Hexagon Mat

Love this corner of my dining room :) I made a little hexagon mat to add to this prettiness because I decided that worrying about whether the orchid pot will leak onto my buffet was not fun. I don't know how it would leak when there are zero holes in the pot, but that's how my brain works. Worrying about the dumbest things ever. 

I took a measurement of the pot with my hand because I'm super precise, and I decided something around the length of my hand would be perfect. My hands are 6" long (one day I got bored and measured my hands and feet... FYI, the latter are 8.5" long), and that's what the hexagon mat ended up being. Math! 

All the fabrics and batting came from the scraps on or around my cutting table. That's how messy it is right now :) I cut little 60° triangles, sewed them together, slapped it on some batting and backing fabric, then bound it in some extra binding I had leftover from the wedding quilt. It took me less than an hour, even with hand sewing the binding. 

In an effort to keep the orchids alive, I place them in the little bay window in the library / study to get some indirect sunlight. I read somewhere that that's what they need, so I'm being a good orchid mummy.

Also, do you see the lovely autumnal leaves outside??? The birch trees are turning a beautiful yellow, and the other trees around our house are turning a gorgeous orangey red. Love this time of year :)

Hexagon Project

I started putting my hexagon flowers together. My process: Sew, turn, sew, cuss, turn, sew, cuss, repeat.

I got one tiny, little corner done last night and I began to wonder how in the hell I'm going to wrangle a queen-sized top's worth of hexagon flowers when the time came. It's situations like these that swearing was invented for.

But, I love it.I think it'll be worth all the headaches because I'll end up with something I really love. At least that's what I'm telling myself :)

By the way, you see the blue hexie flower at the top right? That one's all golf balls and tees, for my Dad. I'm going to make one of strawberries for my Mum :)

Hexagon Project

I decided to undertake a hexagon project to give me something to do while I spend evenings in front of the telly with the hubs. I hate not doing anything with my hands while I sit there like a lump, so hexagons were the answer. So here I go... Making a bed quilt out of hexagons.

Oh my god what've I done...

I ordered 1.5" hexagons without doing a little math and realising they were about the size of my face. Okay they're not, but my hands are tiny and holding on to the mylar pieces while sewing the hexies proved challenging initially. But I'm quite glad I went with a larger hexagon because it means I don't have to make so many to get a bed quilt! Plus I can use fabrics with slightly larger prints.

As for the mylar pieces, I ordered a 50 pack online. I paid for a 50 pack. I received a pack of 35. WTF?!

I emailed the shop and asked them to please explain themselves. They said the manufacturer changed the volume per pack without notifying them. Umm, how do you change volume and keep the price the same?! I told them I wasn't happy about all this nonsense and so they're sending me a second pack as an apology (and to placate me...). I appreciate that they righted their wrong so quickly and sorry that they had to deal with me. I'm a big ol' bitch when I'm pissed off :)

A big ol' bitch with a crampy hand. And we've only just begun...

Hexagon Bib

I made a little hexagon bib for some friends of ours who had a baby nine weeks ago and were finally going to meet her. I saw on Facebook a few days ago that the mummy had mentioned being obsessed with bibs so I thought this would be a nice little gift.

I've never made a bib before so I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out. I fudged up the placement of the dotty back (Can you believe wrong and right sides still screw me up?!?! Next time I'm using a solid back lol) so of course I only realised I'd placed them wrongly AFTER I'd trimmed everything and was about to flip the bib inside out. There was SO much swearing... so very, very much.

But it turned out pretty nicely and the proud parents are thrilled with it. Baby Liya has already blessed the bib with spit up and drool hehe I like to see things I make being used... Unlike my MIL's potholders which are still hanging on her cabinet doors!!! I told the parents I'd happily make more so please feel free to destroy this one :)

Duckie Hexagon Bib

Here's the little duckie hexagon bib I was working on last week during that heatwave! It turned out pretty cute, and I hope it fits around a one-year-old's neck. I have no clue about children's sizing... to me it's all small and I can't distinguish the degree of smallness.

Unfortunately, I'm quite stupid, so I didn't place the duckies properly and most of them got cut away. Oops. Hopefully the one in the centre will distract from my idiocy.

