Doggy Dogs

I worked so hard yesterday, but of course can't show you the results yet. So here's a pic of 14 year old Prince snoozing in my lap with his head sticking out from under a quilt (the red) and his chin resting on my current work in progress.

And another sleeping sweetie...

I'll keep on keeping on today, along with running a couple of errands. Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go!

Stay tuned, I'll be announce all the details of my BLOG HOP later this week!!!!! Lots of chance to win!

Cooper on Campus

Here's a bit of what I'm working on today. Yes, there are also hexies involved! :)

Yesterday afternoon, Daughter 1 and SIL came over and borrowed Cooper. They took him on a long walk around campus. He had the best time ever!

It's a chilly and rainy day here. I'm staying in to sew. I did a lot of cooking yesterday so we're set for meals this week: cooked and shredded chicken, cooked and shredded pork tenderloin, made fruit salad, boiled a pile of eggs for breakfast. Speaking of which...I discovered the BEST way to peel hard boiled eggs! Put the egg in a mason jar with a little water, put the lid on the jar, shake vigorously. That's it. The shell will come off easily. I discovered this tip on Pinterest.

Back to sewing for me! Have a great Monday!

Another 2014 Hexie BOM Quilt Finish!

Here is some eye candy to brighten your weekend! Look at these fun photos I received!

The email says:
I want to thank you for the free hexie patterns in 2014 - I finally finished two quilt tops using them which are now going to be hand quilted - I love your patterns - the only one I really changed was the October from a candy corn to my own design spider which was fun. Oh, yes.  One of the ice cream cones turned into a triple decker.   Thank you so much for sharing.  Margaret Berggren 

Wow! Margaret made TWO of these quilts! Congrats on a job well done...they are gorgeous! The spider is adorable - look closely at that background fabric - candy corn!!!

It makes me so happy to see quilts made from my patterns. Keep them coming!

I hope you are having a great weekend. Hubby helped me with a little Hexie Love photo shoot yesterday. I'm working on a fun little project for the next issue. Today I'll do the next step and then we'll photograph again. Step by step.

This afternoon I MUST do laundry. And make another fruit salad - it's become a weekly thing.

Dogwood Season!

Yay! The dogwood trees are in bloom! Seeing this makes it feel like Spring is here, though today is a bit chilly.

These orange and yellow tulips opened while I was in Cleveland - love the color!

This morning I fixed Bulletproof Coffee for Hubby and me. I'd never tried it and had been hearing good things about it. I forgot to take a picture until my cup was almost empty - yes, it's really good! And easy to make:

In a blender combine 12 oz. hot coffee, 1 tablespoon coconut oil (looks like solid shortening, but is healthier), one pat of unsalted butter. I also added a spoonful of sweetener. Turn that blender on for a minute or so. And you have a frothy coffee drink that will give you some energy to start the day. It must be working because Hubby has been out working in the yard all morning and I've been doing quilty work, too.

I know it sounds fattening, but I'm counting it in my daily calorie count and it is only about 60 calories for my 6 oz. cup. Not too bad!

Here are some hexies I'm stitching together today. And that brings me to a hexie favor.

Do you cut your own papers to make hexies? What kind of paper do use? Something recycled? Something colorful? Please send me a picture! Don't put it in the comments - email me at
julia@hexielove.com. This will make a fun little Hexie Love article.

Back to work for me. There's something exciting coming here soon! A BLOG HOP! Yay! Stay tuned - details coming soon!

Behind the Scenes at QATV

Here's a picture of the set from another angle - lots of big camera and lights. Can you see that big mechanism hanging form the ceiling over the sewing table? That's another camera that shoots closeups of hand work.

And these are the guys behind the scene. They run the cameras, sound, and lighting. One of them put the microphone on me before the shoot. Another gave me instructions - don't look at the camera, just talk and look at Susan, don't worry about showing work to the camera - just do my thing and they'll make sure they get it on camera.

