Miss Emmy Lou Lou just watching on and shaking her head.
She is always within eye-shot if not just ear-shot.
She is also extremely conversational and will meow and meow at me like I should be able to completely understand every sound she makes.
She calls me to bed when she’s had enough of watching me sew. She’ll go half way up the stairs, turn to me and beckon me with “Come on, already!” meows. She is the queen at 17.
And yesterday she was my comforter as I waited for the outcome of my brother Mark’s surgery.
In the early afternoon hours came a group text to us all from Mark stating
From here we wait.
Through all of this, having only glanced at my flight plans for Iowa today, I had assumed it to be a MORNING flight. 5am. No. Check again. 5 PM! PM!!!
BONUS! I’ve got 12 more hours home to work on some things, plan some things, catch up on some things…but most of all, just be home. And the way I’m feeling there just may be an early afternoon nap as icing on the cake. I need to be at the airport by 4pm. This bonus day has my name all over it.
Almost long enough but not quite!
When you take a hexagon design from hexagon shape (the quilt center) and extend it to become rectangular (neutral corners added) you can see that the side edges will be one thing, but the top and bottom edges will be another. That’s the way it goes with hexagons. The top and bottom of a hexagon are flat, the sides are pointy. Which means, my top and bottom borders will be slightly different than the sides, but they still need to flow around the corners.
I thought I didn’t want such a deep scalloped edge, and I didn’t want to lose the appearance of the rosettes along the bottom edge, so I had thought about adding neutral hexagon spacers in there so the edge wasn’t so extremely scalloped. But I didn’t like it.
See the far right side?
I think this is what it is going to be for now because even adding another brown spacer will lose the appearance of the hexie rosettes.
My very first hexagon quilt, finished in the early 1990s had a “knife edge” finish, meaning I trimmed the backing 1/4’’ bigger than the top, and turned the edge to the inside, blind stitching the quilt closed and quilted close to the edge, no binding required. I’m thinking of doing the same thing with this one if I ever get it to that point.
As it stands, this border side needs 4 more rosettes to complete the length and turn the corner. And then I’ll do the opposite side in mirror image. And then I’ll finish by dealing with the top and bottom borders.
Years and years have gone into this project already. Is it any wonder that it sports the hashtags of #milehighhexieclub (being worked on while flying) and #eternalhexieproject because….what if it NEVER ends??
I spent some evening time finishing up some snowballs. Click the video to play:
Sew faster, Bonnie! I love the hyperlapse app, too much fun!
Beginning the layout phase!
All of my hard work is evidenced by the multitude of threads on my studio carpet right now! As soon as I get this webbed I can get it off the floor and get that vacuum running. It's just not a high priority. Would I prefer to vacuum for the camera? Or get this quilt laid out and sewn? No contest!
Which brings me to the other good thing about yesterday:
This was me yesterday as well!
(And no, they don't clean my basement studio!)
With only two days (plus 12 bonus hours) home in between each of these three long trips (Pennsylvania, Utah, and Iowa/Minnesota) there is no way I could survive without my cleaning crew! It's likely the nicest thing I do for myself. They worked around me while I was getting book orders out. Perfect arrangement.
Quiltville Quote of the Day!
I have literally simply washed the contents of my suitcase and am packing it back in – with the addition of a swim suit. After my Minnesota workshops are done in Chaska, I’m headed to Maple Grove. My mom will be visiting her two crazy sisters – my aunts. And I’ll get to spend a few days with them before coming home. I plan to spend much of it in my aunt's pool!
More family time. SO worth it.
And now I”m off to see what I can do for the next 6 hours before we leave for the airport -
Have a great Wednesday, everyone!
28 comments:
Praise God Mark is doing well!🙆♀️❤ continued prayers for him as well as traveling mercies for you and awesome family time with yoir mom and crazy aunts! Everyone deserves crazy aunts!😅❤
Your Hexie quilt will be an heirloom. If you HAD to put a selling price on it, Bonnie, what would it be???
You may have already considered this possibility and decided not to ruin the pure hexieness of your quilt, but adding small diamonds/half diamonds between hexagon units just there at the corners would allow the top and bottom to be the same as the sides, wouldn't it? I haven't done this and may well be picturing it wrong.
