While enjoying a stitching day at Millrose in Ballan on Sunday, l took my hexi flowers for a walk around the shop. l found 2 that l liked, so l put it to the other girls stitching with me to help. The decision was unanimous!! So l am happy to report that l have finally found the fabric l want to use as my pathway! l set to on Tuesday, covering a handful to test them out. Here is the result! l couldn't be more happy. Love them, and love what they bring to the flowers. l originally bought 2 metres, then yesterday bought 2 more, just in case!! Can a girl ever have enough of a great fabric?? LOL My tally so far is 39 flowers completed, and 14 centres made. Then l have tons more prepped and ready to pick up and go. l take my tin of fabric and papers with me everywhere, and when ever l have a few minutes of down time, l take it out and stitch a few. And now l also have to confess that l have a new hexi addiction! When l was in France a few years ago, l fell in love with these blue Liberty fabrics. l chose 3 solids to go with them and put them in a case to make a French memory quilt. When l came home l went through my meagre Liberty stash and pulled out some extras. This is what l stitched at our sewing day in Ballan. Couldn't be happier with how it is looking, and makes a nice change from working with the reds all the time. Time will tell what l choose for the pathway here, but l do have something in mind!! Stay tuned!! Thanks for visiting. Linda.

The Hex N More is a new ruler that I have developed. What makes this ruler special is that it can cut 4 shapes in 4 sizes!! ...

This almost certainly wont print out at the correct size, so flickrmail me (including your normal email address)if you want the template. If you still cant print it at the correct size you can draw your own as above. I just printed this to test, and as long as i opened the 'all sizes' option and then printed it was perfectly sized.... the world of computers is so fickle!

The Hex N More is a new ruler that I have developed. What makes this ruler special is that it can cut 4 shapes in 4 sizes!! ...

;

Explore namolio's 944 photos on Flickr!

I've got a fun and special quilt for you to meet today. Introducing my next block of the month book that will be available January 2015, Gravity. Quilt Details Fabric is Kona Solids by Robert Kaufman Pattern - Gravity, JBQ 150 Designed by me Quilted by Angela Walters Started on 9/1/14 Finished on 9/24/14 Quilt measures - 97" x 96" I partnered with Robert Kaufman Fabrics to offer a quilt kit that has the exact Kona colors I used. It will be available February 2015 in online and local quilt shops as a quilt kit OR as a block of the month club. The kit includes all of the fabric to make the quilt top and binding. Want to know which 114 Kona colors I used?? You can find them listed here. You can see which colors to use in each block in these blog posts: Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4 Block 5 Block 6 Block 7 Block 8 Block 9 --- Here I am showing off the kit at my schoolhouse during quilt market. The book also contains the pattern for a bonus pillow. Clearly, I was really excited to reveal the pillow!! Gravity is made with the Hex N More and Super Sidekick rulers. Both rulers are available now in shops. Click the links to the rulers to see the video tutorials on how to use them. The book is printed in full color, and it includes templates. Plus there's no Y seams! -- Outtake Photos The day Gravity was finished, we had just enough sunlight to snap a few photos at a local park before the sunset. The wind, however, was not cooperating. But it did give me an opportunity to get a detailed shot of Angela's quilting: Then we ventured to a less windy spot in the park... Oops, feet still showing... And then I was able to get this photo, which was the first photo I publicly shared of Gravity. You can find it on Instagram with the tag #GravityQuilt. ---- A few days later, Lawrence and I took a vacation (and quilt pattern cover photo shoot trip) to Hawaii. As soon as we arrived, I snapped some photos on my phone of Gravity near a pretty waterfall. ---- And then we ventured out to the beach with the quilt to see if we could get a good photo for the book cover. Again, the wind was not in our favor... We spread the quilt out on the ground & needed to use weights in the corners to keep it from flying away and into the water. Lawrence stayed with the quilt to protect it. I really liked how this spot looked like a mix of earth & moon (which reminds me of actual gravity...), but we just couldn't get the right shot. Luckily, Lawrence is patient, because it was not comfortable on those rocks, trust me. I got a smile when I told him we were done at this spot. --- Finally, it was back to the waterfall where I had snapped the awesome photos on my phone a few days earlier. Which was promising, but the lighting wasn't right. We waited a bit for the clouds to move & we moved the quilt a bit, too... At last, we got the right shot. What you don't see in the cover photo is that Lawrence is holding onto the bottom corner of the quilt to get it in the perfect place! ----- Once we returned home, I put Gravity on our bed & fell in love with it even more.... And then I shared the first image of the Gravity quilt bonus pillow on social media. I did the straight line quilting on the bonus pillow all by myself. And I got another photo of Angela's amazing quilting on Gravity. I love the colors in this detail shot of the bonus pillow. I LOVE this quilt, and I hope you do, too! I can't wait to see photos of your Gravity quilt creations, and the variations that will happen as quilters begin making them. I know that each quilt made with the Kona Cotton kit (available for pre-order now) will take on it's own look and feel given how many colors of fabrics are included in the kit. And I'm really looking forward to seeing it in Batiks, blenders of all kinds, your rainbow inspirations will be endless! Will you be making your own Gravity quilt next year? What fabrics will you use for your creation? Tell us about it in the comments below. Thanks so much! © Blog post written by Julie Herman For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