They film each segment in only one take if at all possible. NO do overs! That's why they encourage us to practice before we come so we'll have in our mind what we'll say. I stumbled over a word near the beginning of my segment, but kept going and the rest was great. I was told afterward that my hand work showed up beautifully on camera. They also said my voice came across soothing and mellow and made them think what I was working on was doable by anyone. Haha! It is doable by anyone!!!

So what's on tap today now that I'm home? Grocery shopping! And I'm working on a Hexie Love project that you'll LOVE! I made the hexies while in Cleveland.

I still want to do another post on QATV - I want to introduce you to some of the wonderful quilt artists I met on set. I love getting to know these women (and one man) and sharing our work, ideas, etc.

Fun Day at QATV

Finally! Pictures! Here's a picture of my little 'home away from home' at QATV. Each guest has a table and trays (like BIG cookie sheets) to set up their goodies. I had my step outs, threads, etc. My pile of quilts is at the left end.

By the way, this is the "green room." The TV monitor on the wall allows us all to see and hear the segment that is currently being filmed. We all relax and get to know one another during this time. Breakfast and lunch are brought in and we all eat here, too. (But not too close to the quilts!)

And here I am on the set with Susan Brubaker Knapp just before we taped my segment. Let me say that Susan is the nicest, most gracious person! I had met her once before briefly, and she is absolutely a lovely woman. She is so welcoming and makes sure we all feel included.

My session went very well, though we'd planned for me to do a bit of hexie appliqué on the Bernina and we simply ran out of time. I only fumbled over my words once and just kept on going. I think it went well though overall.

I am the only one on set with a Southern accent. Sometimes they all just grin when I talk and I think I've missed a joke. Then I realize, it's the accent. Haha! I don't think of myself as having an accent because I talk like everyone else around me in Alabama. But it really stands out when I travel! Yes, I'm VERY Southern! And proud of it! And I'm glad everyone here in Cleveland enjoys hearing a bit of the South coming from my mouth!

It's supposed to snow here tomorrow, but I think I'll be at the airport by the time it arrives. (I hope so, because I'm not used to driving in snow.) I'll be back home late tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon.

I've had a fabulous time! It always nice to be around like minded folks, and we all do love the art of quilting. I have more 'behind the scenes' photos to share, but that will probably wait until another day or two. Until then....Hexie Love, Y'ALL!

It's Cold in Cleveland!

At least it's cold to a Southern girl, namely me! Yes, Mom, I brought a coat. The high yesterday was 38, brrrrrr......

I had a great time yesterday on the set of QATV. I met new friends and reconnected with others.The staff at KS Studio is phenomenal! Yesterday I laid out all my supplies for the shoot on big trays. I went though the segment briefly with a producer.

This moring I'm due in hair and makeup at 8 am. And then I'm up first in front of the cameras! Then I'll have the rest of the day to watch others being filmed. It's like seeing bunches of episodes of the show piecemeal.

Lots of photos to come soon!

Gone to the Dogs...

Today's post has gone to the dogs, specifically Prince and Mickey (top photo) and of course, Cooper, below.

Actually, the post has nothing to do with the dogs, but I wanted to include a couple of pictures and they won out!

So what's up today around here? LOTS! I'll be headed out to run some errands in a little bit. I need to get a manicure before my Quilting Arts TV segment is filmed Wednesday. The QATV people are very specific with this - skin colored or clear polish, not too glossy, NO frosted colors! Will do!

I need to pack my bag, including my quilts and step outs. Don't forget the clothes!

I need to take an afternoon nap - I'm catching a shuttle to the Atlanta airport around 4 am in the morning!

I need to practice, practice, practice my segment!

Uh oh - that's more than 3 things! That means it will be a super busy day!!!

Hexie Fabric!

Last night I went to our local guild meeting - always fun to connect with these fabulous friends! And look what one of them brought me! ADORABLE hexie fabric! Click on the picture to make it bigger and read the selvage.