The hexie quilt is magnificent! Love seeing it laid out in all its glory!
Continuing to pray for Mark.
Such a fun picture of "you" after the cleaning crew does its thing. :)
Lucky you for having bonus hours today. Kind of like Time in a Bottle. How's that "earworm"? Praying the drs figure it all out for your dear Brother. Yea for mom and ger crazy sisters time. I'm still waiting for the Summer Vacation with a pool. But my Stitching calls to me. No kitty to distract the process. Zooming video was fun last night.
Welcome back to Iowa. Have a great time at the retreat. Sorry I don't get to be there.
I love that hexie quilt! Can't imagine the hours put into it.
keeping you and your brother in both my thoughts and prayers. So glad you have a cleaning crew, I often wonder just how you do everything you do, as you share yourself with a very grateful quilt community!
Hi Bonnie, Praying for Mark and you through this trial, all will be well. I really enjoy your quotes and am glad you used the one I send a while ago. Here is another from my favorite author, Anon E. Mouse: In time, take time, while time doth last; For time, is no time, when time is past.
Bonnie have you thought of a "facing"style edge? It means sewing more hexes but face to.face to match the front edge. After quilting you flip them over the backing and applique it down. I have done.it but only.on smaller items.it gives a lovely finished edge.
Keeping you and your brother and family in my prayers.
Bonnie, I am praying for your brother and all your family. So glad you were all able to be together when you were out west. Nancy A: rangerer@sbcglobal.net
If you look in Averil Colby book patchwork image 114 there is a coverlet with a boarder of hexagons and it appears that the orientation of the hesagons are the same top an button and sides. If you look carefully the corners have been redrafted a little. Not enough to notice , but enough to allow the change of direction. I have used this design to make a wedding quilt for my son.
Oh, if we could truly sew that fast!!! What we could accomplish.
Prayers go out for Mark and for you and your family to have a calm heart through this ordeal.
And keep EmmyLou and Sadie close by. Pets are such a comfort.
Bonnie, l will hold both you and Mark in prayer. Please let us know his progress.
As to the hexie edge, somewhat like giving a Double Wedding Ring quilt an edge. For my DWR my plan is to lay thee dge over a narrow border and whip stitch or applique stitch the edonto the border.
Hugs
JulieinTN
Keeping your dear sweet brother and all of is caregivers and medical folks in God's Great Light! Prayers and Blessings continuing to go out to you, your family, your dear bro, and the situation! Blessings, Barbara G.
Prayers for your brother, waiting for news can be excruciating.
I was thrilled to read you have a cleaning crew giving you time for family and business when home. X
Praying for your brother. Keep us posted.
You'll be near where I grew up (St Anthony) when you're visiting in Minn. Hope you have great weather there. Have fun!
Thoughts and prayers for your brother Mark! We also have a chatty cat named Jack. He is a talker and has been since we brought him home. 4 legged family members make life and trying times so much better since they share their love and opinions with us.
Sending prayers for a speedy recovery and praying that God's will be done in Mark's life. I only have one brother. I envy you because I can't imagine what life would be like without my brother and you have more than one. I don't have a sister but I am blessed with a best friend from high school.
Continued prayers and healing thoughts for Mark, and huge hugs for you at this stressful time.
Your hexi quilt is beautiful wish I'd thought of doing mine in an interesting design like this but I am just doing double rosettes, need to lay it out on my bed to check my progress loll I've been working on it for at least 2 years now.
Enjoy your family time with your mum and aunts.
Love and quilty hugs xxx
Now you got me going.....
This is the Quilt that never ends... you know the drill!
Have fun, be safe... enjoy the family.
The hexi is almost there!
Sending prayers.
More prayers and blessings for Mark and the rest of you, too. I love that you deliberately and carefully plan family time, and you share your family with us!!! Safe travels, love from a hot hot hot So. Calif.
Prayers for Mark still ongoing.
Still praying for Mark, 12 hours God is Good! Love your hexi quilt! Nope don't want to make a large hexi quilt, but it's beautiful!
Lol! After watching the video, Bonnie, I can see how you get everything done! Wish I could sew that fast. Continuing to pray for your brother, Mark, and all his family for God's comfort and a complete recovery. We need our brothers!
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