Sunday, March 26, 2017

March???

March slipped by pretty quickly for me. Mr. Moosebay came through his surgery with flying colors, but it will be another month before he can lift anything over ten pounds. That leaves all the dog walking to me, as Kylie is under the mistaken idea that she is really a sled dog--I'm pretty sure I will eventually end up with a dislocated shoulder! She is still very timid, and won't leave the front step unless someone is with her, so I have been doing four "walks" a day--really eats up my sewing time! 
I've done lots of Slow Stitching this month (I caught a cold, so much of my stitching was done in bed--lol!). The Stitching Society Wool Hexagons that I stitched in 2014-2015 are finally a quilt!
(information on Stitching Society is HERE)

To put the hexagons together, I used black thread to machine zigzag them onto a foundation of Shape-Flex, a fusible interfacing.  I did five sections of three rows each to make the Fly Stitching over the zigzag easier. 

This is how the back looked after the zigzag and fly stitching.
I had the hexagons arranged on my design wall and to get them onto the foundation I had to lay them out upside down and backwards from the design wall onto my ironing board, cover them with a length of Shape-Flex and press into place. Fun! 
After all the fly stitching was complete, I fused the sections together, zigzagged again, and finished with more fly stitching. 

Hand Tied Quilting on a Long Arm Machine
Hmmm....how to quilt it? I had so many ideas--maybe a tiny button at each point (too distracting!), maybe big stitch quilting inside the fly stitching in each hexagon (too stressful for my arthritic hands!), maybe machine quilted in some way? In the end, even though I hadn't tied a quilt since 1974 (and for good reasons!) that's what I decided to do. And I think I had a pretty brilliant idea of loading the quilt layers onto my HQ16, rolled it all the way to the end so I could reach under the quilt, and did the tying, working from bottom to top. It worked out great and was so easy--I would almost do it again--lol! 

Hand Tied Quilting
I really wanted to channel Racheldaisy because I love her fun and colorful take on quilting, and do some fun bright colors for the tying, but in the end, I wimped out and  used six strands of embroidery floss--two strands each of three blue/gray colors. 

And, of course, it's not a quilt until it's labeled! 

Stitching Society Wool Hexagons (no fun name--sorry) was my March One Monthly Goal and also was on my first quarter Finish-A-Long list. Sure feels good to have this one done!!

After all that hand work, I have an appointment for cortisone injections in both wrists next week, but that won't stop me from doing some Slow Stitching today--I have a few more flowers to sew down on this months Primitive Garden block! 

40 comments:

  1. Lovely progress on both your projects and still a lot of March left to stitch along!

    May your husbands recovery progress nice and smoothly.

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  2. It looks beautiful! Huzzah for a finish.

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  3. I have been intrigued by yur hexagon wool quilt from the first time I saw parts of it on your blog. What a marvelous finish!

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  4. What a phenomenal finish. Like Karen, I've admired this quilt since you started working on it. The ties add to the feel and style of the quilt. Congratulations again for a beautiful finish. Sorry your wrists are feeling the impact.

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  5. Your wool hexagon quilt is totally amazing - congratulations!!!

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  6. What a beautiful finish! And how brilliant are you to have figured out a great set up for tying! Congratuations!

    Thank you for participating in the FAL, on behalf of the 2017 global FAL hosts.

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  7. Congratulations on finishing the wool hexie quilt! That was a LOT of stitching!
    Hope you had a relaxing day!

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  8. Wow--what an accomplishment!! It looks fantastic!

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  9. Love your beautiful wool hexagon quilt Karen! Absolutely gorgeous! Christine x

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  10. wonderful wool hexie quilt - wow so many fun details to see.
    Your applique block is pretty too - love that blackbird.

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  11. Amazing top. Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and congrats on your finish.

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  12. Simply lovely hexagon wool blocks--I especially like how the fly stitching pulls them all together visually...hope your hand recovers soon...hugs, Julierose

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  13. With all that walking, it should energize you!!! Lovely quilt.

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  14. wow - your hexagon quilt is quite an accomplishment! Tying it was a good idea - not often does it seem like a good idea to me, but it's perfect on this! Your garden block is looking great! Can't believe our free month is almost over!

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  15. This quilt is pretty amazing. The flystitching is lovely and the color of the thread is just perfect. I hope you are going to display this somewhere in your house where everyone who visits will have a chance to admire it. So beautiful. . .

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  16. Great job on a beautiful quilt! Also love that applique block! I would love to know where I can get it. Thanks.

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  17. I am enchanted by your wool hexagon quilt. So many unique motifs!

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  18. Your hexagon quilt is beautiful. You made all the right choices. Enjoy.

    Charlotte

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  19. Your hexagon quilt is just GORGEOUS! Your Primitive Garden block is another beauty as well.

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  20. I've been admiring those hexagons right along - beautiful finish! And great idea for making the tying easier!
    I love that basket block, too. (Or is it a bucket...)

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  21. What a beautiful quilt. I love, love it.

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  22. All you stitching is wonderful. You have been so busy.

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  23. Your hexie quilt I'd gorgeous! I also love your appliqué block. Glad all of you are doing better. Hugs,

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  24. Beautiful work. I think the hexagons are just stunning.

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  25. Those hexagons are utterly gorgeous! What a wonderful project, and I love the colours you used. Congratulations, that is a big finish!

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  26. Congratulations on a fabulous finish.

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  27. Congrats on a great finish with your hexagon quilt. That really has been a long road but the end result is wonderful.Thanks for sharing your ideas on how to put it all together. That has worked well.

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  28. I've been waiting for this finish! It's so wonderful! Have you decided where you are going to hang it?? Ugh...sorry to hear you have arthritis....I so laughed when you channeled Rachel Daisy...I do that and end up going my usual ways too. LOL

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  29. That is a beautiful quilt. And how wonderful that it is now finished! I hope you have a special place to hang it at home.

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  30. what an amazing quilt!! Just stunning!! Hugs, H

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  31. Your wool hexagons are beautiful. Thanks for sharing your decision process for the quilting, I love hearing how people come to the designs that they end up with.

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  32. Congratulations on getting such an amazing and special quilt finished!

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  33. Stunning hexagon quilt! All that dog walking is probably good for getting into shape for summer too. Glad to hear your hubby is doing well.

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  34. You've done a wonderful job completing your OMG!

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  35. It is gorgeous and glad to hear that your husband is doing well and tying is a great choice. While I love to hand quilt, I tie many of my quilts! :) There is a tied quilt at my sons' house that was made and tied when HE was a kid :) Washed a bazillion times and still going strong. There are other tied quilts there on the childrens beds as well.

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  36. Wow! Your hexagon quilt is amazing!! And that block looks wonderful.

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  37. Wow, Karen, you go girl. Those hexagons are individually beautiful; what a fantastic achievement to have it all finished. And your new block is gorgeous. Hope your treatments went well...can't muck up your wrists!

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  38. Amazing hexagon quilt! Doesn't it feel great to be able to tick that one off your list!

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  39. You hexagon quilt is absolutely beautiful! It reminds me so much of a sash filled with merit badges (all individually made!)! Love it! What an accomplishment! That is enough to give anyone arthritis! The decision to tie it is brilliant and the choice of colors for that thread is perfect. Sigh. It really is beautiful! I hope you find a place to show it in your home where you can enjoy it every day.

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  40. Thank you for sharing your process of assembling the quilt using the shape-flex. I had not heard of that product.

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