Tuesday, May 22, 2018

A wee bit of progress today!

 Temecula Quilt company is having a sampler quilt along.  I have cut out all the blocks and am making tracks!  Today, I made the above blocks.   If you would like to sew some fun and easy blocks, they are posting one every Friday.  The link is below.


https://temeculaquiltco.blogspot.com/2018/05/1880-sampler-sew-along_18.html


 I changed the middle block, as the dark green seemed a bit too muddy or dark for the rest of the blocks.
 Tell me, if you will, what would you do with these?  These were given to me, and are English paper pieced with 1/2 inch hexies. What you see here is all there are of these; eight of them.
 Also in the packet were these, made from quarter inch hexies!  They are itty bitty!! Any ideas???
In the same little packet were these blocks.  I see them as signature blocks, and as you see, one is smaller than the rest.  Maybe this quilter gave up, when she realized the block was smaller, or maybe the whole thing just lost its shine for her.  I think I will make another one of the bigger size and use them somewhere.  They are fun blocks!!





Thread!!   Someone recently said to try Signature 60 three ply thread, so I ordered some.  It is so, so thin, and snaps easily.  But, my sewing machine loves it!!  I will use it up.  My big time favorite is Aurifil.  What is your favorite thread?  I have some old spools of dual duty I am trying to use up, also.

Also, what is your best needle for hand quilting, and what thread do you use?  Thank you so much for your advice and wisdom!!





Julie





10 comments:

JoAnne said...

Use the small hexies as flowers on borders for a small quilt.

Elaine Adair said...

I was going to say the same thing as JoAnne. I saw some made into flowers and appliqued on a vine, withe some leaves on a plain border, at the head of the quilt. It added so much. 8-) Elaine Adair

Tired Teacher said...

Make a small table mat with the hexie flowers. Good decision to change the green in the center block.

AnnieO said...

Cute blocks! Looks like you're having fun with them today. Those hexies are tiny. They would make cute mug rugs like I know you have sewn up so many of. I don't know anything about that thread, sorry!

Kleine Vingers said...

Lovely hexagons, I would use it for a centre of a quilt or make something small with them like a bag. I use Aurifil for sewing and applique and prefer Yli for quilting. I am using Venne Cotton for big stitch quilting at the moment. It is the first time I use big stitch quilting. And for needles, use any needle you are comfortable with.

Patti said...

Appliqué the hexies to a block and make a mini. Your center block would be plain or sew up something like a star for the center. I actually made one just like this for a friend but I had 9 flowers to appliqué. I like the idea of using the others in a border. Or in the corners on a large quilt. I am a Aurilfil fan. Use nothing else. However, I have recently started using quilting thread for binding my quilts. No more tangling.

Joyce Carter said...

I really like your blocks. Thanks for the link.
I would applique the Hexie flowers to a background block and use them in sampler quilts since there aren't a lot of them.Or use them as flowers around the border.
As for thread and needles--I think you should use whatever you like the best. Everyone has different taste. Honestly, I am not a big Aurifil fan. Other thread works better for me so I prefer to use it for piecing and applique.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

I'm working on (much larger) hexies, that I plan to stitch to a background, with a basket at the top corner, with the hexies falling out (like flowers falling from a basket). With yours so tiny, it would be a mini quilt for you. Use those other blocks for a mug rug. If you added the hexies around the edges, it would become a mini quilt or table mat.

Janet O. said...

I think your remake on the center block was a good call. The lighter one looks like it belongs, and we all want to belong, don't we? :)
Maybe I would make one or two mini quilts from the hexies, of course, and leftovers could be used to make pincushions, mug rugs, or ornaments.
For piecing and machine quilting I use mostly Aurifil (my fav), Mettler, and DMC embroidery thread, depending on which one comes in the color I need.
For hand quilting I use the John James gold needles, but I would still love the meet a needle I can't easily bend.
I hand quilt with the Gutermann quilting thread, mostly because it is the only one I can find around here besides Coats & Clark (which I don't use).

Sue SA said...

I use Gutermann in my machine but just started using Aurifil for needle turn applique and piecing minis. I don't have a favorite brand of needle, but I do like a short needle. Once they are out of the packet and i na pin cushion I have no idea what brand they are! I like the idea of the hexi flowers as a vine border around a little mat. And think the signature blocks could be simple labels for the back of small pieces of your own work. eg not big quilts, just little mats etc that you don't normally make a label for...well I don't!

Hexies, rainbow quilts and plaids!

Good morning to all!!!  Above is a hexagon, for English paper piecing.  My kitten Lucky has discovered them, and decided that they are great...