A little of this...a little of that!

 First up, Yes, I'm still working on my hex piece!  I have to stitch down each triangle...all three sides but it's not easy.  Having to fold, lift, maneuver this heavy piece is a challenge for me!  Between my arthritis fingers and back, I'm trying to enjoy the process but some days it's not so much fun!  But I'm getting there!!!

I'm also working on my beaded project after dinner/dishes, but it's been SO hot here in Michigan, even sitting out on the deck in the shade is too much.  We've had 90 degree weather for over a week or two.  No hurry on this piece...it's just something to fill in-between my hex piece.  

I have to show what I purchased from Painted Lady Cabochons!  I love these little birds! They are 2"x1" and just lovely!!!! 

Sometime I will incorporate in my work...at the moment I'm  not sure where...but I can see these cabochons on one of my little totes??!!  

Several years ago, in 2013!!!  I purchased one of Brenda's cuffs! You can see that post here.   That post shows one of her cuffs but here is the cuff I purchased.  I wear it often..folks will comment on it!  It sitll looks great! 

 I've bought my grand daughter a phone holder and key chains!!!  Wish I had pics of them!!!  Check out Brenda's FB page, Painted Lady Cabochons or her website here.  

I don't see any cuffs or other items on her web site/FB page..so I'm glad I still have my cuff!!!

Other than above keeping me busy, kids had us over for a BBQ on the 4th and it was fantastic as usual!!!!  

This pic was just appetizers!

Darrin loves cooking and his chicken was delicious!  Kris marinated the chicken breasts in her famous old recipe!  I only know it's 'mayo & Italian dressing'.

Smoking meat is another of Darrin's favorite things to do!!!  And we're all so glad he does!  Ribs were delicious...

This is just part of the dinner layout of foods!!!  OMG...every dish was wonderful...as was the company.  Love having time with my kids...

So now back to my 'regular schedule program'....sewing the hex quilt!

Small progress....

 Actually, this isn't a SMALL progress.  It took quite a bit of following my own steps and carefully ironing down the entire section...section by section at a time!  WHEW!  But glad that's over with!  

Yes, that box on the left is all the cardboard hex pieces removed! 

I started to hand sew the center 'star' area.  Boy, that wasn't easy...it's not like you're appliqueing a piece of a design to your background fabric. I'm actually appliqueing to the entire quilted background.  It's hard to pick up the piece and be so careful to secure.  Really awkward! 

But moving on.....

I couldn't imagine securing each triangle section to the background - per AI!  HA   Then I thought maybe I should just FMQ the entire hex piece to secure.  

So I took two leftover triangles and did some free motion and just straight stitching the edges.  

I honestly don't think I like this look of matching stitching.

 I looked back at Erin's original quilt design and they had each triangle attached via free motion quilting vs fusing.   Good move!

Also, Erin & her hex group, elected to not attach each triangle via their points.  

My great mind thought....secure each point to give more definition to the diamond areas in between.  Oh what a good idea.  NOT.  HA 

So now I'm thinking.....which is trouble...that I'll continue to stitch each 'star' section by hand..then, because the entire piece is fused down with MistyFuse, I'll hand stitch the entire perimeter.  That may keep the piece stable enough that I can actually bend, twist, etc. to stitch inner area(s) of the triangles.

Well,  this has been a fun piece to work on!  Actually, yes, it is/was!  I love hand stitching so the hex pieces were the most fun.  Removing the cardboard wasn't fun but...just part of the process.  

Next up after all the stitching...trimming the background and bind..which I am thinking of just using the same background fabric.  Not sure I want a colored border but we'll see!!!

Well, I was 'kinda' on the right track

 So, I fused the center triangles and was on a roll....when all of a sudden...I was trapped...well, not that bad...but I had to rethink...my three triangles at a time...DUH...where is my engineer Son and Grandson when you need them.  HA 

I had the five center blocks fused and all good.  Piece is being very stable - so far!  

I was startig on the two orange & red triangles as I posted last...but then something didn't seem right...

I have stickies now on the rows and how I'll be fusing to the background. 

Wish I could draw straight lines in photo program.  HA..but this is where I'll start tomorrow using my little guide below for each row!

1) remove all center triangle stitching in the row

2) spray starch triangle &  carefully press dry

3) when spray starch is dry, remove cardboard hex pieces from triangle center(s)

4) add fusible web to triangle area, but not edges, & fuse

5) remove stitching from edges but keep cardboard in.  

May seem like extra work with using both stablizer and Misty Fuse but I want the center to feel more stable, especially if I leave the hex cardboard in the edges.  I'm thinking this will work out.  Once all fushed down then I'll use the AI cheat sheet on where to start stitching to the quilted background.  Guess I should have asked ChatptAI...what to fuse down first!  HA  

PLAN IS COMING ALONG...WHEW!

