What’s a girl to do?
Get up and sew something!
There is always discussion amongst quilters on what is the best way to do this, best way to do that – or why is SHE doing it this way, when she SHOULD be doing it that way ----
Just like with all other aspects of life...we are OPINIONATED!
I just LOVE this vintage placard advertising Coats & Clark thread….isn’t this SO FUNNY!
And true.
I think the most important thing isn’t HOW someone does something, as long as it gets the job done.
There are many reasons why I take the time to do English paper piecing. While I don’t feel like I should have to defend myself over my methods, I just do what works for me.
Most of the time I am sewing in a moving vehicle. Bumpy roads or bumpy air space ---it’s all the same. I can quickly baste in bad lighting and bumpy air, and it doesn’t take as long as some may think. It's mindless, and comforting. I love the feel of manipulating that seam allowance over the card stock shapes, folding the corners, basting them down.
I choose to rough cut my fabric into hexagons through 8 layers of fabric with scissors. I get less waste and more control and a better use of my scraps than using an accuquilt die. I enjoy the feel of cutting with scissors.
And yes, I cut HEXAGONS…not squares that are going to be folded over and leave way too much seam allowance on the back side of my work. Who really wants to go trim that later?
Behold the back side!
Sometimes my stitches are visible. And that’s okay. It’s hand work. I don’t feel the need to punch a hole in the center of my papers and use a chopstick to remove them. I just grab them and wiggle them out ---that means less stuff for me to have to carry.
My whip stitch is not as close as some. But to me the stitches don't need to be as close together as a satin stitch. My stitches are spaced about the same distance as my machine piecing would be. Sufficient to hold it together without creating a ridge of too many stitches.
I like how the basting thread stays in and keeps my seam allowance nice and neat. There will be no need to repress this top that has traveled thousands of miles during its creation.
I like to work in small “satellite” sections that are portable, and then will assemble them to the “mother ship.” I love to see the instant progress as I join the hexies to each other one by one, building my sections and watching them grow.
Baste one, sew it on. Baste another, sew it on....I don't save baggies full of basted hexies to then join later. The thread is already attached, so sew it on!
Baste one, sew it on. Baste another, sew it on....I don't save baggies full of basted hexies to then join later. The thread is already attached, so sew it on!
This is my progress from the last couple of trips…to Texas and back last week, and to Oregon yesterday. I am loving my project!
If you are new to hexagons, you can check out my English paper piecing tutorial HERE.
With a crazy busy traveling life…having my busy bag full and always ready to go keeps a bit of home and normalcy with me wherever I may be.
So here I sit in a hotel room in Roseburg, Oregon just after 5am, with 3 hours before my pick up time for class today.
It’s too early to even get breakfast yet!
Not enough time to go back to sleep. but enough time to add some more pieces to my project.
Fabrics that I cut. Pieces I am familiar with. A little bit of home.
34 comments:
Welcome back to Oregon, Bonnie! Lucky people who will get to see you in the next few days ... in Portland, we are looking forward to June 2014! I do know a few who are probably already on their way down to take your class.
I woke up at 3 am and I was ready to go into my sewing room and start at it. But my DH is in the next room so I didn't want to disturb him.
I like listen to the radio and I closed the window and by six I fell back to sleep. I knew if I didn't get any sleep I would be cranky all day. Hang in there and try to take a nap.
I am so excited! Part of why I couldn't sleep I guess!
Yesterday, I purchased a hexagon cutter from JoAnn's. it's made by Fiskers and over in the scrapbook section by the paper punches. I got the smaller size. I had a 50% off coupon so paid $7.50 plus tax for it. Last night, in less than 2 hours, I punched out over 1,000 hexagon papers from junk mail and magazine subscription cards. I've got a gazillion more to punch out. But progress is progress. I've got my fabric and will cut the hexagons out from the fabric and spend hours of mindless basting! I do LOVE my hexagon punch!
What a beautiful post Bonnie. I love how you focused on the two things that I love most about quilting - the way the fabric feels in my hands and how much enjoyment that brings me, and the connection to home and comfort. I feel better just reading this today!
And love that thread ad!! What a riot!
Oh I did too...what a hoot! Can't you see the gossip happening around the quilting frame? :)
WOW Bonnie, last night as I was cutting hexies, I was wondering if how you did yours....spooky. LOL I think my next batch I'll try scissor cut instead of rotary cut--simply didn't think of it.
Great post. Thanks! Have fun in Oregon.
Thanks for sharing; and knowing that when you have that fabric in hand, all is right~!!~
Can't wait to see you again. I'll be there Tuesday and Wednesday. I was able to finish both my spiderweb and scrappy mtn. majesty from your classes in Atlanta in February. So I needed the push for some new quilts. Hope you enjoy your time here in Oregon.
WOW Bonnie, last night as I was cutting hexies, I was wondering if how you did yours....spooky. LOL I think my next batch I'll try scissor cut instead of rotary cut--simply didn't think of it.
Great post. Thanks! Have fun in Oregon.
Can you tell me how much bigger you cut your material compared to your Hexie papers. It looks wider than a 1/4". I am new to paper piecing hexies and not sure that I am leaving enough. Thanks
Seeing you and your hexies gave me an idea for my portable project for Dragoncon. I was cosplaying a Steampunk Seamstress and wanted hand work for the waiting. I am doing a red, white and blue diamond version that I have cut using stash- some back to 1987 according to the salvage. I am attempting to make it look a bit 1900's.