And here's a close up - I love these sweet little bees! Do you see she is collecting pollen in her apron?  The epitome of CUTENESS! It puts a smile on my face! I'm going to plan a very special project for this - but for now I'll just pet it.

Another tulip shot. Spring really seems to have arrived down here in Alabama.

Yesterday was another productive day. I did so much! And today, I woke up very tired...  my busy week is catching up with me. I think I'll linger over my coffee a bit longer and ease into the day.

Polka Dot Crazy!

Did I go a bit overboard with the polka dots? Nah, you can't have too many dots! I got so much done yesterday - love a productive day! Today I'm getting my hair trimmed so it will be nice and neat for filming QATV next week. And we have a quilt guild meeting this evening - fun, fun!

I went out in my nightie to take this picture this morning - just outside our front door. In a couple of days the tulips will be gorgeous!

So what else in on the agenda today? I have some important emails to write and send, some doctor appointments to reschedule, BOM appliqué, Hexie Love photo session, etc. I need to narrow it down to three things, don't I?

Meals have been easy this week. Now that the weather is hot again, hubby and I both enjoy a salad in the evenings. So last weekend I cooked up a bunch of chicken breasts in the crock pot and chopped it all. I have an assortment of lettuce and spinach, grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, slivered almonds, red onion, cucumbers, and light salad dressing. Each night we just put together our own masterpiece salad. It's delicious and I don't have to cook. I think this may very well become our new way of life.

Hope you have a great day!

Fruit Salad

I took time out yesterday to make this yummy fruit salad. Aren't the colors delicious? The salad is, also. I'd made a fruit salad last week for my quilt luncheon and decided to make another for us to enjoy. Yum!

Here is the beginning of the project I worked on yesterday. It has grown by leaps and bounds now.

As usual, I have lots to accomplish today, which makes me happy. It's so nice to wake up with purpose and direction! I have a bit of paperwork, a bit of sewing, and a bit of fun creating for a future Hexie Love project.

It was about one year ago that I came up with the crazy idea to start a digital magazine. I decided then and there, without doing any research, to go for it. I remember telling my husband, "I'm going to start a magazine!" It was really out of the blue! He paused, then said, "Great!" I went on to tell him how approximately how much money I thought it might take to get it going. He said, "No problem!"

Without his support in the background, I would not have done it. But I did. And I'm so proud of myself for making this leap of faith. I've learned so much in the last year. How to get incorporated. How to use Electric Quilt. How to obtain lots of business licenses. How to use Quick Books (okay, I'm still working on this one...). How to layout magazine pages. How to use magazine software. And I'm loving every minute of this journey!

I have some big plans ahead for the magazine - some new options which I hope to share soon. Until then...have a happy hexie day!

Happy Hexie Morning!

The sunrise this morning was spectacular! Yesterday the high was 82 degrees - wow!

You can tell it's hot when Cooper starts napping beside an air conditioning vent!

I made the binding (450 inches!) for the Celtic Solstice UFO and even machine stitched to to the quilt. Ready for the hand work...

And yesterday I (finally!) finished the step outs for Quilting Arts TV. Glad this is done! I also e-mail and snail mailed the final contracts and forms for both the TV show and Quilting Arts magazine.

I have more business paperwork to take care of today - you know it's not my favorite thing - but I'll get it done.

Yesterday I also laid out another chunk of Odyssey, so I'll work on that today. Lots of fun ahead!

Ahhhh....Weekend....

What a great weekend we had! Did you have a good weekend? Hope so!

We went to a gymnastics meet Friday night - always a fun time. We ran some errands Saturday and had two nice walks today. Loving the warm weather!!!

I also was able to get lots on hexie things done! I have another BOM ready to appliqué to the background. I finished another big hunk of Odyssey. I worked lots on my step outs for QATV, along with the associated document that will go on the QATV website when the episode airs. And I did more magazine stuff. Oh, I also forgot - I officially entered Eye 1 in a competition. Thanks to Daughter 1 for taking great photos of the quilt for me.

