Tuesday, January 30, 2018

mark twain quilt progress

Life seems to be going at break-neck speed these days, but I am still managing to find time to do some hand-stitching amid all the activities. That's a very good thing! Having a portable stitching project at the ready is key.
I've done a lot of stitching at church (before service starts) and some in the doctor's office while waiting for my daughter's strep test. (It invited a LOT of questions, let me tell you!) Some blocks were stitched the weekend of my mother-in-law's 80th birthday party while we hung out with family (lots more questions) and some stitching was done while I attended a workshop with my son all about college readiness. (Yikes!) I haven't done any stitching in line at the grocery store. Not yet, anyway! Hahaha!
I'm replicating an antique quilt (you can read more about it here, if you care to) and this block is a nod to the original quilt. I didn't have enough dark navy fabric for all 16 hexies for the outer later, so I substituted in a similar-ish fabric for the last 4 hexies. It adds SO much character and interest! For those of you who like things symmetrical, I'm sure that it makes you very uncomfortable, but I really like it! Eventually these blocks will be connected/bordered with the red-orange solid hexies.
One thing that I've noticed is that making the block centers takes very little time...
...but adding the hexies to the outside takes considerably longer! I am enjoying the process, though, and that's what matters, right?

My friend Nancy commented that it looks like something grandma would have made. Perfect!

22 comments:

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

perfect is right! love the old fashion look of hexies - I have been having a hexie quilt in the works off and on for quite a few years now as soon as I finish one I get another started! One is on my hand quilting frame now. Love the fabric you are using

grammajudyb said...

Your Mark Twain quilt is coming along. I have a hexie flower garden quilt that my grandmother pieced. She, too, sometimes had to substitute a similar fabric. I love that part. Make do!

9658 Textiles said...

I haven't found a hexies pattern I like yet to put that much commitment into. I have some centers started and boy oh boy are they addictive! I am looking forward to seeing how this story turns out. ;)

Clair said...

I haven't taken my hexagons to school to stitch...too much else going on. :)

Patty said...

I love the portability of hexies!

NancyRose said...

OOhhhh !!! I love your colours.... Good work !

Christina said...

Gorgeous! The photos make me want to dig out my hexagon templates.

KaHolly said...

It’s absolute delightful! I haven’t done EPP in a very long time.

Quilter Kathy said...

That is exactly right... if you enjoy the process, that's all that matters!
I love using waiting time to accomplish something with stitching!

Sam said...

I am on my 4th hexie quilt. This one is a lap quilt of triangles stacked. Making the triangles took no time. Making the strips of 18 took a little longer but sewing the strips to each other is lengthy!
I got started when a friend gave me 1930's hexie flowers. I love the 1930's prints(WHERE did you get yours???) so I started making flowers. But when I went to put them together - I had 2 different sizes. So a porch quilt and lap quilt were made. I have a large flower quilt (6 regular hexie flowers around a center one) that is waiting to be put together. That and the current one I used the EPP method. LOVE IT.

Michelle H said...

I ❤️❤️❤️ Sewing these! I just started mine and I am so in love with the process. My sewing machine and many other projects are jealous lol. I can't wait to see your finished, it truly will look like something Grandma would make!

Michelle H said...

Ohhh and, I sew mine every night in bed...I have my iPad propped with pillows tuned too YouTube watching old classic movies and the project on my lap. It's a favorite time of the day for me. 😊

T Smith said...

I love your posts so much! I always save your email for the last one I read. Like dessert after a meal! LOL

Teadoddles said...

I really like the layout of these hexies! Recently I made my first set of hexies - very basic for a mini quilt. I enjoyed the process more than I thought I would & want to make something a little larger, maybe pillow size. This would be a great layout for that!

Duchess B said...

This is going to be beautiful. It also makes me think twice about my "Grandma's Flower Garden" quilt. I'd only need to add two more hexies to the original flower and then another round of another fabric to make the same quilt. There's a lot of solid white made for bordering the flowers, maybe they could be used for an outer border. Hmm, gonna have to think about this.
Just remembered, I've also made the green pathways and doubt if I could find more of the same fabric, maybe a collection of fabrics of a similar shade would work instead of the orange-red you have. Isn't this block called Martha Washington's flower garden, if not it's very similar.
Thanks for the new inspiration and letting me rattle on about it!

Unknown said...

Can you post a picture of two hexes being sewing together, up close. I find my stitches show, so I must be sewing them wrong.

Therese said...

This project is perfect! Just like grandma would have done, using a substitute fabric if she ran out! Love it and the fabric, can't wait to see more!

thatfabricfeeling.wordpress.com said...

This is looking great. I'm so happy you went with a different blue color. That will completely give it more texture and interest. We all know that our ancestors would never have given this another thought but would use whatever they have. The most wonderful quilts are those with a little surprise here and there.

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LeslieWms said...

So pretty! I love this quilt . . . and I love your blog. Finish it up Friday's is a fun adventure for me, looking at all the projects finished by so many wonderful bloggers. This pattern is like one my great-aunt in Kansas called "Pickle Dish."

FlourishingPalms said...

It's admirable that you're willing to put yourself out there and do handwork in front of strangers. I sometimes feel awkward about that, just as I feel when I'm looking for an outdoor place to photograph a quilt. Guess that's called "embarrassed." Still, don't you wish you knew the people who are asking you questions? I mean, if I could have non-quilting friends, I'd have a great outlet for all my finished quilts! I'd give them away to all the non-quilters. As it is, everyone I think of that I would like to give a quilt to are quilters. A quilt is the last thing they need! So, I want to hang with you while YOU are the one being embarrassed (or more likely it doesn't bother you like it does me), and I'll be the one to befriend the person and gift them one of my quilts. What teamwork, huh?! :-)

Miaismine said...

Your progress is lovely! Sigh....I'm so enjoying following this quilt and you! :)