Click the link provided in the post above...all the info is there!
True enough. Handwork is such a comforting friend.
gee bonnie, so sad to see you must defend yourself and the way you choose to sew. real quilters wouldn't make you feel that....pox on quilt police i say!
wow, Bonnie, I love your perspective on paper piecing! I'm with you on your methods - build a section, attach it to the mother ship is a perfect description! ..and why bother taking out basting stitches that will never show? I also spend my 'full moon' nights with my hexie project.
btw - I cut my paper foundations from old (free) wallpaper book samples - the papers are firm, flexible, easy to pin - I use a hexie die from Sizzix (online - not sure if they still carry it) and cut dozens of little hexies in a few minutes. The cutter goes thru 9 layers of paper at a time!
I love the ad. When we visited the USS North Carolina last summer, I was amused to see that they labelled their water coolers "scuttlebutts" (which I think would be a great name for a quilting bee). Just goes to show that men gossip, too. They just have to disguise it with a different name.
I do my EPP with freezer paper templates -- and my stitches...well, they are what they are--they hold the thing together!! This is my fun,tv watching, hands busy time and I don't cotton to strict rules anyway...who's gonna come to arrest you--the hexagon close-stitching police???(ROTFLOL) I love your colors and I totally agree!! I relax and love to EPP-- Hugs, Julierose
Wonderful post! You always inspire me to just go sew.
I love this post,it is so hard to teach quilters to let go of the rules and works what is best for them. I cut strips and then cut them to down with a rotary cutter but then sit and trim off the corners with scissors, I am thinking I may start subcutting the stips with scissors too. So I wanted to take a minute and thank you for being out there cheering and encouraging everyone to find their way. No need for fancy machines or new fabric, but if that floats your boat that is ok too! The important thing is to enjoy and I hear that in almost all of your posts......................so great job Bonnie!
Enjoy Oregon. My Niece lives near where you are. I dont' think she'll be in class. Always hard to wake up too early. A power Nap might be in the future, maybe between class and dinner. You already have a blanket or two to use. Hope the storms quiet down so the power stays on for class. We had a doozy here in SE Washington last night. Rain, Hail & Wind blowing the DUST from the Desert Hills. Power out for many of my friends.
PRICELESS!
Paula in KY
or, since it is quilters, the Scuttlebatts. hee hee hee.
I love your method of EPP and have a link on my website straight to your tutorial! I recently joined a modern quilt guild and showed a few people there your method of piecing smaller units to join to the mother ship, instead of having stacks and stacks of hexies to join later (I know me, I would never do it as I would get too bored!)
GeeMa, the small town I used to live in had a favourite restaurant with the farmers/retired men. They would all start to pile in around 7:00am to 8:00am once chores had been done and they "needed a break". They would sit and drink coffee most of the morning and just chat together. When a couple men left from one table, the remaining ones would join another table and the conversation would start up again about "did you see what happened to George?" or "did you hear about John's crops?" and anything else they could think of to be the first one to reveal the information! They would do this til about 11:00am and then clear out to make room for the lunch crowd. Most of their wives had already left and gotten rides home with each other by that time, lol
There was a line they used to feed us "gossippy women"........it went something like this;
"Men don't gossip, we just share/discuss the latest news........" lol OK, if it helps you sleep at night then whatever! lol
Its true hand work is soothing. I have discovered a blog "Little Cotton Rabbits" She knits to help her cope with her severely autistic son. OK not sewing but a similar concept. I think the repitive motion is soothing. And the added bonus that you make something. Now a 1/2 inch hexi quilt for my little cotton rabbits would be cute!!
Attaching the satellite sections to the mother ship - I'm still laughing.
I've been working on hexies too - using the mylar ones as i have arthritis in my hands and they are easier for me to handle. We have to do what we are comfortable with.
Received my package today - woohoo! Thank you so much.
Hi, Bonnie. If you haven't heard of them, I'd like to introduce you to the Bad Ass Quilter's Society. "The world needs more bad ass quilters. Diverse voices that challenge the accepted notion of who quilting and needle artists should be with the idea that there is room for many ways to express individuality in this medium." Look for this small but talented group on Facebook. I've gotten lots of good ideas from them. As usual, I use what I find helpful, and leave the rest for others. Sharing!
I have always lived by the thought the one should listen to other's ideas, then do what you want. This way you have other ideas if yours doesn't work for some reason (if you remember them). But you should never have to defend yourself for doing anything the way that works for you! I am doing a hexi project, drew the hexies onto printer paper myself and copied then cut them out! so they aren't any regular size, were supposed to be 1 inch but the are a little bigger, oh well still work. I'm having a ball with it. Just bought 3/8th inch pack to try! keep sewing :) Love the postcard, very funny.
That was my question too I'll join you at the link!
Also ( might be at the link ) how do you cut your fabrics with sicossors ? Do you mark the top fabric? Or use a paper pattern ? Or ?
Oh how i wish blogs had "like" buttons!
I am officially an idiot that is so much easier than what I've been doing will change my method after I have got rid of my current box of already basted hexies
Beautiful post! I do save baggies of basted hexies, though only because I never thought of basting and piecing all in one go! I just wiggle my papers out too, and I do find a crazy satisfaction in basting each little hexagon. Something about shaping a useable piece out of a misshapen scrap, maybe. Whatever it is, I'm already thinking about my next handwork project, and I still have months and months of work to do on my current one...
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