This week I have lots of miscellaneous things to accomplish, including practicing for QATV. And making binding for Celtic Solstice. And making another chunk of Odyssey. And writing a magazine article or two or three. All fun stuff!

A Day Off...

I work very hard here in Hexie Land - pretty much 7 days a week. So yesterday (after putting the final stitches in Eye 1) I took a nice day off. Ahhh.... What did I do? Nothing! I sat in my recliner and watched TV, read a couple of magazines, and walked around the yard admiring the daffodils. It's good for the soul to have an day off every so often.

Today I'm back to my list making and fun work! My accountant has my taxes ready so I'll be meeting with her later this morning. And I have lots of hexie work play on my list. It will be a fun day!

I also need to make the binding for the Celtic Solstice quilt. And I need to decide on my next UFO project to tackle. Hmmm. What will that be? I have two things in mind and one is not actually a quilt, but a machine. I have two Featherweights. I've never used them. I want to get them both lubricated and cleaned and decide which of them I want to keep. (I'm going to sell one.) This would make a nice UFO one hour per day project.

The other UFO project is my Lollypop Trees quilt (designed by Kim McLean). I've made several blocks already. It's a hand work project (mostly) and will take a long time to complete, but I do love hand work, so that's okay.

I know I need to buy some special oil and polish to work on the Featherweights. So I think I'll research what I need first. And I'll pull out the Lollypop Tree stuff and see where I need to start on that.

"Eye" Am Done!

I finished it! Loving Eye 1! This is made from more than 200 triangles of different sizes using Kona Cotton solids.  The only thing left to do is the label. 

Here's a close up of the quilting.

I think this quilt is competition worthy - so now I'll figure out where to start with that. This morning I'm slowing working my way into the day. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee.

The Birthday Block bash was a success yesterday. I had 12 people (4 couldn't come). We ate chili, cornbread, fruit salad, and two different cakes.

We laughed and had a great time. LOVE my Auburn friends!

And now....I'll return to the hexie world...

The Back of the Eye

This. Quilt. Is. Almost. Done.!!!!

The straight line quilting is complete. The serpentine quilting is complete. I trimmed it and made the facing. And I machine stitched the facing to the quilt.

All I have left is to finish hand stitching the facing, stitching down the sleeve, and making a label.

I hope you are not tired of hearing about this one. I hope to have the final reveal tomorrow.

I've also been working on hexies - mainly Odyssey from Hexie Love. Loving Odyssey!!!!! It's fun and bright and happy!

I'm thrilled that I woke up today feeling great. I've had several days of not feeling so great - headaches, allergies, etc. I thought I was coming down with something, but I think it was just allergies. I helped hubby work on our fountain in the back yard a couple of days ago - there must have been some mold around and it did a number on me! Plus I had some side effects to the Shingle vaccine I had last week - swelling, itching, pain, redness around the injection site and a huge headache. I googled it  - yup, side effects. All is well now though.

And today I'm hosting my Birthday Block group! Approximately 14 of my best friends will be here at lunch. Last year I was new to this group and so nervous about hosting them. Now I know them well and I'm very relaxed about it. I'm SO relaxed that we'll be eating off paper plates - ha! I think they all know how busy I am and will not care one little bit! Friendship at it's best!

I hope you have a great day!

Serpentine Stitches!

I didn't spend much time on Eye 1 yesterday - too much to do! But I did add a few rows of the wonderful serpentine stitches. I like the curviness they add to this quilt made of all straight lines. This quilt will be done in another day or two.

Then I'll use my UFO time to put the binding on the Celtic Solstice - I got it back from the quilter last week and it looks fabulous!!! It's amazing what you can accomplish in an hour a day!

