Hexagons 2.0

Day 318: Hexagons 2.0 is done! Entirely hand-stitched, it took just under 12 weeks to complete with a finished dimension of 56" x 61." There are 330 individual hexagons, and this time, I chose not to fill in the "stairstep" edges with partial hexes. Will I ever sew another one? This might not be quite the best time to ask me that, if you take my meaning. Although it was fun to bring together, two in a row was a bit much. That said, because it was a "quilt-as-you-go" project, it was gratifying when I sewed on the last hex and could say, "That's it! I'm done!" without having backing, batting and quilting still on the menu, and that, in my opinion, is the main selling point of this mode of construction. And before you ask, it has a destiny which I am not at liberty to discuss, determined before I ever put needle to the first piece of fabric. How many quilts have I made over the years? I've lost count. Most have been given as gifts, and if I can be forgiven a moment of vanity and pride, I'd like to think that at least one of them will become an heirloom to be handed down or passed along with its history. This one and its earlier counterpart, as well as Ring Cycles (currently in progress) speak of community and support because, as I was running short of print fabrics, I put out a call to my sewing friends for their scraps. Almost a dozen people contributed to the patchwork you see here today.

Seeing Stars

Day 331: As I sit here anxiously waiting for Mousie to get home from work to open the enormous box UPS left on her doorstep two hours ago, I am working on three quilts at once, although all three are in various stages of progress. The Patience Corner quilt is on the frame, edging closer to completion of its handwork with every passing day. The hexagon blocks are made, and I'm machine-sewing them together with dividing rows of white hexagons, and in between, I'm cutting and piecing a new pattern of 8" blocks called "Twinkle, Twinkle Scrappy Star" according to a YouTube tutorial. It is purportedly "easy to piece," but I am not finding it so. I'm struggling with every meet. On the other hand, the hexagons are supposed to be difficult, and they're going together effortlessly, again thanks to explicit instructions found on YouTube. That said, the finished blocks of Scrappy Star trim up nicely to size, and since the points of the stars do not touch those in the adjacent blocks, it should be quick to sew together. I may run "streets and alleys" between the blocks, possibly using a star print to carry the theme. It's a good pattern for using up leftovers.