A Hexie Weekend...

Did you hexie this weekend? I did - made a pile of them!

We're having so much fun in our 2014 Hexie Block of the Month Yahoo group! There are lots of photos and lots of sharing of ideas. Even if you're not doing the block of the month, feel free to join the fun - to subscribe go here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/2014HexieBOM/join

A Place to Share Our Photos!

Forgive me for taking so long to find a way for us all to upload photos for the group - I'm new at this kind of thing! :)

I've created a Yahoo group - that way everyone can upload their photos and ask questions. Of course you can alway leave comments on the blog, too! But this will be a great way to share photos and get to know one another.

To subscribe to the group, go here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/2014HexieBOM/join

Another question I was asked is how big is the final quilt going to be?

1. We'll have 12 blocks measuring 15" x 15".  I plan to arrange them 3 blocks across and 4 blocks down.
2. I'm planning to add 3" sashing between the blocks. I like the sashing to be a multiple of the block size so 3" (finished size) will be perfect.
3. I'm planning to add a 5" border to my quilt (again a multiple of 15).
4. That will make the final quilt measure 67" x 85" (if I did the math correctly!)

All that being said, this is YOUR quilt. You may choose to use no sashing or a different size sashing. Or you may choose to arrange you blocks differently. But that's what I'm planning!

Happy Hexies!

Snowflakes!!!!

Here's a bit of show and tell, Hexie style!

From Pauline:

I love the snowflake and I adore that pillow!!! Pretty colors, Pauline!

From Roslyn:

Beautiful blues and a very pretty background!

And from Jan:

It looks great in one fabric!

Thanks for sharing, ladies!!!

The Hexie BOM: Answers to Questions!

Hi there Hexie Lovers! Have you made your snowflake yet? If so email me a picture! I've gotten a few questions so I thought I'd answer them here so you'll all be on the same page.

1. Do our background pieces need to be the same for the entire quilt?

In the quilt I'm making, the backgrounds will all be the same - white. If you do this, you'll need 2.75 yards of background fabric. But it's YOUR quilt. So if you want to vary the backgrounds, go right ahead!

2.  Where can I buy paper pieces because I want to use EPP?

A nice reader (thanks to Carrie!) says that paperpieces.com is a great site for this.

3. How can I follow the blog?

The best way is to sign up for a free google account and then you can click on Follow on the sidebar of the blog! And remember, I'll always post the new month pattern on the first of every month.

A Note About Applique:
For all the blocks, you'll need to appliqué the motif to the background square of fabric. You can do this by hand or machine. I love to use the Blind Hem Stitch when doing appliqué by machine, but there are many stitches that will work!

I'm beyond overwhelmed at the amazing turnout participating in The Hexie BOM! Quilters all over the world are making this quilt! It's going to be a Happy Hexie Year!

The HEXIE Block of the Month: January!

Happy Hexie New Year!

I'm so excited to get this BOM going! I'm beyond thrilled about the response I've received - I think we'll have lots of participants. Can't wait to see everyone's blocks! Now let's get down to some business.

Hexie BOM General Information

Size of Hexies:

I'm making my hexies from circles of fabric (of course). Instructions for the technique can be found in Quick and Easy Hexie Quilts (see sidebar). For all the blocks, I'll be starting with circles of fabric that are 3.5" across. Below is the Accuquilt Studio Die I use:

Note: this die is only available for the Studio cutter. If you don't have this die cutter, no problem! Just cut a circle template out of cardboard or plastic that is 3.5" across. Pull out your compass leftover from high school geometry!

Will you be doing English Paper Piecing instead? Your papers should measure 1" on each side. If you have an Accuquilt cutter, the following die would work perfectly for you:

This die will work for either the Accuquilt Go! Cutter or the Accuquilt Studio (with the Go! adapter). There are two different sizes of this die available. Make sure you use the one that says 1" on it! The die will cut both your papers and your fabric - you'll be ready to go!

Again, if you don't have an Accuquilt cutter, I'm sure you already have a source to buy your hexagon paper. I'll let you figure that out. Maybe someone can leave a comment on where to buy them.

Note: the patterns will work for ANY SIZE hexagons, so feel free to make them any size! My instructions and samples will always be for hexagons that are 1" on each side.

Background Fabric:

I'm using Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in White. But of course, use whatever you want! 

My background squares will be cut at  15.5", to finish at 15 inches. If you make smaller hexies, your background squares can be smaller, but I'll let you figure that out!

You will need 2.75 yards of background fabric.

January Block: Snowflake

Baby, it's cold outside! So I definitely needed a snowflake to start off the year. We don't have any snow down South where we live, but I know a lot of you do- probably more than you'd like!

When I think of snowflakes, I think of  them being light and lacy. So I left some openings in the snowflake to give that effect. So here's the pattern:

And here's my block:

I used four different blue and white fabrics. Click on the picture to see bigger. This would be a fun pattern to fussy cut some hexies if you wish. You'll need 30 hexies in all for this block. Use only one fabric if you wish. Have fun with it!

Hexie love,
Julia