The rest of the day was spent grocery shopping, working on QATV step outs, and Odyssey. It was a full day!

By the way, it took me some time to figure out which stitch the serpentine is on my lovely Bernina. I couldn't find it so I turned to Google. Turns out it's stitch #4, which is a zigzag with lots of stitches within each zig and zag. When you lengthen it, it curves. Love this stitch! I'll be using it in lots of quilts now.

Let the Quilting Begin!

This is Eye 1 - yes, I started the quilting process. I'm using 4 different colors of Aurifil thread. LOTS of straight lines and some grid work. The next step will be to add some serpentine stitches. I plan to face the quilt instead of traditional binding.

In the yard, our bulbs are coming up - yay! Tulips, hyacinths (above), and daffodils.

My list today is way too long! I find that the longer my list, the less I accomplish - best to have just 3 things! I received lots of comments about my lists of 3 things. I read an article years ago about the subject. I wish I could remember the source, but anyway - the gist of the article was how three things are scientifically optimum. Just the right amount to be successfully accomplished with being overwhelming. I need to cut back on today's list now!

Hexies on the Floor

Thanks so much for all your kind comments (here and on Facebook) about Eye 1. You are all so sweet and I love to hear from you!

For my UFO time yesterday, I removed the basting threads and papers.

This process took so much longer than expected -- more than TWO HOURS! I had some episodes of American Pickers running on the TV while I worked. I had hoped to layer the top with batting and backing, but I'd already spent too much time on this one for the day. So I moved on.

I finished the hexie flowers for the QATV step outs. I've a bit more work to do on this today. And I worked in the evening on the Odyssey quilt from Hexie Love. Do you like the floor photography? One of my favorite things about our house is the floors. They are made from reclaimed lumber from an 1868 grist mill. I love the character and rustic feel they give. 

I'm am often asked how I get so much done. The secret is my lists of three. I have a to-do list every day. I try to put 3 important things on it. Three items is the perfect amount --not too much, not too little.  I feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day because I can cross everything off. 

Today's list:

1. Re-watch Catherine Redfords DVD on Walking Foot Quilting. I need a refresher on the subject before I start quilting Eye 1. (I can mark this one off - watched it while drinking my morning coffee.)

2. Finish prep work for QATV step outs.

3. Work on Odyssey quilt top.

Of course, I might work in something else if there's time. I might layer the eye quilt. I might even start quilting it. But I need to do the critical items first. Off and on during the day I'll do some laundry, run an errand, etc. But I WILL get those three things done!

Finished the Eye Quilt Top

Ta dah!!! Last night I added the last chunk to the quilt top! It's made from various sizes of triangles, all Kona Cotton Solids. This morning I'll remove the basting threads and the papers. I hope to also layer it with batting and batting - ready to quilt! It's amazing what you can accomplish in an hour a day, the time I've allotted for UFO's.

I really love this technique. I'd like to do another quilt like this. I've decided to call this one "Eye 1", because I'll probably do another eye quilt at some point (and I'm terribly uncreative when it comes to naming quilts).

It's a great day to stay in today. Our warm weather is gone. The high today was at midnight last night - 69 degrees. By the time I go to bed tonight it will be about 32 degrees. EEK! Big temperature drop! I plan to work on my QATV step outs. And do my 1 hour UFO work. AND stitch hexies together for the next step of the Odyssey quilt. Fun day!

The Back of the Eye Quilt

I thought I'd share a couple of pictures of the back of the eye quilt top. There are over 200 triangle shaped pieces in the quilt. Guess what? I finished making all the chunks! Now I just have to hand stitch those chunks to the main quilt top. Then I'll remove the basting stitches and paper, press very well, and it will be ready to quilt. Yippee!

