I am SO CLOSE (How close? THIS CLOSE!) to finishing this knife edge binding on the 22 year old Hexie quilt, just before it turns 23!
And with as many different techniques as there are out there for finishing the uneven edge of a hexie quilt, I know I chose the right one for me.
I'm thrilled with how nice this looks!
I treated myself and brought home a new pair of Karen Kay Buckley blue handled scissors (the medium size) from the Quiltville Store as my old pair was old enough that they weren't cutting clear to the tip anymore, and I needed a new pair to get clean snips into the backing fabric to turn those corners.
As is often heard while changing a rotary blade - Why did I wait so long!?
The older pair is now by the sewing machine and is still good for use there - for cutting strips for my current string quilt progress.
This was before I started last night's stitching -
I spent about 3 hours and left all that remains in the top photo because my eyes were too bleary and tired to go any further. I'll finish it tonight. I can't wait.
This was going on UNDER the quilt.
ZZZZZZZZ
Christmas Day!
My dad's gift to the Hubster for Christmas was some drone accessories including this landing pad.
I guess it works for Kelpies too. LOL!
Nailed it. LOL!
This little cutie!
We got to watch Casden and present opening by video chat on Christmas morning before he went to spend Christmas at his dad's house.
And Jeff and Ashlyn came up on Christmas evening for dinner and brought me Casden's kindergarten school picture.
Nana needs to get it framed!
We enjoyed a simple Christmas dinner of steaks on the grill, baked potatoes with all the fixings, a salad - Ashlyn brought a delicious sweet potato casserole, and we topped it off with pumpkin pie for dessert.
It was a very simple Christmas, made all the better by its simplicity.
Christmas day was spent with this!
I am sewing down that over stuffed string bucket at the cabin. It's got to be put to some good use, and I'll confess I've thought of putting the leftover strings in a big bag in the free basket at the inn and just letting the retreaters go for it come February -
The string bin just looks like an impossible mess.
But once I start sewing and pressing and trimming up - something magical happens.
(Yes, I am sewing these on to phone book paper foundations.)
I'm doing some slicing and dicing.
I'm doing some sewing back together.
And I'm doing a whole lot of squaring up.
The only thing that is consistent is that my strings are light/dark/light/dark on my foundations. Some blocks end up with more strings than others. Some end with a light or dark at each end. Some end with 2 darks or 2 lights at each end.
There is ZERO consistency and I am letting scraps fall how they may in an abstract fashion.
And when I have enough blocks made, I'll start playing with layouts. That's where the fun will really come in.
Yesterday's vet check visit and "pawdicure"
My dream of having a week to just work on this string project has been interrupted by daily things - this appointment included.
But honestly - the weather has been so incredible (and so wrongly so) that being out and about for a long drive over to the vet in Sparta was lovely.
This morning - 55 degrees at 7am?! At nearly January?
Jeff is on his way up and today is a full on paver setting day for the back walkway at Quiltville Inn.
My only job is to provide lunch for these hard-working menfolk, so I'm going to throw together another batch of potato soup - easy.
Whether I'll stay and putter around at the QPO or come home to the string project remains to be determined.
I could move the string project TO the QPO, but that wasn't the point either. LOL!
Yesterday I saw so many of you digging in to Rhododendron Trail Part Five - units are already coming together and they are looking SO GOOD!
Today is Tuesday - which means that Part Six is right around the corner on Friday, so I could just put myself into that frame of mind and get it ready to go.
But that takes time away from the string project - I could live on the edge and push that post writing to Thursday. I'm liking that idea!
How about you? We are in that "coasting" zone between Christmas and New Years. Are you packing up the Christmas decorations yet? Are you marking the end of this year with the finish of a project? The last one of 2021 before the ball drops?
And if it doesn't get finished - it can always be the first finish of 2022, right?
Quiltville Quote of the Day -
It’s the LAST Tuesday of 2021.
What will you do with yours?
Make it a good one!