A closer look at the lone duckie left in its entirety. So silly. This time I stitched in the ditch to hold the layers together. 

You can see the stitching a bit better on the back, but uhhh...  don't look too closely because it's quite untidy.

It's on its way to Sydney, Australia and I hope little Ryan wears it at his duckie birthday party!

Hexagon Project

An update on my hexagon project...

I clearly watch too much TV because I have over 700 hexagons made. Yikes.

And I've finally decided on a layout. Initially I was going to do scrappy flowers with two rings, centred and sashed in white hexagons, kind of like this.

Then I saw a quilt hanging in a shop that had the white in the centre that I wanted, but just little flowers with one ring and no sashing. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

I'm thrilled with how it's turning out so far. There's still a long road ahead, but I'm thoroughly enjoying myself :)

Hexagon Mat

Remember when I started my hexagon addiction a little while back? Well I've done well keeping it in check... meaning the entire house hasn't been covered in hexagons yet. That's a win, people!

So I put together a whole bunch of 30s hexagons and didn't quite know what to do with them till my MIL came over and saw them. She absolutely loved it and asked if she could have whatever I made with it.

She did say she needed a little mat on her bedside table, so tada!!!

I quilted it very simply because I didn't want it to fight with the hexagons and I think it turned out so cute.

I'll probably hang on to it till Mother's Day but I'm so excited to give it to her :)

Patchwork For My Sister

Remember when I was sewing up a storm prior to my trip to Singapore in January?
   I've shown the quilt I made Averil, but I'd totally forgotten to take pictures of the one I'd made Aurelia before I handed it over. I don't do that very often... I was probably too excited to give this to her.

But she's now taken a picture of the quilt on her bed in Australia! :) I quilted it very simply, just like on my own patchwork quilt. The fabrics were almost all from my stash, which is why my hexagon quilt is starting to resemble this heehee!

By the way I'd made her the bunting ages ago and I think they go very nicely together. I also think my bedroom needs bunting...

More Pictures From My Weekend

My hexagon flowers are coming along very nicely. I've made almost 1400 individual hexies, and have about 180+ of the little flowers sewn together so far. Sewing in front of the telly at night is super productive!

The hubs, sleeping while I sew :)

Isobel :)

I always end up taking pictures of Isobel only because she's always close to me. Matilda is always either wandering around the house or won't stay still when I try to take her picture.

Took more pictures of the hydrangeas since they've bloomed just a little more.

The other day they looked all sad and droopy because it was so boiling hot. I was just glad to see them resurrected.

And while I was out there, I saw a little bunny rabbit! He hopped away from me, stopped to peep at me out of the corner of his eyes, and stayed still as I inched closer and closer to take his picture. So cute!

Let The Addiction Begin!

I resisted hexagons because I knew I'd become addicted... And as it happens, I know myself pretty well.

This was my very first hexagon flower thingie. I don't know what it's called. I just know I like making them.

I'm currently piecing together a bunch of hexagons with 30s fabric. Couch-sewing really suits me...

Not sure what they'll become but I know I'm having fun making them heehee!!

I Miss Australia Sometimes

Once in a while I get a flash of stupid and I find myself looking at my two fave Australian labels' websites. My soul gets destroyed but my eyes get so happy. I know, I know, I need help.

The Hexagon Big Day bag from Mimco. *Sigh* I do love it so.

Country Road... So, so, SO much pretty.

Hexie Bible Cover

My mum's bible cover's all done! It took me forever to get it finished because I was trying to figure out whether or not I should put a flap on it. I opted for not... it looked a little less fussy without.

Instead of batting, I used Decor Bond interfacing so that it's less poofy. Definitely easier to sew through the many layers too.

I put three hexagon flowers on the cover... it looks mildly idiotic when laid out like that, but I wanted one of the flowers over the spine.

I used the stripes for the background and lining, and had them going in opposite directions.

And the big dots for the inside flap thingies. It still boggles my mind that my mum chose fabric with purple in it!

Mum, I hope you like it. And I hope it fits. If it doesn't, I refer you to Aurelia who took the measurements :)

(I used Adam Levin's The Instructions as a model for the cover because nothing else seems to have the same dimensions as my mum's bible.)