My physical went great. When we moved here a couple of years ago, I was uncertain about finding a new doctor. Hubby and I ended up both going to the Auburn University Health Center. We had thought it was just for the students, but no! They will see anyone. So I just have to drive to campus (about 7 minutes) and park for free outside the door. Easy peasy. I was in and out in less than an hour and that included a physical exam, blood work, prescription refill, a Shingles vaccine, and a colonoscopy appointment. Yes, I'm having one soon.

I hope you're having a great day. It's very warm here again, spoiling us. Dinner is in the Crock Pot and I'm settling in to hand stitch for the rest of the day.

Spring is Almost Here!

Yesterday it was a balmy 75 degrees here. I know we have more cold weather coming, but it was a nice hint of Spring ahead.

So Hexie Love is up and running smoothly. The new issue is being read and enjoyed. I'm getting lots of wonderful comments from sweet readers. Thank you all very much for you support! Did you know that the first issue had more than 25,000 visits on Joomag?! This doesn't mean I sold 25,000 issues (though a girl can hope), but it means that there were that many people logging in to read or reread the issue. That tell me readers are going back again and again to refer to the patterns and articles. And that makes me happy. :)

Hopefully, when the third issue comes out it will go smoothly the FIRST TIME!!! I feel I'm getting a handle on how their software works. I know they will still have some kinks, but I'm happy that Joomag was able to resolve the problems this week. Now I can move on to sewing and writing again!

Off to get a physical this morning. I'll try to check in again later.

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Don't worry, be happy! That's my mantra for today! Yesterday was darn awful. Of course the culprit was the magazine! I'm determined to be optimistic and hope we can get it resolved quickly. I know some of you are worried that you paid for a subscription earlier this year - don't worry, I will not let you down, I promise!

After a day of angst, I was finally able to relax a bit last night. Hubby and I are on a mission to watch several of the Oscar nominated films. Last night we settled in for The Theory of Everything about Stephen Hawking. Loved it! While we watched, I stitched a few more chunks to the eye quilt. I'll need to work on more chunks in the studio this morning.

I plan to quilt this one myself on my Bernina. I think I'm going to watch Catherine Redford's Walking Foot DVD again and use her techniques. This UFO is getting finished quicker than I expected.

I'm also working on the step outs for QATV this week. By the end of the week I want to have finished the step outs, write the instructions with photos for QATV's website, and finish up all the QATV paperwork. Bet you didn't know how much work goes into a 5 minute TV segment! It's all fun for me though.

I'm going to give Joomag some time to get going this morning and then I'm going to start pestering contacting them again. Fingers and toes crossed!

Magazine Problems...frowny face...

So here we go again... I thought everything would be simple this time around, publishing my second issue. But no...

Thank goodness a very kind reader e-mailed me this morning to tell me that she had bought a single issue in January. She went to buy the new issue today and Joomag let her have the new issue without paying. Apparently anyone who either subscribed OR bought a single issue in the past is being allowed to view the new magazine. Which means no money is coming in to me.

While I would love to gift everyone with an issue, I have invested more that $500 in publishing this one issue (not to mention many hours of work). So if I don't get some money in return, this is not a viable business. :)

I spent 45 minutes on a chat conversation with a Joomag support member. I think I finally got it across to her what the problem is. She couldn't fix it. So she's filed a support ticket with an engineering staff member to see what they can do. I'm supposed to hear back in 24 hours.

As an engineer and former computer programmer (they call them coders now), I think I could even fix the problem if given the chance! It shouldn't be difficult. But I have to go through this red tape. If they can't fix it to my satisfaction, I may be shopping for a new software option.

If you are one of the subscribers, don't worry. I won't let you miss an issue!

Thanks to all of you for your support through this!

2015 Hexie BOM: March!

I really love this pattern! You can have so much fun with colors, patterns, and fabrics. I used EIGHT different fabrics in mine. And yes, I used BROWN! Brown can play really well with lots of colors, so give it a shot sometime.

AND, did you notice? Today I've released the March/April 2015 issue of Hexie Love - see the link above! I hope you enjoy and have a happy hexie day!