28 comments:
I am trying to finish a needlepoint bell pull that must be a 40yr project my Mom gaveit to me so I want to get it finished It has been put away so many times.. I am down to finish the last flowers and the top border. so close. few more evenings and it will be done like you said if not done will be 1st finish of 2022. thanks Bonnie
Well going to my diabetic doctor this afternoon. This may NOT be pretty. The wrong time of the year to get the old A1C checked. LOL Definitely will start eating better for 2022. Your Hexie project is amazing. Hoping to get my Grassy Creek back from my LAQ this week so I can get the binding done.
Since it has been in the -30's to -40's C for several days, we are hunkered in and tackling a bit of re-organizing/decluttering. Saving all the clues until warm enough to spend more time in the basement studio. Our tree stays up until after New Year's day. Fantastic job with the hexie quilt! It is on my bucket list.
My Christmas tree stays up until New Year. Our grandson is hanging out at our house today, so it is grandma time today. The rest of the week will be sewing fun. Wishing you and all your followers a wonderful New Year.
AHHHHH... Emerald City will be the first finish of '22--- been working on her since whenever String Frenzy was released!!!! off and on, mystery quilt comes along and poor Emmy gets shoved to the side... but i have six of nine blocks complete and the rest "almost" -- am considering adding big wide plain borders to make her definitely bigger... but maybe i'll just call her 'done'... Besides there's the MQ to begin, a Banker's Box full of fabric and each week's clue! Restlessly waiting in the studio.. Merry Christmas to all, i LOVE this between week, it's 'free time' for me... we've been rained on (happy happy) and it's been quite cool in southern California, well for Carlsbad, it has... thank you Bonnie, love the photos and the fur people as well as your family photos... Cats
Love your hexie quilt!! Makes me want to start one. You are having warm weather. Here in central Calif. we are getting much needed rain. And at 8am it is 40 degrees. Still working on clue #2. Have a Happy New Year :)
Camden is turning into a gorgeous little man. Just loving those string blocks, stay safe love and hugs xx
I can't guess what those mitered string blocks will turn into, but it's sure to be something fun - those little blocks are a party!
We are trying to figure out how to get water to our outside critters. Our pipes froze a couple of days ago. We had, in anticipation of power failure, gotten water bottled up, but didn't count on DAYS of no water. We can throw snow in a bucket to melt, so there's that!
I just finished up a 'by the seat of my pants' string quilt top. I will let it sit for a while as I decide how it's going to be quilted. There are about seven other tops "sitting" and waiting for my decisions! I hopefully will start the new year with some completed quilts and then start again.
I was gifted some fabulous Kaffe Fassett and Tula Pink fabrics for Christmas from my daughter. She went above and beyond! I need to figure out how to use those fabrics to show them off properly.
Happy New Year to you and your faily!
Good morning!! I saw that you got a new pair of Karen K. Buckley's scissors. I am obsessed with them, and have them in every size. Am I correct in assuming that these may not be sharpened? Or perhaps only the non-serated blade may be, but not the toothed side? I might need to replace my arsenal soon, I've used them exclusively and they are showing the wear/love. Hope you had a wonderful holiday, and thank you for sharing your time and talents!
i call this 'magic week' a time to clear the decks, make plans for a new year, finish up stuff from the old...
The White stuff is still coming Down. My DH is having Cataract surgery today. Some flippy corners are on my agenda to finsh up the Part of Part 5 I worked on yesterday. Happy, Happy Tursday for you getting almost there before New Years Eve!!
Bonnie we're getting all your snowy cold weather in the Pacific Northwest so you can get the pavers done. 😉 Having great fun with the mystery, thank you! Snowed in solid and 20 degrees F it's perfect for quilting!
I’m British and take down the tree on Twelfth Night. I was always told it was bad luck to leave it up after then so I’ll be doing that on 5th January. Always sad to see the tree put away and the room always looks so bare afterwards! My cleaners return from their Christmas break on 7th January so there will be plenty for them to do! Over the past 2 afternoons I’ve been doing some single coloured string blocks ( on phone book papers as I’ve learned from your blog, Bonnie). I have several ideas for 2022 so this is my “mindless sewing” until then. Pink and blue blocks so far, starting on neutral, yellow and green tomorrow. I don’t have huge amounts of string scraps so blue ones ran out at 12 blocks and pink ones at 5 blocks. All less old bits and pieces used up though and eventually they will be made into a donation quilt.
