Starting a Vintage Grandmother´s Flower Garden Quilt

Hi everyone! Today I come back to hexagons! How does it possible if I´m working in a hexagon quilt yet ? Yes, I know , but  since I worked with this big hexagon size in one of my block in my Inspiring me quilt I felt I wanted to do a new one. That´s all !
Anyway I continue sewing the first one and I hope I can show you some progress in some weeks.

As usual I started cutting a lot of regular white cardstock  with Sizzix Bigz Die - Hexagons, 1 1/4" Sides.  This die comes with four hexagons to cut so , you can get lay three card stock and get until 12 hexagons!!

Then  a bunch of fabrics , most of them in 30's Prints and  some Mary Rose Prints  with Sizzix Bigz Die - Hexagon, 2" Sides . I cut out a lot of cream fabric too. 

This die comes with only one big hexagon but you can cut out 8 fabrics in the same time and save time too .My idea is doing a three rings flower, so my last will be this cream.

Of course  all the pieces are sewn by hand. I don´t know how big will be this quilt but I hope to enjoy a lot because I have chose beautiful fabrics.

This  has been my big project during my holidays. I love carrying my " treasure hexagon box" with my  and I have had the possibility to do more than one flower traveling by car.

 And here it is what I have done so far.

They are big blocks so I hope  this quilt can grow fast.

Have a lovely weekend!
See you in two weeks.
Love!
Mercedes

.........................................................************************..........................................................

¡Hola a todo el mundo! ¡Hoy vuelvo con hexágonos ¡ ¿ Cómo es posible  si ya estoy trabajando en otro quilt  con ellos ?Pues sí, desde que cosí el de tamaño algo más grande en uno de los bloques  del quilt que estoy diseñando Inspiring me , sentí que quería hacer uno nuevo.

De cualquier modo , sigo trabajando en el primero y espero mostraros mis avances en algunas semanas.

Como ya es  habitual , empecé cortando un montón de patrones con cartulina blanca (los paquetes de DIN A 4 vienen estupendos para esto)  con el troquel de hexágonos de 1 ¼”  de lado.

La verdad es que puedes cortar muchos de golpe porque el troquel ya trae para cortar cuatro y si pones varias cartulinas  puedes conseguir 8 o 12 de una vez.

Luego hice lo mismo con  telas de estampados de colecciones  de los años 30 y algunas de  la colección de Mary Rose y el troquel de  hexágono de 2” de lado.También corté una buena montonera de tela crema lisa. Este troquel trae un solo hexágono pero puedes doblar la tela y cortar 8 piezas de una vez, con lo que te ahorras un montón de tiempo.

Mi idea es hacer  una flor de tres anillos , siendo el último  el color liso y que sirva para unir unas flores con otras.

Desde luego todas las piezas son cosidas  a mano. No sé todavía cómo será de grande  pero espero disfrutar con cada flor porque serán telas muy  bonitas.
Este ha sido mi gran proyecto durante las vacaciones y más de una vez se ha venido conmigo en coche.
Como resultan grandes bloques, espero que este quilt crezca con cierta rapidez.

Espero que disfrutes del fin de semana y te veo en quince días.

Cariños

Mercedes

Holiday Hexies

Dies used: Hexagons, 1in Sides #2
                 Hexagons, 1 1/4in Sides


We're away on holiday at the moment and the last couple of times we've been away I've taken some English Paper Piecing with me and it's the same again this time - it may qualify as a habit now! When preparing a project to take on a summer holiday thoughts don't automatically go to Christmas but I was sent a couple of bundles of gorgeous Dashwood Christmas fabric last week and I wanted to use it straight away along with a few others from the festive section of my stash.

Also my son's teacher told me that her mum, who is a keen quilter, has recently made 30 mini stockings like the ones I made as teacher gifts using my Big Shot and posted about on here last Christmas. Suddenly making Christmassy things in July seemed thoroughly reasonable!

Using the Hexagons, 1in Sides die and a few sheets of scrap paper otherwise destined for the recycle bin, I cut a pile of papers. Then with the Hexagons 1 1/4in die I set to chopping the fabric.

