Hexie Love Issue 5 and the September Hexie BOM!

It's a double whammy month - the new issue of Hexie Love is available HERE! Still only $5.99! 

I sent out issue to all previous subscribers yesterday - if by some odd chance you did not receive yours, please let me know! Email me: julia@hexielove.com

And here's the September Hexie BOM - it's another fun one. I am not super thrilled over my fabric choices - should have, would have, could have added more contrast. Oh well. They say some blocks should sing and some should just be quiet - so this one will be shy...

I hope you are all having a happy hexie week!!!

Weekend Fun (With My BERNINA!)

I spent a few hours with my BERNINA this weekend! Fun stuff!! Getting my Victoria Findlay Wolfe ON!!! You won't see much more of this quilt in progress - it's the WEDDING QUILT! And I want the finished product to be a surprise to the bride and groom. They know I'm making it, but don't know what it will look like...

Here was the view out my studio window Saturday. Lots of clouds and rain didn't bother me one little bit! I do hope no one ever builds a house across the street - I love my expansive view.

The big guy got a bath last night! Oh, he needed it! He's a challenge to bathe - we've tried doing it with a hose in the backyard, but it's hard to hit a moving target. He's much to big to get into a bathtub. So last night I tried something new: I took a shower with him. Yup, I did!

We have a large walk-in shower so we both fit just fine. I won't say that he enjoyed it, but he did tolerate it nicely. And in the end, we were both clean!

Tomorrow is the DAY! Did you remember? The new issue of Hexie Love is coming out!!! If you have subscribed in the past, your issue will appear in your e-mail. If you purchase single issues, simple go HERE to purchase it - still only $5.99!

I just realize I use way too many exclamation marks! It's just that I get excited! And I can't help it! Sorry!!!!!!!!

You Knew I Had To...

Yup... after cutting the pieced for a "I'm a Farmer's Daughter" quilt the night before, I just had to stitch some pieces together. I was so happy with this! Then I tried to pin the next piece to it and it didn't fit!!! What did I do wrong?

I finally figured it out... there are two kite shapes in the pattern and I stitched these together using the smaller one. Turns out this template is only for the setting triangles around the outside edges of the quilt. 

So I put it aside and cut 8 pieces with the bigger kite template.

This is how far I got yesterday - hard to tell, but this is definitely bigger than the first. So fun! And a great way to use some old, old scraps - many of them quite ugly on their own. I want to cut out several more blocks so I have little kits at the ready when I'm in the mood for them.

I'm paying for all my many hours of hand sewing today...my hands are a bit sore this morning. It happens. I always listen to my hands! They are asking for a couple of days of rest. Today I need to do lots of computer work anyway. And I'll spend some time with my lovely BERNINA, too.

So what else is on the schedule? Putting sheets on a couple of beds, lunch with a friend, trip to the bank.... yada, yada, yada.

So Many Quilts!

Yesterday I was a BUSY BEE, buzzing from one thing to another. I actually worked on 11 different quilts yesterday! How can that be?

1. I worked on the necktie project.

2. I cut out seven quilts! Okay, so it's just going to be big squares sewn together, but still, seven quilts!

3. I worked on next year's BOM. Trying to get ahead on this one!

4. I worked on my clamshell UFO.

5. I started this quilt. Yes, I know! I can't believe I started another project!!! I saw this pattern when I was in Atlanta last week and couldn't resist. I rarely buy patterns - I usually design my own quilts. But this Jen Kingwell pattern absolutely spoke to me. The directions start out by saying, "This quilt is not for the very beginner. Hand piecing is recommended." Okay, I'm up for the challenge!

I have LOTS of scraps to use in this one. And those neutral grays I bought earlier in the week? Those will be my background fabrics.

Yesterday I used template plastic to make all my templates for this. And I hand cut one block. This will be a long term on-going project.

More Fabric???!!!!

Okay. So here's the story behind my new acquisitions.

Yesterday I need to drive to Columbus, GA, to pick up the wedding dress. Off I went bright and early with my breakfast smoothie in my cup holder.

I won't go into all the details about spilling said smoothie in my lap halfway there, squeezing my knees together for 5 miles (to keep smoothie from getting on car seat) until I (finally!) found a place to pull over and clean my lap with anything I could find in my backseat. Luckily there was a stray towel back there. Oh dear, I think I just went into all the details. Oh well.

After all that, I decided I deserved a trip to the quilt shop in Columbus (which happens to be close to the bridal shop). I stocked up on some light gray neutrals - my favorite! While shopping, I carefully held my purse in front of the smoothie spill on my pants.

Then it was on to the bridal store to pick up the dress. And that was my morning. Back at home I changed pants and promptly spill lunch down my shirt. It was one of those days...

Clamshells UFO!

 

Yesterday was the day! I finally pulled out another UFO to work on! I added two more rows of clamshells, and now have only ONE more row to go. This will be the center of a new quilt I'm designing, and YES, there will be hexies in this! You knew that already, I'll bet!

Today's list includes going over the next issue of Hexie Love one last time. September 1 is almost here! Maybe I'll stitch a few more clamshells, and I'll also work on my necktie project. Should be a fun day!

Our weather is still HOT, but not sweltering. Maybe Fall is just around the corner? I sure hope so. I went outside for just a minute or two yesterday afternoon to get the dogs in. When I came back inside, I had 7 mosquito bites and an allergy attack. And this is why I'm an inside girl... UGH!

Have a great day!

Hexies Galore and Doxie Love...

The photo is a bit dark, but how cute is this? Old man, Prince, was thoroughly bathing Mickey. And Mickey enjoyed every second of his licking bath.

Yesterday was a productive day! I finished the September BOM, including the perle cotton stitching. Not only that, but I added the sashing to the last three blocks and sewed them to the main quilt. Only three blocks to go!!!

I spent a couple of hours working on next year's block of the month project, too. AND, if that's not enough, I worked on my necktie project.

Today I have to take hubby's car back to the shop. Darn, the thing they fixed - is still broken. If they get done quickly enough, I may be driving over to Columbus, GA, to pick up a wedding dress... I'll be finishing up a section of the necktie quilt, too. And maybe more block of the month fun....

So glad to hear that I'm not alone in having multiple projects in various states of progress all going on at the same time. Have a great day!