I've been working on a grandmothers flower garden quilt for the past ten to fifteen years and now putting the blocks together and wanted to finish mine like you finished yours... you provided the encouragement that I needed to get mine done.
Love the hexie quilting - its on my 'to do' list. Our Christmas tree & decorations are packed away and I busy cleaning out the sewing room so I can get back into quilting in 2022.
I feel your "pain" ... recently had a "Come to Jesus" meeting with my diabetic doctor and am on WW (SERIOUSLY) after 1/1/2022.
I've pulled out an old Christmas sampler and am cutting sashing strips so I can use clue 5 as my leaders and enders. Puttering...I changed the water in the hot tub and discovered the frame is rotted through on one side...I guess there will be some hot tub shopping in the near future.
working on RT and my grandsons' reindeer quilt. I have been tracing his hands and feet for many years at Christmas time and putting them together to form a reindeer. It is now time to put them together into a quilt. He will be 19 on Saturday!
I'm spending this last Tuesday in 2021 cutting some quilt backs so I can take the quilts to the long armer. My son and his family just left to take the oldest daughter to the airport and then they head back to LA area trying to beat the storm over the grapevine. Right now it is snowing and they have no chains. Rain will start here again this evening for another day or so and then we are due for some sunshine through the weekend. Rain starts again next week. California is getting some of that water we need so badly and the snowpack is huge. If it can just keep on long enough to abate the drought. I'm off to stitch up another back. Happy New Year you all.
Congratulations on your almost finished hexie quilt. It is so beautiful. I just got a long arm sewing machine on a small hoop frame. I did some cleaning of the sewing room to make room for it. I am looking forward to getting more quilt tops quilted up next year! Have fun with your string blocks and Happy New Year!
The knife edge is the perfect way to finish off your(?) quilt. Totally gorgeous!
Oh, Miss Zoey is so beautiful! :)
What a wonderful memory quilt that will be for him!
I don't feel so bad now that I've read that you have about 7 tops to do. I have a quilt I started about 15 years ago. I just have the fourth border left to quilt. I like to hand quilt. I have a quilt that is layered and the first block in the center is quilted. Then there is a quilt top that needs to be layered and quilted. They are all queen size, my favorite size quilt to make. I made my first quilt in 1978 and it is still my favorite. Thanks for inspiring me to get back to work on the fourth border and then the binding on my Posy quilt. It will be so wonderful to have the quilt on my bed. Happy quilting to you.
I live in Montclair, Ca. and we've been getting rain for the past 6 days. I would like for it to keep on coming down but the sun will be coming out in a few more days. I received a notice from the water co. that we need to start conserving water again. Thank goodness we are in the cool season and will not need to water much of anything. So conserving will be very easy. Happy Quilting.
Keep on working on your 'Grandmother's flower garden' you will be so happy when it is finished. I love the knife edge Bonnie used for the edge of her quilt. I made a 'Grandmother's flower garden quilt' years ago. It turned out so pretty. I love having it on my bed now and then. I like making queen size quilts since that is the size of my bed. I like hand quilting and hand quilt all my queen size quilts. With one exception I machine quilt the ones I make for grandkids and greatgrand kids because they get so much wear and tear. I did the edge of my 'grandmother's flower garden differently. I cut strips of fabric to go for the 4 borders and cut them wide enough to be able to applique the edge of the quilt to and with the white fabric I used it made a nice border. Not everyone likes to applique and the knife edge is a great way to go. I love Bonnie's quilt so much that I'm going to make one like it in all the pretty Christmas colors. Happy Quilting
I plan to make one too. I'm so glad that Bonnie had the blog full of tips for making the hexie quilt like hers.
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