7 hexagons in 1 square

Today's block finish is from the Quick as a Fox sew-along:

Hexagon Applique

Becky shows us a super easy way of appliqueing (raw edge) hexagons for a quilt block. And, there's a link to a great tutorial on how to draft your own hexagonal template, any size you want!

In case you're wondering, this block will be 12" finished size. My hexagons are 2" along each edge. Do I call it a 2" hexagon in that case?

And another in-case-you're-wondering: the scraggly line things around the edge of the block are blades of grass. I took this pic outside in the sun, and yes, the lawn is overdue for mowing. I'm just waiting for the perfect weather to do it - not too hot, but not cold/wet/windy either, and with nothing better to do in the sewing room.

I think the grass will be growing a bit longer.

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What I learnt today:

I figured out how to stitch around the hexies in one continuous line, finishing up where I started from. I did have to backtrack six times (i.e. six lines were stitched on twice), but the six lines in question together make a symmetrical pattern, making my whole stitching line consistent.

Can you figure out how to do it?



Hint: I began and ended at the red dot.

Skill Builder, at last...

I finished these two blocks today:

The Sound Wave

Magnum

They are the first two blocks of the Skill Builder BOM at Pile O' Fabric, which I first mentioned a couple of days ago. Both are based on improv piecing, which lets you relax a bit and not be so nitpicky.

I am so in love with the colours and fabrics I've chosen for this quilt. But I must remember to take photos during the day in natural sunlight next time! Flourescent light just isn't the same, *sigh*.

This is going to be a Quilt As You Go project. I haven't chosen any backing fabrics yet, but when I do, I'll be Free Motion Quilting every block as I go along, as time permits.

Binding...

... Why does it take so long?

Building Skills

I've been a tad reluctant to introduce this BOM, because I haven't done any sewing on it yet - and so I am currently four (out of a total of twenty) blocks behind. It's the Skill Builder BOM, created by Alyssa over at Pile O' Fabric.

What I was finding the hardest was choosing a colour palette.

My first choice, in a moment of supposed inspiration, was monochrome.

But then I read in the instructions that it needs several colours, with several shades of each of those colours. Black, grey and white didn't seem to cut it any longer. (I ended up using these fabrics for a different quilt, so it wasn't a total waste of time picking them out, phew.)

Then I thought to use this stripe fabric as my inspiration, because I just love all the colours in it. There's a lovely warm feeling about it. It's a print by Sandy Gervais from Moda, of which I only bought half a metre - the last of the big time spenders, that's me!

I pulled some other fabrics to go with it (I just love stash shopping!); as well as a cream, for my neutral background.

Trying to narrow it down to just 12 colours for the 1st block.

I haven't sewn anything yet, although I've done the cutting for the first couple of blocks.

Maybe tomorrow...