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Sunday, January 06, 2013

Susan’s Amazing Half-Inch Hexie!

I  took photos of several of Susan’s quilts over the past couple of days --- but I definitely wanted to share this one with you, so I’ve set this to post as I am flying the wild blue yonder toward Arizona ---

Half inch hexagons.

English Paper pieced over a several year period ---set in an arrangement reminiscent of “Boston Commons” in design….WIDE variety of scraps and colors, complete mix of genres and eras --- little bits of everthing!

After I stopped gasping and drooling, and other students were done saying “I could never, I would never ---“ she reiterated what I love to hear.  This was made completely in bits of “Found Time” – those moments when you are sitting in a guild meeting, or in a doctor’s office, or on a trip, or when you just need something mindless to do – even when the light is not great.

That’s why I like English paper piecing.  I can baste blind folded on a bumpy plane ride if I have to…it gets to the point where you do it by feel more than you do by sight --- and here is the results of her labors ---many small moments of found time:

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Yes, she laid it on the floor!

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Take a good long look at the half-hexagons…she wanted a sharp dividing line between the dark and the light areas!

The explanation was given that she sewed two rectangles together first, pressing the seam open and centering the hexagon over the seam before trimming to shape and continuing with the basting.

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Close up of split hexie edge!

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Close up of the center.

Susan is an amazing quilter, and the owner of Quilt Asylum in McKinney, TX --- just wait until you see some of her other beauties!

38 comments:

Karen said...

What a beautiful quilt! I have hope that I will complete my Hexie quilt! Thank you for sharing this work of art.

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

how wonderful! this is very like the same arrangement I made with 1 inch squares except I had sashing in between the areas not more squares - I did mine hand pieced - these little pieces take time but worth it in the end.

Ann Marie @ 16 Muddy Feet said...

I love when you have completed something out of time that would have otherwise just been lost in space.

Anonymous said...

While the quilt is beautiful, the amount of work is staggering ---I do believe her shop has the right name!!! I would need a 'padded cell' myself...lol
HOW ON EARTH...and noticed that any number of the hexies are 2 fabrics!
WOW
JulieinTN

WIPPYSPLACE said...

attempting 3/4 inch---but this one is gorgeous!!! two color hexies--not sure I wanna go there--thanks for sharing ;-)

hehjude said...

fantastic!

Kristi said...

Wonderful hexi quilt!!

Mary said...

WOW!!! Has she ever counted them? It's an incredible work of art! I love the, "found time". That's what I think of my humble 1 inch hexie quilt in progress. I work on in in, "found time". I'm in no hurry to complete it, but love working on it!

Unknown said...

How clever with the half-hexies!! Just love the scrappiness of it all.

Unknown said...

Beautiful !!!

Mary Ellen said...

She isn't the owner of the Quilt Insane Asylum? LOL.

Snow Dog Quiltworks and Woodworks said...

Wow, that is amazing! She will find many memories throughout the quilt, just by the color's of the fabric... What a wonderful accomplishment! Thank you for sharing!

Pati said...

Wow!! I can't wait to see the rest of her quilts!

Tilly said...

Thanks for the shout-out, Bonnie! It was fun spending a couple of days with you!

D-Bee Creations said...

this is amazing and I am in awe for sure. This would be something that I would start but never finish so she is definitely a better quilter than I!!! lol How much more will she do to finish it? And what size will it end up being?

quiltmom anna said...

What an amazing quilt- totally stunning - I am in awe at her patience and skill- How large a quilt is it? Thanks for sharing this lovely piece of art.
Regards,
Anna

Margaret said...

Impressive, indeed! I knit socks in my 'found time'. :-)

Debbie Lou said...

Absolutely beautiful!

Barb said...

That is so amazing!

Turid said...

This is so beautiful. And I love the way she thinks, just like me. Does she know how many hexagons there are?

3 kats and a kwiltr said...

I've known Susan since before she opened her shop and she has always done absolutely beautiful quilts. Thanks for sharing this one with us, Bonnie.

Brenda said...

Yes, I was the one that said "I could never"! This was truly a breathtaking phenomenal piece of work, not the mention the teeny weeny hand pieced stitches.

daveandlo said...

That is QUITE a quilt! How big is it? I tried counting, but quickly gave up. Is it finished? Lois

Nann said...

I've known Susan for many years. I remember our group's first in-person meeting, in 1999, when she was working on a magnificent Blooming Nine Patch. One of her scrap quilts inspired two of mine. I finally got to see her in situ (in the shop) in January, 2012. It's a must for Kaffe Fassett fans!

And now to see this awesome hexagon design!

Rebecca said...

Fabulous!!!

Lisa said...

Wow! Beautiful!

Carolyn Sullivan said...

Awesome!

Robert said...

Beautiful quilt!!! What color thread does she sew the variety of colored fabric together with? You would be constantly changing threads if you tried to match with the fabric. Robert, from northern Iowa.

Luann said...

Sigh! I too am working on a hexie quilt top. Use a lot of the "found" time also. Amazing how much you get done when you "take and go".

This is a lovely quilt. I would have laid mine on the floor too. Thank- you so much for sharing.

Pat O said...

Speechless!

Shar said...

I have several indoor track meets and winter guard competitions that I have to go to the next couple of months. I think I should start something like this for my hand stitching project. There will be many hours of just sitting and waiting.

Shar said...

I have several indoor track meets and winter guard competitions that I have to go to the next couple of months. I think I should start something like this for my hand stitching project. There will be many hours of just sitting and waiting.

Janet O. said...

When I see something like this I scold myself that I haven't finished the one hexie quilt I started 15 years ago. What is wrong with me?
This quilt is jaw-dropping amazing!

Rebecca said...

No wonder she owns an asylum! Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

Carol said...

I remember when she showed this at guild ... There was a collective gasp from the crowd.
Truly gorgeous in every way.

Nikki said...

Great quilt. Thanks for the photo

David and Patty said...

Bonnie, I hope you read this. The quilt is amazing but what i wanted to tell you is drink TONIC WATER and yes, the potassium will help as well. I had terrible leg cramps when I worked on a cement floor for 10 hours a day, the Dr. put me on quinine tablets, then I was sick. A nurse at the nursing home where my mother was told me to drink about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of tonic water every night about half hour before I went to bed. What a difference and that restless leg nonsense stopped as well. If I have been sitting too long or stressing my legs and feet, I get the tonic out and drink it. It will help so much. Good luck and as for the hexies, it would take me more than a few years.
Thank you.

Lorraine said...

Gotta give a shout out for using Inklingo for making a hexie quilt. Stitching and cutting lines are printed on the back of the fabric...perfect size every time, no cardboard templates, no stitching showing on the outside. Love, love, love it!! Check it out at lindafranz.com

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