They are intended to become part of a table runner which will need to be 2m long to fit our dining table and so Christmas 2016 may be a more realistic finish date if sewing is to be as relaxed and enjoyable as planned.

And so along with the clothes packing an EPP sewing bag containing all of the essentials had to be packed too.

Cutting the papers and fabric and getting the travel EPP kit together was so much easier and took a fraction of the time it took to pack one of the boys' bags! My Big Shot Plus really is an invaluable piece of kit.

Hopefully a week of relaxed hexagon sewing in the sunshine lies ahead!

Happy sewing!

Friends - new and old

How quickly the weeks are flying by - it only seems like yesterday that I wrote my last blog!!

I've just spent a lovely morning here at Black Sheep Wools - demonstrating and training with the Big Shot Plus, and Bigz dies - which you can see laid out on the table.

This quilt is one of my all time favourites -



 I made this quilt using the Big Shot Machine, and Bigz hexagon dies - 658316,

http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/658316/sizzix-bigz-die-hexagons-3-4-sides, for the papers,

and die 658317,  http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/658317/sizzix-bigz-die-hexagons-1-sides-2 , for the fabrics. I used some of the Tilda fabrics for the quilt.

I tacked the fabric over the papers, and then stitched them into lozenge shaped blocks - these travelled with me on holiday, to appointments - it's so easy to just keep a small bag with papers, cut fabric, scissors, needle and thread, in your bag and you can stitch a few whenever you have a few minutes (even in your coffee break).

I decided to add the border, and add some half blocks to complete the quilt.

There really isn't a quick way to put a hexagon quilt but at least the cutting is quick and precise.

Now next week is quilt show at Malvern - I'll be there demonstrating with The CottonPatch - I hope to see you there.

Angela

 

 

 



Thank you Glasgow

That may sound like a strange title - but I have just been to the Stitching, Sewing and Quilting Show at the SECC in Glasgow, where I taught a workshop using the new Big Shot Plus machine to cut hexagons to make a patchwork coaster. It was my first visit to Glasgow and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting lots of patchwork and sewing enthusiasts, and we had a lot of fun and laughter - so thank you for making me feel so welcome!
One of my first workshop attendees was Debbie Price - who wasn't very confident about her stitching skills and wasn't sure that she could or would complete the coaster. I suggested that I would give her a small prize if she completed it before the end of the show - and to my great surprise she came the very next morning to show me her completed coaster -

I was suitably impressed -she had stitched it very well.
I do love going out to the shows and running workshops or doing demonstrations with the Big Shot and the Bigz dies - because I love to see the response when someone sees it working for the first time.
There were some lovely quilts on display and in the competitions ( I haven't included photos because I haven't asked permission)
So this week I thought I'd put the instructions for my coaster on the blog - and it is easy enough that you still have time to complete it as a small gift for mother's day!! and you can see how it looks completed in the photo of Debbie!

 

I used the new Big Shot Plus machinehttp://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660020/sizzix-big-shot-plus-machine-only-white-gray
and a 1" sided hexagon and a 1 1/4" sided hexagon

Sizzix® Bigz™ Die Hexagons #2 1” side http://www.sizzix.co.uk/catalog#q=659835  and 

Sizzix® Bigz™ Die Hexagons 1 ¼” side 659834

25cm x 13cm each of 2 contrasting or co-ordinating fabrics

Paper to use as hexagon templates

Wadding 25cm x 13cm for hexagon templates

Thread for piecing

Method

1.    Using the Big Shot machine and die 659835 cut 7 hexagons in paper, and 7 in wadding

2.    Using the machine and die 659834 cut 7 hexagons from  each fabric

3.    Pin one fabric hexagon to one paper, fold the fabric edges over the paper and tack the fabric corners together ( don’t stitch through the paper)

4.    Repeat with the remaining 6 papers.

5.    Repeat step  with the wadding and the remaining fabric hexagons

6.    Stitch 6 hexagons around a contrast central hexagon.

7.    Repeat with the remaining 7 hexagons.

8.    Press well

9.    Remove the paper from all the hexagons.

10.                       Pin the 2 hexagon ‘flowers’ together and slip stitch the folded edges together to complete the coaster

Hello card and gift card folder

Hello everybody,

I offer you a small card in pastel colours and its gift card folder, in which you can slip some sweets.