The Weekend

How was everyone's weekend? It was rather warm most of the weekend, which means I was uncomfortable and grumpy. Ask the hubs, he'll confirm this. 

On Saturday, I went to the eye doctor for the first time ever (last eye check-up I had was in school in Singapore. Like 20 years ago... Oops.) and found out I sort of need glasses. I don't need to wear them all the time, just when I'm straining them. Which is to say when I'm sewing. Which is a lot of my waking hours. The hubs did all he could to not do cartwheels in the doctor's office because it's been his fervent hope that I will one day have to wear glasses. He likes me in them for some stupid reason. Asshat. 

I'm not bothered by wearing glasses... anything that'll help me keep my eyesight is perfectly fine with me. Plus I'll totally look amazeballs. Hahahaha!! 

And here's the rest of the weekend in photos...

I ordered a hanger for my mini ferris wheel quilt I made out of Hello Luscious (LOVE that line!) and finally picked it up. It now sits pretty above my computer so I have something nice to look at! I want to make a couple more mini quilts to change around and they'll all have to be about 20" across to sit in that hanger nicely hehe

On Saturday I started piecing these hexagon stars together from some scrap ta dots. I think I'm keeping them just like that and make a wallhanging. This was taken Saturday night to figure out a layout. They've since been joined together just like that, and I'll probably applique them onto a background like I did the Hello Luscious mini quilt.

The tomatoes are growing beautifully and the one in the blue pot has had a big growth spurt.

Maybe it has something to do with a gnome watching over it? Gnomes really are magical :) Do you see the many little grape tomato babies behind him??? I'm soooooo excited!

And I bought a small Canon GX1 that will live in my bag so I have a camera with me always. As much as I love my DSLR, carrying it everywhere isn't feasible. The photo above was taken at D'Angelos. The hubs is in love with this place for some reason. Nine times out of ten, he'll suggest going there. I think they're paying him.

The rest of the weekend was spent running errands and the hubs made our lawn look a little more respectable.  I did a bit of shopping for our niece's first birthday pressies... teeny tiny clothes that are too cute and may have included a hot pink tutu. I bought them together with my Dad's Father's Day card so it looked like I was buying baby clothes for him. Har har.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend too :)

I Went To NYC And All I Got Was Fabric

Well, and a skirt from American Apparel, but that doesn't quite have a ring to it.

When I booked our hotel in Chelsea, I wasn't aware that it was a mere three blocks from The City Quilter! How thrilled was I?! We'd arrived at the hotel before check-in time so we wandered around and the quilt shop was our first stop. 

The hubs (bless him) sat on a chair and let me have my fun. And what fun I had! Well, I did control myself... my basket was pretty full initially, then I put back things I didn't 'need'. Ahem. 

I got this tiny little Japanese hexagon patchwork book, and it's so darling! I need to start drinking tea so I can make a tea cosy for teapot I don't currently own! 

And I also made off with a few cuts of Japanese fabrics that were too good to pass up. Love those scooters and hexagons! 

There was a small bit of yellow pearl necklace in the large scrap bin so I scooped it up. And I got New York fabric that only The City Quilter sells because they designed it themselves. I have a few FQs of their New York fabric so I got yardage in hopes that I can finally get round to making something.

Didn't go to Purl Soho this time, but I reckon I spent enough there last time so I could skip a visit!

More Hexagons... For Mum!

I've been working on making my mum a bible cover, and I decided to make a few hexagon flowers to applique on the back and front of it.

(I did say I was keeping my addiction in check, right? I might have to withdraw that premature statement. Ahem.)

Mum picked the fabric when I was in Singapore this last February. I was quite surprised by her choice of purple, but pleasantly so. I hope she likes the hexies!

Hexagon Project

I've been plugging along with my hexagons, and still not sick of hand sewing. Stranger things have happened, I suppose :)

I've managed to sew a huge chunk of the quilt top together, and it wasn't too bad because I kept telling myself not to think about how daunting a task it was. I'd sit and watch a DVD or shows off the DVR, and before I knew it, I'm more than halfway done.

I reckon my husband really loves this quilt top because whenever I'm not working on it, he asks why. He's never really bothered with any other quilt top before. The man has good taste, what can I say? Heehee!