Last Friday "the girls" came over to my place for some coffee - talk - sewing - more talk etc etc and I realised that I don't have enough coasters for my table .... even my christmas ones are in the bowl on the table so that afternoon I decided to make a few more!! I just picked out some fabrics that looked big enough to cut the hexagon shapes and whipped them up on the sewing machine.
The hexagons are cut with a set of templates we purchased at a craft show some years ago from Bust Thimbles - I used up some odd pieces of iron on pellon for the middle, but cotton wadding or Insulbright would be good too! The girls are coming again tomorrow, so at least I will now have enough coasters to go around!!
DRUM ROLL PLEASE........ THE BEACH QUILT IS FINISHED!!! WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY - YOU WANT PROOF???? O.K. ..... HERE'S SOME PICS.......
I am so happy to have this quilt finally finished:-) I used one of my favourite methods to attach the binding... the wide binding machine sewn technique as seen (link removed, site problems). I just love this method and I'm very happy with how it looks on this quilt. It's meant to be a beach cum park cum back-yard cum nannies house cum cubby house type of quilt and the machine method is perfect.
A number of things I learned making this quilt.....
1. Seams pressed open are not the easiest to quilt "in the ditch" - I chose to press them open due to the light and dark fabrics meeting each other in the frames.. I didn't want a shadow showing through, but in hindsight I would have been better pressing to one side. I am NOT HAPPY with the quilting but it's done now!!
2. Inserting a fringe into the borders causes the fabric to "shrink" in a little - not sure if I would do this again. Must have something to do with the weight of the fringe and the stitch length and tension.
3. Using a cheaper fabric, even though it is just perfect for this quilt, is NOT a good idea - not nice to cut, sew or quilt, but anyway it's on the back now and I'm sure little B.B. will not notice.
4. No matter how much you plan out the rows, you will always end up with the same colours right next to each other!!! :-)))) and then you will spend hours changing them all around, only to end up with the same thing!!
Okay, so that's that!! I have plenty of other UFO's to be going on with, so I'm going to TRY and not start a new project just yet!! Now to get ready for the girls visit tomorrow....
Happy Sewing!!
It nice to know that you think so much of us that you make us new coasters (which were great by the way). What a great mate you are.
ReplyDeleteYou have been so busy! Your coasters are beautiful. I really love the bowl they are in. Congrats on finishing the Beach quilt, it turned out wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteMy name is Diane and I am both B.B's Nannie (Grandmother) and Helen's Sister.
B.B is a lucky little girl to have her Great Aunty Henny making her so many beautiful quilts.
Helen is amazing how she can just whip up these quilts - I am always in awe of her talent for sewing. Me? I can't sew to save myself but I do enjoy scrapbooking (which I'm told I do have a certain flair for). The scrapbooking I most enjoy is making small photo books & card making.
On behalf of Bridget - thank you Aunty Henny for the beautiful quilts
What a lovely comment Diane.
ReplyDeleteLove your hexagons...I went through the hexagon craze years ago and made so many I must eyes probably changed shape...but they are so fun and easy to make...hugs Khris
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