Blogged: savvystitch.blogspot.com/2010/08/hexed.html

I don't know why, but it always seems that "blog time" comes around the corner so fast each month that it takes me by surprise. I sweat over what to put in my blog... and this month I started sweating early because most of what I've been working on is not "photo ready." I've been doing lots of paperwork and pattern-writing... nothing that I can take a picture of! This month, I've decided to share a bunch of hexagon quilts with you . It seems that hexagons started showing up in only the last year or two. I went back and looked at all my Houston quilt show pictures -- there were lots of hexagons last year, only a couple the year before, and I only found one picture from 2011. Where did all these hexagons come from? Well... it's not as if they didn't exist until a year or two ago. Take a look... The quilt below was part of the French Legendary Quilts exhibit at the International Quilters Association (IQA) show in Houston last year. These quilts are totally hand-made (no machine work at all!) and are replicas of antique quilts. This quilt, Mosaic quilt, was made by Isabelle Etienne-Bugnot of Soisy-sur-Seine, France. It is based on a circa 1840 quilt in the DAR Museum in Washington, D.C. (note: please excuse the plastic band in front of the quilt at the bottom of the picture... sometimes I can't avoid those in my picture-taking...). I love the quilt above with its diamonds made of hexagons... though I must admit that hexagons are NOT my unit of choice. In fact, there were SO many hexagons in the quilt show and in the vendors' booths last year that everytime I saw one, I started humming Taylor Swift's "I.....i....iii....i... will never, ever, ever.... (and I changed the lyrics).... make a hexagon"! Really - hexagons were everywhere I looked!!! Here's another one at the show last year: Honeycomb (Rayon de miel) by Liliane Verger of Royan, France. Liliane's quilt was inspired by an English quilt made in the 1840s. This quilt offers hexagon diamonds and hexagon stars. The outer edge of the quilt offers a unique way of handling those persnickety hexagons, too. Here's a closeup of Liliane's blocks. She used the English paper piecing method - is there any other way? In this method, fabric is stitched around a hexagonal template, then the hexagons are sewn together and the template paper is removed. Hexagonal Star, below, was made by Renee Elie of Royan, France. Here are the stars... and no hexagon diamonds. Instead, Renee has hexagon flowers -- a common use for hexagons. This quilt was inspired by an 1830 quilt. With almost 10,000 three-quarter inch hexagons, I can only imagine how long it took to complete this quilt. That's probably another reason hexagons hold little appeal to me. I'm still open to the idea... but not excited at this point. What a masterpiece of work, though! Here are some close-ups of the Hexagonal Star quilt. And another close-up. Can you imagine making all of those hexagons... and fussy-cutting so many units? It is another reason I'm not tempted. Yet. I have to admit they are pretty... and after all... ...by now you know that I do love intricacy! Here's another hexagon quilt - with flowers and diamonds done as a strippy quilt! This one, Diamonds with Flowers (Losanges de fleurs) was made by Dominique Husson of Arvert, France. It was inspired by an 1840 American quilt. The hexagons are each one inch in size. But wait... there's more! Check out the fussy cutting in these flowers and diamonds. It is simply amazing. Dominique's choice of fabrics is simply wonderful. It makes me think of fabric in an entirely different way. You might not realize it, but "baby blocks" are actually a form of hexagon - made of three diamonds. Cubes by Catherine Guy of Saint-heand, France, was based on a quilt made between 1855 and 1875. With over 3,000 pieces, the quilt was jaw-dropping in its perfection. The pattern for this quilt was published in American and British women's magazines circal 1850-1860. The fabric used in the above quilt also made me think of fabric in a different way. I think we all might be a bit too timid in our fabric choices: can you see the red and white checked fabric that is used in one of the baby block rows? Who would have imagined that it would melt right into the other fabrics? Below is another quilt using hexagons as baby blocks. At first, it looks like stars, but if you disect the larger hexagon shapes (the stars), you wil notice that there are three baby block hexagons in each larger hexagon. Stars or Baby Blocks was made by Marie-Paule Nedelec and Anne Helene Nedelec, from Chateaubriant, France. It was inspired by a circa 1880 quilt from Kentucky. You can check out the "stars" or baby blocks in this close-up. Notice the precision required to make all these blocks fit together so nicely. Alice Springs, below, uses combinations of hexagons with piecing and applique. Annick Tauzin of Floirac, France based her quilt on a "Persian applique," circa 1840, from Australia. Persian applique is a more arcane term for what most of us call broderie perse. Here are some close-ups of Annick's quilt. The hand-quilting is incredible in this quilt. Note, in the picture below, that there are elongated hexagons in the narrow border to the right of the flowers. The quilt below was made by Keiko Hasegawa of Ikoma, Nara, Japan. She made a series of hexagon quilts, then had a baby named Canon... and named this quilt Canon because this quilt is for her. Keiko listened to music and canons, and sang along as she made this quilt. Here are some close-ups of this amazing quilt. Notice the hexagon border in this quilt. It's a nice touch and makes for a certain unity across the face of the qiult. And, as in many hexagone quilts, there was ample fussy-cutting of pieces. Not all hexagon quilts are based on antique quilts or use reproduction fabric. Here's a bright, cheery quilt by Lilija Kostenko fo Gouda, The Netherlands. Lilija says this quilt reminded her of a summer day. You might notice that there are hexagons inside of hexagons in this quilt -- AND there are elongated hexagons. I told you there were hexagons everywhere last year! Look at those wild fabrics, too. Celtic Summer Celebration by Jaynette Huff of Conway, Arkansas, is a wonderful exercise in detail. With original basket designs, this quilt has over 690 quarter-inch hexagons (yes, quarter inch!), over 2,580 beads, buttons and charms, and includes "hidden treasures" such as a pig, frog, ladybug, armadillo, and squirrel. What fun! Looking at the above picture, you might not have found the hexagons. Look at the center of this photo and you can see a basket of flowers. Here's a closer look... notice