A Few Inches To Go

Day 358: Joe and Sharon's quilt is nearly done! I still have about 12 inches of binding to sew down on the back and a label to sew on, and it will be ready to deliver when they're here next a few weeks from now. I didn't know Joe and Sharon when I began cutting out hexagons about forty years ago, but some of these fabrics date back that far. A divorce, a move, a new job and a dangerous illness were just a few of the things pushing the quilt to the back of the closet, there to remain buried so deeply that it took a pandemic to bring it out of hiding. "What the heck is this?" I said when I found the box. Inside, I discovered two pieced blocks and about forty more single hexagons. As it turned out, making blocks is the wrong way to go about assembling a hexagon quilt, so with a little help from YouTube, I cut more fabric and started piecing with one long chain. I was surprised at how easily it went together. In fact, I would have to say that I enjoyed making this quilt more than any other I've ever created. Of course, once it was pieced, the real work began. It has taken eleven months to hand-stitch with shadow-quilting around each hexagon and a narrow border of foliage and "daisies" to acknowledge the wonderful relationship I've had with Joe and Sharon as my botany partners.