the rows. I might see if I can get all of the squares put together tonight – unless the hubby wants to watch shows! I took a picture of all 3 finished rows together, just looks cool!

Since I have a lot of projects that I’m working on that are using black as a background, I decided to get a bolt of the black Kona from Joann’s. A bolt is 8 yards and while it’s 7.99 a yard, I got a discount on the last 3/4 yard since it wasn’t a full yard. Plus I used a 40% off coupon and paid less $45 for 7+ yards of fabric plus a couple of water soluble markers that I need for my hand quilting. I shouldn’t need anything else to finish Wiggly Whimsy, and hopefully nothing else for the hexagon diamonds quilt.

I don’t have an update on hexagon diamonds, since I haven’t really been working on it lately. When I was sick I just didn’t feel like working on any hand work. I was working on the hexi prep during the last guild meeting, and it just sat for a week or 2. I almost have 1 of the 4 diamonds completed that I need for the next row, hopefully will be putting that all together by the weekend.

I’ll try not to be a stranger anymore, Alex has finally hit the terrible twos and I need the sewing to keep my sanity!

Design Wall Monday 030413

I haven’t had an update in awhile. I’ve been busy working on putting the next row of diamond hexagons together and finally finished the fifth one yesterday. Here’s my excuse 🙂 hubby decided we needed to reorganize all the hard drives on our network (including buying 2 new ones!). So I spent quite a few days moving files and renaming things. Then I was sick over the weekend – as in I was so cold that a blanket AND a fire didn’t help! Feeling much better now, but not much got done while I was sick. Oh yeah, I did read Jennifer Chiaverini’s The Giving Quilt that came out last fall. I liked it, but would have like more story around the main Elm Creek Quilter’s. Hopefully the next book will have that!

So I did get 2 of the diamonds attached last night, the other 3 are just in place and I hope to get attached tonight. I had originally planned on getting this done by the end of March. I am finally realizing that I was WAY too ambitious. Since we still not sure when the RV will be ready I guess it doesn’t matter. Besides, we don’t have the first camping trip planned yet! So I will keep working and see what I can get finished.

I was looking for something the other day (can’t for the life of me remember what it is now) and found a ziploc baggie with yo-yo makers and some fabric scraps. Red, white and blue of course! I’ll need to get these ironed up and run them through the Go, just need to decide which die to use. 2.5″ squares, chisels, drunkard’s path….so many choices! They really aren’t big enough to do anything else with, I’d rather make them into a size I can use.

I spent some time on ebay recently and found some really cute Valentine’s Day 2.5″ squares – 200 of them and for less than $10!! Of course I had to get them! Haven’t decided if I am using them as squares or if I will turn them into hexagons and them make something out of them. I’ll decide eventually, too many other projects in line before them! I have something else coming that I finally won, I’ll talk about that once it gets here!

Design Wall Monday – 2/18/13

Manged to get another row completed in the last week. I’m really liking how this looks. I’ve picked the next 5 diamonds for the next row and will be starting them this evening. I was wondering how I was going to be able to get a decent picture since this is getting so big. Usually I stand on a chair and hold the camera (or phone) as high as I can to take the picture. Lucky me, hubby decided that I could get a new phone and we picked up iPhone 5’s yesterday. The new panorama feature on the camera is so cool! Took me a few tries to get a good picture, only because Alex wanted to play on the quilt since it was on the floor. Hoping to get the next row completed in a week just because I want to get this done so badly. I want to see the whole thing done and quilt it. I know exactly how I’ll quilt it on the machine.

In between working on the diamonds and sewing in my office I’ve been working on my hand quilting. I now have the entire center of this completed and I need to move the hoop to work on another section. It’s not a big quilt and I’ll use it as a table topper somewhere when it’s completed. I am thinking about doing another test piece before I start working on the first hexagon quilt, just so I can work on the rocking motion some more. I have a table runner using my favorite equinox fabrics I made back in 2008 that I still haven’t quilted. So I’m thinking of hand quilting it and doing cables or something in the ribbons. I have some time to figure out exactly what I’ll do, but I have pulled the runner out of the closet so I can start thinking about it. I think I even have some equinox sitting here I can use for the back!

Back soon with more finishes! This is linked to Design Wall Monday at patchworktimes.com

Hexagon Diamonds Update

I only have 1 more diamond to put together and I’ll be able to attach the next row to the main body of the quilt. I might pick a different half diamond though since it is using the same fabric as one of the diamonds. They are all ready, just need the 5 black pieces added on and those are fairly easy.

Spent the afternoon working on tshirts for my sister’s preschool. I do the shirts for the staff. They added 3 colors this time, the lime, orange and hot pink – the others are their usual colors. As long as I have them finished by Saturday I’m golden, my sister will be coming over and I can send them with her. Otherwise Alex and I will just have to take a trip out to see Aunt Kimmie!