the buttons and the beads in this picture. And in this picture, you can easily see more hexagon flowers -- but also, you can see the 1/8th inch bias tubes that Jaynette made for this quilt. Wow! Jaynette's quilt is an original design using Celtic applique designs modified from Everything Celtic by Mary Butler Shannon. Hiromi Yokota of Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Japan, made Flower of 13,585 Pieces and Peace. Hiromi says we cannot make peace or a quilt in a few days - so she wanted to make a flower quilt of hexagones using "1 centimeter paper liner method and a feeling of peace". It is hand made and hand-quilted. Here are two close-ups. What an amazing amount of work. Notice the outer edge of the quilt: Hiromi went to great pains to maintain the hexagon shapes when she backed and quilted her quilt with a knife-edge where no binding is visible from the top of the quilt. Here are diamonds and flowers and a star - all in the same quilt - and all within a large, hexagonal shape. Credit for this quitl, Flowers from Grandmother's Secret Garden, goes to Diana Perry of Hot Springs, Arkansas. With one-quarter inch hexagons, Diana sewed approximately 2,000 hexagons to make this quilt. The quilb below is an antique quilt. I try really hard to provide attribution for each quilt I post on my blog, but I have lost the source information for this picture. I do remember that it was in a special exhibit at the Houston quilt show. It is an amazing piece of work -- and very folksy! Check out all of the hexagons just appliqued at random, as well as in flowers. Isn't it all fun? Here's a close-up of the quilt. Notice the charming baskets, the heart motifs, the butterfly... I bet the maker smiled her way through all of her stitching. These baskets just tickled my fancy with their wild abandon and crazy use of fabrics. The quilt below was also in a special antique quilt exhibit. The quiltmaker is unknown, but it was made entirely of silk circa 1860. Measuring 74 by 81 inches, this Grandmother's Flower Garden variation is unique. It did not hang because of its delicate condition -- it laid on a slanted pallet to protect it from the stress of any stretching that hanging might cause. Here's a close-up. It reminds me of the Italian milleifiori ("thousand flowers") glass. And if you had seen this quilt, you would have noticed the gorgeous quilting in the border. Seven Sisters is a classic pattern of stars - here was a quilt I saw in a class on dating fabrics. Notice the hexagons! It wasn't too hard to date the fabric, with the "Sail On, O Union" fabric in one of the hexagons. While scouring the antique booths at the Houston quilt show, I found a most amazing quilt in John Saul's antique booth. He has some incredible quilts, and this one certainly took the prize for amazing! Made of one-inch silk hexagons, it was an unbelievable piece of work. Here's a close-up. Almost none of the silk had shattered, which made it all the more beautiful. Here's another qult made of hexagons -- it looks quite different from some of the others seen here. Made by Isako Wada of Kurokawa-Gun, Miyagi-Ken, Japan, Bolero 21609 was designed when Isako had a dream about making a hexagon quilt. It is made of hexagon units - but notice that there are also many large and small hexagon motifs across the face of the quilt. Isako named her quilt because she listened to Ravel's "Bolero" while she stitched - and my guess is that it has 21,609 pieces in it. Here's another contemporary hexagon quilt. Made by Cheryl See of Ashburn, Virginia, Star Struck has 12,256 hexagon units forming a rainbow-colored star which repeats in the background. Cheryl notes that the otuer star is bordered by appliqued circles with complimentary-colored backgrounds that transition through the colors of the rainbow. Appliqued flowers and Grandmother's flowers were placed throughout the quilt, forming secondary patterns and random surprises. Okay - so after seeing all these hexagons, was I tempted? Even the least little bit? Well... not so much. Here's the closest I've gotten: snowball blocks. Of course, these are not hexagons; they're octagons! But that's as close as I can get. My friend Becky must have felt sorry for me, though. After she heard me sing Taylor Swift's "I..I...I... will never, ever, ever..." so many times, she thought that I really needed a hexagon quilt. She's an angel... and she did it, did it, did it for me.... So what have I been working on over the past month? Like I said earlier, it's been computer work and home work and family matters. I did finish binding my newest quilt, Twirly Balls and Pinwheels, and even put a sleeve on it. When I finished it, it had some "waves" in it. Those are sometimes to be expected when one deals with so many small pieces, such heavy quilting, and a wool batting. I hesitated in trying to figure out how to make the quilt flat... and finally bit the bullet and blocked it. It bled, despite the fact that I had pre-washed all my fabrics and the batting... and used no chemicals or pens that would cause bleeding. Go figure. I have a hunch it has to do with the pH level in water and will test that later with tap water, bottled water, and filtered water. I'll keep you posted! Quakertown Quilts (www.quakertownquilts.com) will be offering the pattern in the next couple of weeks -- I finished writing it this week and will get it over to them next week. Writing the pattern took extra long, not because the quilt is hard to make, but because I invested a LOT of time into photos so that everyone who makes the quilt will have a good time making it and avoid problems. It is a wonderful quilt to make! Quakertown, at some point (and maybe your own local quilt shop) will be kitting it as a 6-month block-of-the-month quilt. It's not your classic block-of-the-month, but having the fabric delivered to you over a period of time makes it a lot easier to make; there are a lot of different fabrics in this quilt. In my last blog, I mentioned that I was going to start doing lectures and workshops and traveling a bit. Whoa! Stop the presses! Within two weeks, my calendar fell into overload! I'm totally booked for 2013 and for most of 2014. I'ved accepted a couple of 2015 engagements, but I'm reluctant to accept many more. So... hang in there and send me an email if you're interested, but I'm kind of booked solid right now. Having said that, I've made a new quick-and-easy "Twirly Ball" quilt that I'm going to use in workshops. It was so much fun and so easy to make this quilt! Hopefully, someday I can come to your guild and teach a workshop!  Until we meet - and until next month -- happy quilting to everyone! Sue (c)2013 Susan H. Garman

