Wednesday 2 April 2014

Hexies, big and small

If I thought February vanished in the blink of an eye then March disappeared even faster. It has been a busy month with lots of Granny type opportunities for cuddles and playtime, a visitor coming to stay and some catching up of household jobs. Nothing like a visitor coming to make you get on with it. Inbetween I did manage some stitching.

I braved the great outdoors and our polluted air to photograph my Anna Levens quilt top. We are currently being subjected to Saharan winds high in the atmosphere dropping sand everywhere and it is causing a few problems, for me a very dusty covered car but for others smog and breathing difficulties but hopefully it will soon be gone. All the hexagons are now surrounded and I am pleased with it. Decisions need to be made now. Do I continue as per the instructions and construction in the magazine or do I deviate? In my mind I love the scrappy hexagon look so much that I am contemplating doing a round of cream hexagons and then a wide border of scrappy hexagons. Had I posted this yesterday you would think it an April Fool joke but I am serious. Fool that I am anyway. Note the gorgeous creature sitting there, posing.


In the last few days I have also been prepping the small hexagons for the Chateau Hexagon quilt. The top ones are 1" and the small ones are 1/2". They have been prepped using a disolvable sticky interfacing with a paper backing. You simply cut out the shapes which are printed onto the webbing, peel the paper backing off and stick them onto your fabric. I thought it was a bit fiddly particularly as I think it might not get washed but that was how it came with the block of the month instructions. It works well though and I only need 106. Not too many. 


Block 4 finished.


A few days ago a parcel arrived all the way from Australia from the talented Leanne at The Stitching Room. Leanne was the reason I got into blogging in the first place, having stumbled on her blog and shamefully hanging off her every word.  We have written to each other for quite a while now. In the parcel was the prettiest bag for me and the most gorgeous koala bear for Maisie.


The back is as beautiful as the front and the dungarees so pretty that I am thinking of making a pair for Maisie to wear. I took it to show off at my sewing group yesterday and Leanne I have a request for another 30 as they all want one. I will be your English Agent. Thank You Leanne, you are amazing.


Happy Stitching.

Love Shirley.

22 comments:

  1. What a lovely post to read at the end of my evening. Your hexies are gorgeous...both big and small and your gift from down under is precious.

    Keep safe with the dusty winds..my Dh has been struggling a bit and couldn't work out why until he saw the news...amazing that dust from so far away can have an effect.

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  2. Plenty of gorgeousness Shirley!! Love your Anna Levens - if you are brave enough, the extra borders will look beautiful!! How sweet of Leanne to send the gifts - the koala is lovely - and yes, you must make some matching dungarees for Maisie!

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  3. Your hexagons a lovely, in all the sizes. And you new koala is too sweet for words. Looks like, despite the dust it was a delightful day.

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  4. Your Anna Levens is looking lovely and I am very pleased that Maisie is going to be introduced to Australia's unique wildlife.

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  5. What a cute koala and a gorgeous bag and yes, bloggie friends are the best!!! Your hexie quilt looks amazing already. Have fun with it, however you proceed..

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  6. Your hexagons are looking great and not too long before your have a wonderful quilt whatever you decided.
    That kola is really cute and am sure Maise will love it.

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  7. Beautiful hexies. Your stitching is wonderful.

    Greetings, Manuela

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  8. Looks so pretty outside... The colours really are wonderful...am thinking...what are The instructions in the mag..how have they continued with the quilt...? Love your idea with the white and more scrappy hexagons....and Leanne's gifts for you and Maisie...are just adorable...so love that fabric used for the bag...gorgeous!!! :0))

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  9. 1/2 inch hexies is madness. I can see where your going with the cream border and scrappy outer.
    Sadly I don't think I have 30 more koalas in me ..... Sorry.

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  10. Lovely work Shirley and I like the idea of the cream border and scrappy hexies. Lovely bag from Leanne and the koala is just gorgeous and I am sure going to an even more gorgeous little girl. Take care.

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  11. Go with your instincts, you know what you like and what you want your quilt to look like. Those hexagons are so pretty, particularly those little ones, and the stitchery. Beautiful little koala for that lucky little Maisie.

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  12. Such lovely work! I think your plans are brilliant!
    The koala bear is precious. So nice of Leanne to make a gift for Maisie.
    Will be posting soon about my move! Everything is happening so quickly. Will be in and out of blogland for the foreseeable future.

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  13. Such a lovely post. I do hope that your pollution has gone, seems to have left us today.

    Your hexagons are great but your koala is just too cute.

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  14. LOVE that hexi quilt! Love love love!

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  15. I love you hexi quilt very much!

    Have a nice day.
    Evelyne

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  16. Oh Shirley, I thought of you and the Sahara winds. Crazy year of weather, and winter never seems to end here in Canada. Love, love the hexie results. I think you must dream of different ways of working those little suckers! Haha, as I was getting back into the blog world, one of my first thoughts was wondering how far along you would be doing these. Excellent progress. This winter I ran into a woman who has become obsessed with these too. She says she has lots of scraps.

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  17. I just realized that your gifts from Australia are so lovely and generous too, as the posting costs would have been huge. The generosity of quilters never ceases to amaze.

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  18. Dear Shirley,

    I suddenly got the urge to pop over to read your most recent posts and to send you a big kiss. I agree with you that this year is flying by most disconcertingly!

    I''ve been thinking about you regularly as I prepare to embark on my first full-sized, simple quilt in spring colours. I am so excited :-) Your hexies are just amazing in composition. I am, as always, in awe.

    Hope all is well and happy for you.

    Stephanie

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  19. Hexies are great fun, and they've been a simple go-to project for me when I need something in my hands to pass time. It's great that the projects we make from them are unlimited. Yours are lovely.
    Maisie is going to LOVE that little koala bear. Friends from far away are so special.

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