I’m such a bonehead! Last night I was working on my hand quilting and bent a needle. So at bedtime I went in my office and was looking for the tub where I have an old mint container where I toss all my broken/bent needles/pins, old rotary blades, etc. As I’m rooting around for the container my finger hit the rotary cutter with a pinking blade. It’s not too bad of a cut, just a funky shape because of the pinking blade. I need to put that thing somewhere else! I’m also getting another mint container from the hubby, to keep with my hand work in the living room. Very happy with the way the hand quilting is coming, I need to start thinking about what backing to use for my hexagon quilt so I can get it basted and ready to put in the hoop. I think I need to buy some batting too, need to see if I have anything large enough. I have a packaged one, that was supposed to be for our flannel bed quilt, but now I’m thinking that since that one is all flannel (even the backing!) that I don’t want any batting in it. I think we’ll be warm enough without it. So I’ll be able to use that batting for the hexagon diamonds or the hexagon quilt, it will work with either but probably be better for hexagon diamonds since the batting is king sized and hexi diamonds is going to be queen sized. Oh heck, I’ll just get some batting at Joann’s for the hexagon quilt, now that decision is made I just need to figure out a backing!

Guild meeting is tomorrow night, can’t wait to show off my first hand quilting piece!!!

Design Wall Monday – 2/11/13

I’ve been working hard the last week to get more put together on Hexagon Diamonds. I officially have 3 rows completed and I’ve started working on the fourth row. All the pieces I need are basted and ready to be sewn into diamonds. I’m hoping to have this fourth row completed by mid week, just so I can get started on the next one! There are 13 rows in the quilt and if my calculations are correct from the EQ yardage sheet, 2,477 hexagons.

I ordered a few things from 123 Stitch last week, some more of my thimble pads, some thread heaven, ultra thimble and a book of cross stitch ornaments. I’m thinking they might be nice to work on while we are camping. I like to have multiple projects when we go on vacation, mainly because after awhile you want to work on something different. I thought these might be good for Xmas presents this year. If I don’t get them done, it’s ok there’s always next year! The tracking shows that it is delivered, which means it’s in the mailbox. So hubby will bring it in when he gets home from work, I have to wait until 6! I might take a walk with Alex when he gets up from his nap to get the mail, we’ll see how cold and windy it is when he gets up.

I need to get working on the order for my sister’s preschool/day care, I’ll be back soon!

Odds and Ends

Decided to take a trip out to the nearest Hobby Lobby today. I was not impressed. There was a lot of frames, flower “stuff” and knick-knacks. Not much of a fabric selection for quilting, a few cross stitch kits that I would love to get, but they were $42 each and I just couldn’t justify it right now. I didn’t find any of the items I was looking for, which means I’ll need to order them online now. I’ve been looking for some vinyl numbers (years) for a project that I found on Pinterest. I finally remembered that one of my friends has a cricut and I’ve asked her if she can do what I need. I doubt I’ll go back there, especially since it’s almost a 45 minute drive from my house.

Back before Christmas I was playing with a new Go die I had ordered and decided to use up some scraps to make a runner for the island. While I finished the top, I never got it quilted before the holidays and just put it on the island as a top. I managed to quilt it in January but hadn’t sewn the binding down to the back. I also had a pile of additional pieces cut out to make a smaller runner for the dining room table and got that put together and quilted over the weekend. So my Super Bowl project was sewing down binding on them. Took me a few days to get all that binding sewn down, but I’m loving how they look! I used scraps for the back and for the first time I sewed pieces of scrap batting together to make pieces big enough. It was not as hard as I thought it was going to be, and I used up a bunch of littler pieces. For smaller projects this will be a great way to use up all those little pieces. I just can’t see doing it for a larger quilt, I’d rather buy the right size instead of piecing it together.

I also spent a little money this week! I decided that instead of printing and cutting more hexagon pieces myself (which would involve getting more paper the right thickness), I’d buy some from paperpieces.com. I ordered Sunday, they shipped Monday and I got them on Wednesday! Can’t beat that! I ordered the biggest pack of hexagons, and I also bought some diamonds and triangles that will match up with the 1″ hexagons, just because I have ideas in my head I’d love to try out sometime. If I was ordering I might as well get all the pieces I wanted at the same time. I need to punch holes in the center of the hexagons so I pin them like all the ones I’ve made myself. I’m trying to decide if I want to make all the hexagon diamonds first or put them into the quilt as I make them. Having this many hexagon papers will help, but I still don’t think it’s going to be enough. One of these days I need to count how many pieces are going to be in this quilt. If my calculations are correct there are 1605 hexagons in the diamonds (half and full). I have no clue how many hexagons are in the pathways, that will take a lot longer to count up! Maybe this will be enough hexagons. I also need to take all the papers out of my first hexagon quilt so I can use those too, that will be the next one that I hand quilt, if I can ever get back to my second practice piece.

I’m thinking about joining a hexagon swap, I can’t commit to the current one because I need to get other items done first. I’m just concerned about the way they baste, I’d like to baste my way!

Oh well, things to do around the house, hopefully I’ll be back with some updates soon.