For about 2 years now I have been meaning to make more skirts from the Amy Butler pattern "Barcelona Skirt," but for some reason it didn't happen until this week. It's not that it's a complicated pattern - in fact, once you've done it one time, it goes pretty smoothly from there. I even picked out some fabrics about a year ago specifically for this purpose, but put it off so long that I completely reconsidered my choices. When I first made this skirt, I found a fabulous Tina Givens fabric at Cool Cottons here in Portland. And when I wore this skirt to the shop a few weeks ago, co-founder and owner, Marie, proclaimed that she, too, had made the same skirt using the same print. Great minds think alike! And while at work, I kept eyeing a particular print from Michael Miller Fabrics, from their Metro Living collection. I finally caved, again with great encouragement from Marie. So, when I finally dragged out my old pattern from my sewing table drawer, I decided I was going to maximize on the effort and cut out two skirts at one time. I don't know whether it's consistency of taste or what, but as it turns out they are both predominantly grey - however the Andover floral is actually yardage I bought many years ago, while working at another quilt shop that is sadly no longer around. However, it was a print I loved then, still love now, and has been used in several quilting projects already (including one of the main prints in my queen sized quarter log cabin quilt). and the Michael Miller one: One thing I DID learn in this process, however, is that this pattern most definitely is more effective cutting and sewing from unwashed fabric. It not only accentuates the fraying of the raw edges on each tier of the skirt, but I found that the medium is just a hint too big for me, but I don't dare try and cut the pattern to the small, but with a hot water wash it seems to shrink just about the right amount to fit properly! Now if only the temperature would stay above 58 degrees so I might actually get some wear out of my cute new skirts!