The card is rather simply decorated with a hexagon die. It allowed me to cut hexagons in various papers, to create the bottom of my card. 

Then I put it down on a more contrasted striped paper.
I decorated with a ribbon and before tying it, I slipped inside a small charm.

For the pocket decoration, I played with coloured papers and the various sizes of the “Flowers” die.
I then added some brads in the flowers centers.

Good day to you all.

Supply list:

658300:  Sizzix Big Shot Starter Kit
656640:  Sizzix Tattered Florals 
658317:  Sizzix Hexagons
660804:  Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 3PK - Happiness Phrases NEW! 

Paper: Swirlcards
Strass: Artemio
Brads: Kési'art
Charm and clip: Scrapboukits


Have a good day, 

Isalilou

*************

Bonjour à toutes et tous,

Je vous propose une petite carte aux couleurs pastels et sa petites pochette cadeaux, dans laquelle, on peut glisser des petites gourmandises.

La carte est décorée assez simplement avec le die hexagone, qui m'a permis de découper des hexagones dans différents papiers pour créer le fond de ma carte que j'ai ensuite maté sur un papier rayé plus contrasté.

J'ai décoré avec un ruban: avant de le nouer, j'y ai glissé une petite breloque. 

Pour la pochette, c'est le die Fleurs qui m'a permis de décorerai jouant avec les couleurs des papiers et les différentes tailles de découpe du die.

J'ai ensuite ajouté des brads au centres des fleurs.

matériels utilisés:

658300:  Sizzix Big Shot Starter Kit
656640:  Sizzix Tattered Florals 
658317:  Sizzix Hexagons
660804:  Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 3PK - Happiness Phrases NEW! 

Paper: Swirlcards
Strass: Artemio
Brads: Kési'art
Charm and clip: Scrapboukits

Bonne journée,

Isalilou

Come back to hexagons

Hi everyone!! I come back to hexagons again using Sizzix dies. After selecting my fabrics  I had kept for something especial, I finally decided I wanted a nice grandma garden quilt. It won't´be very big , but enough to enjoy sewing nice hexies.

First of all I cut out a lot of   cardstock  hexagons  with  658317

Sizzix Bigz Die - Hexagons, 1" Sides #2, so quick so easy.  Then I did the same with the fabrics  and die 658318 Sizzix Bigz Die - Hexagons, 1 1/4" Sides

I try to sew  the hexagon fabric  through the corners on the wrong side , so I don´t need to cut  the thread  on the right side and I save time. Maybe you do the same.

And here it is my first big and " round" block finished and two more ready to sew a new round.

I love the idea to spend some time watching a movie on tv after a long day and have a rest sewing my hexies.

I will show some progress in my blog Las labores de Mercedes  if you want to follow me. 

Hope you have a nice week and start February full of ideas using Sizzix dies in this blog. 

See you next Saturday with a new Valentine project. 

Love

Mercedes

...........................................................*********************..............................................................

¡Hola a todo el mundo! Vuelvo de nuevo con hexágonos utilizando los troqueles de Sizzix. Después de seleccionar mis telas que tenía reservadas para algo especial, decidí que quería montar un quilt , no muy grande. Haciendo un jardín de la abuela.

Primero corté  un montón de hexágonosde cartulina  con  el troquel de 1” de lado     658317

Sizzix Bigz Die - Hexagons, 1" Sides #2,             super fácil y rápido. Luego hice lo mismo con las telas y el  del 1.1/4” de lado 658318 Sizzix Bigz Die - Hexagons, 1 1/4" Sides

Intento siempre coser las esquinas  por la parte trasera del hexágono  , así no tengo que cortar el hilo  por delante y ahorro tiempo. A lo mejor tú haces lo mismo.

En las fotos puedes ver mis progresos y cómo he montado el bloque “ redondo “ a partir de los hexágonos.

Iré enseñando mis progresos en mi blog Las labores deMercedes por si quieres seguirme. Espero que tengas una estupenda semana y empieces febrero lleno de ideas que el blog de Sizzix puede ofrecerte.

Cariños

Mercedes