I had to get my card table up from the basement to work on.  You can see my sewing table is a bed for Kalee!!!

I was starting to remove the hand stitching around the hex pieces.   

Up next was to remove the cardboard from each hex.  I'm leaving the cardboard in the edges for now...and honestly, I'm thinking of leaving them in even when I stitch to the background.

So now I've moved to the floor!  I have the hex piece laid out and I marked around the edges with with a line so as I'm working to start attaching I can make sure I'm lined up.  I used the Fixion removable pen.  Yes, I tested it first.  

I have my iron and light on the floor with me!  After I removed the inside cardboard pieces I fused lightweight fusible stablizer to 3 of the center triangles.  

Next I added MistyFuse to the back of each of those triangles and flipped over the piece and fused with steam iron.  This should hold the triangles as I stitch...fingers crossed.  

Then I'll do the same with the green, yellow and yellow Triangles shown here.  I'm not so steady drawing lines but you get the picture!  

Next, I'll remove stitching and cardboard from center of the red, orange and orange triangles, fuse stablizer and then use MistyFuse to adhere to the quilt.  Next three moving clockwise around the hex piece.  Slick, right!  

The three triangles just flip up so easy to work with.  My main concern was the piece shifting but it's stable...SO FAR!!

And then it's hand stitching time...or machine...I'm not sure yet.  I have a ways to go to decide!

A plan is in place!

Off to consider options for attaching the Hex Color Wheel to my quilted background.  I've had nots of ideas on how to do this...keep in mind:

•  I have to remove all the stitching around each cardboard piece (864 hex pieces!).  
• Then I need to remove the cardboard from each hex
• Then I need to determine how I'm going to attach to the quilted background (hand, machine, baste first, spray baste)

I emailed my Q Buddy, Susan, who is a master quilter and meticulious about her work, on any ideas she may have.  Susan told me her head hurt after I gave her some of my thoughts.  HA  Join the club, Susan!

So what else to do!  AI!  Yep!  I have used ChaptAI for diagrams on knitting, embroidery, sewing needles for different hand work, etc.  I always get great suggestions and diagrams.  This was my question, along with a full pic and closeup of a few triangles: 

 what's the best way to attach a hex piece measuring 35 x 38 to a background already quilted? attaching picture of the hex piece on the quilted background. keep in mind the hex pieces had 5/8" cardboard removed so the piece isn't totally stable.

After lots of info...we're talking 4 pages!!!!!!  The detail was amazing...here are some highlights!

• Stablize the piece;  Temporary hold in place with basting spray or basting stitches, light spray starch OR Fuse lightweight stabilizer on the back of each triangle.  Who knew!!!
• Then AI even gave me info how how to stitch or which area to stitch first...which I did think of startng in the midlle but check out what they gave me!  An entire diagram on where to stitch first, second, you get the picture!  

This is awesome!!!  Talk about step by step...yes, most of their suggestions were along the lines of my thinking BUT this diagram and step by step blows my mind!  I've been impressed with their diagrams for different embroidery stitches and needles to use but this is WAY more than I expected!!! 

This is an extra triangle piece I thought I'd play with. I removed the  cardboard pieces and then used spray strarch to give it some body. 

I cut out a piece of cardboard about 5/8" smaller than the triangle and fused Pellon (think it 911F?? ) to back.  It's very light weight but  it did stablize it but still soft enough that I can stitch through. 

Then I pulled out some Mistyfuse, to attach the triangle to a quilted piece!  Worked great.  So I could attach mistyfuse to the individual triangles/hex whole piece.  Press/fuse and I may even add some basting stitches...not sure but that's an option.

At least the large piece should be stable enough for me to start attaching to the quilted background following the AI diagram! 

So now Susan and I can relax...well, she can relax that I'm not bugging her on "what should I do?".  HA  

Hard to see but now I'll remove the stitching on the  triangles.  I'll leave the cardboard in the edges but remove the stitching.  It's such a large piece I need to make sure the edges retain stability until they are fused to the background.  864 hex pieces are a lot of moving the fabric, cutting threads, pulling threads, etc.  

I'll remove cardboard edges as I start in the middle fusing.  The triangles fold into each other so I'm thinking it will be not difficult to fuse....EASY SHE SAYS!  HA 

WHEW!  Stay tuned!  

Hex Color Wheel - making progress!

 

I finally received my order for the background fabric for the Hex Color Wheel quilt.  

This is a terrible picture of the background!  Honest, it looks better in person!  Although, I didn't receive the fabric I wanted.  I was going for the next shade up between the light and darkest. To reorder would take another 3 weeks and  I didn't want to wait.  