This is my third year attending the sewing retreat put on by my lovely friend! I finished 40 zipper pouches, a lap quilt top and started a swap project. My mom made a lot of things too but I only c…

My late 2017 Quilt-Along based on my book The New Hexagon: 52 blocks to English Paper Piece (Martingale 2014)

English paper piecing projects are available from The Running Chicken

While enjoying a stitching day at Millrose in Ballan on Sunday, l took my hexi flowers for a walk around the shop. l found 2 that l liked, so l put it to the other girls stitching with me to help. The decision was unanimous!! So l am happy to report that l have finally found the fabric l want to use as my pathway! l set to on Tuesday, covering a handful to test them out. Here is the result! l couldn't be more happy. Love them, and love what they bring to the flowers. l originally bought 2 metres, then yesterday bought 2 more, just in case!! Can a girl ever have enough of a great fabric?? LOL My tally so far is 39 flowers completed, and 14 centres made. Then l have tons more prepped and ready to pick up and go. l take my tin of fabric and papers with me everywhere, and when ever l have a few minutes of down time, l take it out and stitch a few. And now l also have to confess that l have a new hexi addiction! When l was in France a few years ago, l fell in love with these blue Liberty fabrics. l chose 3 solids to go with them and put them in a case to make a French memory quilt. When l came home l went through my meagre Liberty stash and pulled out some extras. This is what l stitched at our sewing day in Ballan. Couldn't be happier with how it is looking, and makes a nice change from working with the reds all the time. Time will tell what l choose for the pathway here, but l do have something in mind!! Stay tuned!! Thanks for visiting. Linda.

My 2016 Quilt-Along based on my book The New Hexagon: 52 blocks to English Paper Piece (Martingale 2014)

Tuck in a Spatula and Recipe for a Special Gift! This simple quilted potholder is so easy to sew, yet it makes a big impression. The pocket is perfect for including a recipe the recipient will love, and a colorful spatula or other tool. These potholders are great for housewarmings, newlyweds, bridal showers, Christmas, and …

Wednesday again and this time I have made no flowers, but I figured out how to continue. This is a trial and so I keep it small. My 8 flowers are enough to make a small quilt. First I made a format and then choose a green fabric for the background. I made 20 hexies and positioned them between the flowers.So know I am one step further.

i’ve been working on a hexagon quilt. i plan on doing it in purples, blues and greens, all paper pieced and sewn by hand. the back will be all black, with silver latticing where the front has black. i’ll be ‘stuffing’ it with a hexagon of fleece in between layers, as i go along, working from the inside out, joining front and back as i go. i already have one of the diamonds done, and several more cut out. i can get a diamond out of an 1/8 of a yard, and i plan on checking out the remnants every time i go to the store.

