It's time for updates on some ongoing projects.
Hexies
I was busy working on free motion quilting after my holidays, but then got attacked by a nasty flue bug and was out for the count. After a week of only reading cozy-mystery novels, I was finally able to work on my hexies.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wyGvvYGI0kQ8b4N0bbtKWVnpg2CmW8_uucGD2MCIVVKvRNDijk8TJVB3bcaLrDKtz2JM7GCEGJHj3xI_IKvWeMpOfSmROBn7vV-cuFzCSjvewK-kFJfWiCzuApPRXliorQunGTwNi0Q/s400/EPP+runner_progress.jpg) |
Progress on my Hexie Runner |
I attached the last two flowers and am now working on the white border. I think that it's long enough because I'm now tired of working on it 😊 I will be finishing the piece in the same way as my last hexie project. That will take a while to do, but is totally worth it!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAoKpww3NCXFCLJSIVrvWItfewIxMPyN26c2W-DfuUWeasq-d4SAQPmA-xmO8lYsZysFImUGxoUZvZmP8_rAxm8vJJ380gnMITTWhgBfHsj2-j5UM9Rg6nSl2nOY1lnVnAykzsESkl1IY/s200/HexieFlowers-final2.jpg) |
Hexie flower table topper |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8s9NdhXEsv_0owHkRKLDP6eOxdJJQQ5mRyZD94LkInAGRggZY5-KAf-MC7y_CN8gRoXVNqo9vAcsHKnRvSmhEPnO3CoQ5yqGE_iCJrv0KEi1yZwzm5dzgNm3Pym8dBA5AQv0o8kG-jSI/s200/Hexie+flowers-back-final.JPG) |
Finished back of the tat |
I also have a few hexie flowers left, so I'll have to work these into another project, eventually!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStkJPsD9nc2c2pzssfgcv0PB86KKNSnQphIiWcvaTGXhh8aN_BUafNSx4N3VPDj5db72irmdMbngqolH11endlvb4yX8pgW4C8nO6MPGF73Zh4L9era8bwk2XpfPRbGwC9LvuFeqSQhg/s200/Street+Art+5.jpg) |
"Not playing the supporting role!" quilt |
Free Motion Quilting (FMQ)
I finally felt well enough to do a little bit of FMQ on my "Not playing the supporting role!" quilt.
I haven't been able to do anything that's too complicated. I am very happy with my rudbeckias. These come from Muv's free motion quilting videos (see Related Links below).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQX8YOlcyI1FCx9pMF5ObI9lRQcBtWO1IPutidlZMd1dQp7Pq9J9gyoZRpjDlOLXAWgi_K5DfHvHlWZq86pghi2dKfXTd5wcLzFDe1sQUnuusAxLR_DmVcvoJsyjDRh-2QjHG6pVAx5cg/s320/FMQ2.jpg) |
Rudbeckias and swirling leaves |
I'm really enjoying "sort of following" the fabric design such as the swirling leaves above. I find that I don't need to be very accurate, that it's more about the flow of the quilting, at least for that fabric.
A solid fabric block means that I can play with swirls, paisleys and lots of echoing. That was a lot of fun.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbodi1IZlmpTOkws8qg94s9Vy908mX2Z_pLZp1H7XkV95AfsR46RGwjMS3yd0GexTyzGKrc1EvFPqXGa_iFmmlLCOX6KTVHtnNqe9X4V8nbKVwvU6e_osHFP3JbS7OdtxKoEqjGdS0iFA/s400/FMQ1.jpg) |
Swirls, paisleys and echoing |
I like using the fabric as a guide for deciding on what to quilt. Since these are full of squarish orange spaces, I've quilting squares within squares. I like that some of the spaces in this quilt call for swirls while others are more linear.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAexqTVFglhk44J-r8yd8MGjWqnpnLwKsCHdItOx2PXbKg3lmVVDlHJ1vsnsLwHDxUa0z9O3b7rIBNQhqTrtIgvJJWs_lGQemTOgcTtx9Q6cxjuXZBEQvurq0ZCjeY0QLHoUoeULCfJw/s400/FMQ3.jpg) |
Squares within squares |
Finally I added fans in the borders of one of the big blocks. Again, they got progressively better as I made more of them.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisTfzj857dYNPFiTcz0k0bow9FPL9nUpELfDytY_K09ewarWRvktu9pQN0SnagACLZr_4i65qw55G05WO5DTc26a71gMjiwlpN3wlgINPWy6QGDBep0ediFeEWHZliD9ToP737RymY2A/s400/FMQ4.jpg) |
Border quilting |
News!
I have some exciting news that I can now talk about! I am a big fan of the digital magazine, Make Modern. It's got some really nice projects, is affordable and I really like that it's digital.
Last July, I decided to take a chance and submit a proposal for a baby quilt pattern, based on my Beautiful Day Baby Quilt. Of course I had to go shopping for fabric 😊. I then sent them my proposal and it was accepted! Wow!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NN2NbUdFocKiLPxF4wjr13O6gGBHLpOg6ZrAGi2TLv3KHUwr5i8XAl8LwnO43o0Fdrk9JtPvXVh9zJPKCM_HDG0FJ9LsURnvVWNIUkwz0iCEVc9R7QepK2ra33gDI6MQZLwmpe8yOAs/s320/BabyQuilt-fabric6.jpg) |
Buying fun fabric for a baby quilt! |
The pattern comes out next Friday, March 2, 2018, in issue 21. I'll be writing up a post on the application process as well as what I learned while writing the pattern, making and photographing the quilt.
I received this in the mail - I love their postcard and the Make Modern pin!
What I learned
- As much as I love hexies, I eventually get bored of working on the same project for a long time. I think that I will always have to keep my English Paper Piecing (EPP) projects small, or they will never get finished!
- It may take a while for me to finish the hexie runner since making hexies to match the entire border is very time consuming. I do believe that it's worth it since it's really a lovely finish.
- It just dawned on me that all of those finishing hexies will be in white - that may prove to be very difficult cause I get bored easily when I'm not playing with colour. I'll have to think of a solution to this....
- I was surprised that I wasn't able to FMQ when I wasn't feeling well. I didn't realise how much concentration and attention it requires. It also doesn't help when I have to figure out what design to quilt.
- To keep the decision making to a minimum, I may use Angela Walter's Dot-to-Dot technique since it fits well in most blocks and is fairly simple and quick.
- My border fans are not very consistent - I will be planning them the next time!
- I have learned so much in the last few months about writing a pattern and getting it published. I was a great experience and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you next week!.
Related Links
Linking Parties
I will be linking to many link-ups. See what other quilters are doing and check these out:
Free Motion Mavericks,
Midweek Makers,
Let's Bee Social, Linky Tuesday, Needle & Thread Thursday,
Finished or Not Friday,
Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?,
Oh Scrap!,
MOP Monday,
Monday Making,
Main Crush Monday,
Design Wall Monday,