It does have some shades of browns, gray, etc. running through it.  HMMMMMM

I haven't done any free motion quilting on a large piece (50"x50") so this one sure taxed my arms, back, neck.  HA  Not used to handling all that fabric under the needle.  

This is the backing where I used leftover fabric from  making the hex triangles.

It almost looks dirty!!!!!  Doesn't look bad when hung on my design board.

Maybe I should lay the hex piece on the backing!  Woohoo!  Who knows!  Yes, those are my 'little' toes sticking out at the bottom!  don't we all do that!  HA

In-between waiting for the fabric, my 'idle' hands were making me crazy.  Back in 2010 timeframe, I was part of a beading group that made a new 9"x12" piece each month.  

I decided maybe I should start beading again!  I have some biofocal type glasses for doing hand work and they are working for my beading too!

I found a free design for coloring and printed out on wash-a-way stabilizer and started to bead. Trying to get utside on my newly scrapped/painted deck!  Instead of going in my sewing room after dinner/dishes, I now go outside.  So bright and I can see!!

 Once I finish the main leaf area and smaller leave, I'll cut out and attach to a quilted background. 

After it's attached, I'll add those little green and pink buds or whatever they are.  Just something I can work on in-between the hex piece.  Which I am now thinking of ways to attach the hex piece (after removing threads/paper hex pieces)  the quilted background!  

That's another post forthcoming!!!

Another Tote or two or three!

 

Still waiting for my background fabric to quilt for the hex piece!  Sigh......so now that the deck is finished...and I only have to paint the front porch (which I won't do until later this week), figured I would get some totes made for June gifts. 

this isn't the best picture of the first tote.  Picture is quite dark.  This was a deconstructed screen printing that I did rubbings with Neocolor and Gelato pastels. using one of my hand carved stamps.  this was back in 2017!

I sandwiched the fabric and free motion quilted around each stamped piece.  I think it turned out decent.  I almost decided to over dye to give more color but changed my mind.   

Inside lining...a batik I had in my stash.  I wanted to jazz it up so added the dark purple zipper with the pale purple.  Leftover from my hex project!  HA

I made this piece several years ago for the Quilters Around The World quilt group for our series 'Uniform' in September 2015.  Hmmmm  

I don't have a picture of the finished piece but you can see in the tote below where I added some embroidery machine stitches at some point.  I'm not sure why I did!  Funny, I was on a hex kick back then too.

So glad I added the embroidery stitches...it brightens up the piece.  Funny, Bob liked this tote best of the 3.  Hmmmmm

The lining is printed and looks nice inside.

I can't find a picture of this original piece.  On the back of the 9"x 12" piece had a date of 2008!!!!!  I know it was one of my dye pieces and experimenting with free motion. 

I wanted to jazz it up with the blue zipper...

The inside is some hand dyed pieces I had left. 

As I was looking through my blog for pics of the fabrics I used for these totes, I saw some pieces that I know I have stashed in a glass case in our LR or in my sewing room in storage!  Think I need to get some of them out and get making more totes!  HA

And my sewing machine is just sitting there!  STILL waiting for my background fabric!  Quilt Shop was ordering 3 yards for me of a Moda fabric that I think will work for the hex piece.  That was 2 weeks ago this past Monday.  Yes, I'm getting antsy!  But I did play with some free motion quilting designs on some junk fabric.  That's going to be the next hard decision!

Deck Project

Finally, I am done, done, done with the deck!!  OMG....this was one of the hardest projects to work on, other than when we first built our house and had to put in tons of rock/stones around our landscape area (front, back, inside fenced yard, out and sides!).  

I thought at that time either Bob or I were going to have a heart attack!  I felt that way when I finished this project! 

I started to scrap the deck on April 24!  Bob's painted a few years ago without scraping and then he rolled the paint on.

He said the other day rolling it he ended up putting on too much paint.   Some areas the thick paint just pulled up!

Bob had to replace a few boards several years ago.  That was fun too!!!!  NOT!  

Yes, the girls thought they could help out but......

It took me two solid hours to paint this area, which was about 1/4 of the deck.  I started out painting ONE BOARD at a time!  Dumb!

When I started to paint again this past Thursday, I started painting two boards (or more!) at a time.

That sure helped get this project moving.  And, I used my garden wheeled wagon to sit and scoot on!  That worked so much better than getting up and down constantly! 

Finally, I finished on Friday, May 22nd!!!!  I am so relieved and my body is as well. 

I actually felt sick when I finished.  Between my body, arms, knees...But I'm back to feeling like myself again!

Next time, we're calling THE GUY!

Still waiting for my background fabric for my hex project!  It's been two weeks since the owner of the quilt shop ordered it.  Boohoo