Hexagon quilts are making a comeback, and we've seen some inspiring modern variations. Tumbling blocks are hexagon shapes made with three d...

I'm very excited to announce the Mini Hex N More & Mini Patterns! Here I am last week at Road 2 California for the "Mini" debut! T...

Explore mollystevens' 2750 photos on Flickr!

English Paper Piecing by: Vicki Bellino

fabric by cosmo cricket, pattern by Sandy Klop. Blogged at hopefulhomemaker.com/wp/2013/10/15/early-bird-quilt/

Finally got it outside for a picture. I love this! I took the chance to sneak some pics of my camera shy 13yr old too :)

Think your smart phone can’t help you finish a quilt? Think again! They’re not called “smart” for nothing. With phones, a camera, a browser to search for the nearest shop, and a GPS to help you find it, your phone can help you accomplish a lot. Here are a few tips for combining smart phones and quilting: Use photos to help you lay out your quilt blocks.

I have a fun, little project for you today that will sweeten up your decor, the Sweetheart Table Topper. This is an updated version of a si...

The history of large barn paintings in Appalachia. How to make your own and what some of the images mean

A blog about quilts, fibre arts and curios

I'm so excited to share my new video ruler tutorials with you this month! Today I have the Hex N More video tutorial for you. Over the next few weeks I'll have a new tutorial on each ruler for you each week. In this video tutorial I demonstrate how to cut shapes from fabric strips with the Hex N More ruler. Learn how to cut Hexagons, Half Hexagons, Triangles and Jewels. You can cut each shape in four different sizes using the Hex N More ruler. I review how to cut shapes for right and left-handed sewists and quilters in the video. GENERAL RULER INFORMATION: All shapes are rotary cut from fabric strips. Cut a strip and then cut the desired shape or shapes from the strip. A 1/4" seam allowance is included on each shape of all of the rulers. The Hex N More ruler cuts 4 shapes in 4 sizes. The Hex N More ruler can be used in place of the Mini Hex N More ruler. Photo Tutorials for Cutting Hex N More Shapes Cutting Tutorials - 60° Triangle Cutting Tutorials - Half Hex Cutting Tutorials - Hexagon Cutting Tutorials - Jewel The Jaybird Quilts family of rulers include the Hex N More, Sidekick, Mini Hex N More and Super Sidekick rulers. All Hex N More and Sidekick rulers can work together or alone. The shapes and sizes cut from each ruler can work together to make unique and interesting designs. The Hex N More, Sidekick & Super Sidekick rulers are packaged with full color directions, including cutting and piecing diagrams. Jaybird Quilts patterns that use the Hex N More ruler include Gravity, Park Bench, Toes in the Sand, Delight, Disco, Day Break, Science Fair, Tiny Dancer, Snack Time, Wonton, Lotus, Northern Lights, Tasty, Jawbreaker and Candy Dish. Most Jaybird Quilts quilt patterns include size options that range from baby, lap, twin, full, queen and king size quilts. Patterns for throw pillows and table runners or table toppers are also available. All patterns are full color and include detailed cutting diagrams and templates, directions for assembling blocks and finishing directions. Quilts featured in this video include Delight in Moonshine by Tula Pink for Free Spirit and Snack Time in Kona Cotton by Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Both quilts are pieced by Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts and are quilted by Angela Walters of Quilting is My Therapy. Bookmark this page to save this tutorial for future use. © Blog post written by Julie Herman For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

Quilt Gallery ATHLETES BY ANN HOULE Athletes are intriguing to watch both because of the beauty of the human body, but also because of the display of effort—of striving—that they embody. Quilt artist Ann Houle seeks to portray moment of athleticism here. She wants the spectator to be drawn in to the beauty of the […]

My late 2017 Quilt-Along based on my book The New Hexagon: 52 blocks to English Paper Piece (Martingale 2014)

I started a project a few years ago when I was pregnant with my second child. He's about to turn 4! Am I done? Not even close, but I knew starting it would take me