I am quilting!

For years, really years I have avoided quilting.  I did some Rosemary Eichorn style freeform quilting in the early 90's, maybe even the 80's but I always deemed trying tp machine piece quilts too fussy and precise for me.

Two to three years ago my local gals all started quilting and the call for me to join them was loud.  But I resisted.  I chose to spend my time knitting, beading and trying my hand at art to wear clothing.

But it was bound to happen, one particular project called my name loudly.  The Hexies pillow by Modernhandcraft .  I saw the first one in my friend Gails Instagram feed and I was enamored.  I'd been wanting a new pillow for my living room chaise and my shopping trips weren't finding what I needed.  Well I did find a custom velvet watercolor one at ABC home in New York but I don't have the budget for $400 pillows.

These two belong to my friend Gail.  She is leading the way with her quilting skills.

I ordered the pattern from Modern Handcdrafts and watched the imbedded video assists for her techniques on creating the hexis.  She starts with a square and thread bastes them around the hexes, then glues to the backing fabric before stitching.  Creating the hexis was a lot of fun.  I see many more hexi projects in my future.  For now this is the pillow I created for my chaise.  It is great to have pops of color in my living room which is a largely neutral pallette.  My machine quilting is far from perfect but it got the job done and I think it looks great.

Now onto my Tula Pink 60 inch by 60 inch sunrise quilt.  It's more paper piecing which I like for it's portability. 

 I'm busy under my friends guidance acquiring the tools of the trade and watching videos. One thing I purchased was a lazy susan type cutting map which makes cutting out the small shapes much easier.  It should arrive this week. The one in the photo is a loan from my other quilting pal Judy.  My first block of 12 is done.   I'm  aiming for one a week, but then I am also aiming to finish my Patty Lyons sweater soon and I 'm heavily into design mode on a new beading project.  We shall see.

A few more things I've made

First up a Johnny pendant.  The Johnny collection came about as a result of my love of all things Johnny Was.  In this one I was trying really hard to show off the diamonds being used to create a bracelet.  This was prior to my Tucson Chapter Embroiderers Guild of America class....I was already to do a double craw rope on each side of these three diamonds when the beads shouted out.....I need to be a pendant!  I happened to have the perfect colored tassel and I  turned the bit of double craw I had done into a bail and now I have a pretty new pendant.  

Next up, given my new found interest in cooking I decided that occassionally an apron would be in order.  Like when you 've invited company and you're wearing velvet for example.  I had this ghoulies fabric in my stash and decided it was perfect.  My sewing teacher had the pattern which is a little vintage and a little feminine.  I turned out great, although I may put a velcro tab on the strap and do away with the long ends....someday.

I needed a pair of lavender socks to go with my lavender linen ranunculus.  This is the first one which fits like a dream.  I've since finished the second.  I am now so comfortable with this pattern that I knit the heel flap, turned the heel and picked up the gusset while on the 8 hour ride to Tucson.  It's a shortie, rolled cuff, slipped stitch heel and barn toe on a 1.5 Chiagoo short needle.  I go down one needle size and do the heel flap on double pointeds.  It makes the heel flap nice and snug.

Aaaandddd......I've been resisting this for a couple of years now.  My local friends have been paper pieceing and trying to temp me.  This hexi pillow was a pattern from modernhandcraft and I have to say I had a blast picking the colors and making the hexis.  I think the green is off in value but being my first project I'm going to live with it.  My fabric stash is not quite as large as say my bead or yarn stash, but it is growing.  The pillow goes nicely in my living room.  Now to finish the quilting because next up is Tula Pinks Sunrise quilt for which I bought a kit.

So that's what I've been up to.  I think I am going to enjoy the paper piecing because it will be another portable project that I can take with me on the airstream.  We plan on doing a long trip this summer and it will nice to have some varied projects to work on.  I hope by then to have completed my Volition sweater by Patty Lyons and move on to my Esjan shawl by Stephen West.