Kantha Vest Progress

I was so productive today!   I decided it was high time to finish my Kantha Quilt vest, so it was first on the agenda.  I finished all the seams - now the "wrong" side looks as good as the "right," so yes, indeed it can be reversible!

Then I made oodles and oodles of bias binding and stitched it all around the perimeter of the vest and around the arm holes - ready for hand stitching!  But I won't be leaving well enough alone - I think I need to embellish here and there with....some HEXIES, of course!

Basket-a-day: found these dots hiding and paired them with some neon lime.

And the group shot:  14 blocks done.

I also found these Kaffe Fassett stripes hiding - hmmm, maybe I could throw some of these in with the baskets?

Yes, I think it will work!

Hubby is doing a bit better - yay!  I took some time out this afternoon to head to Lowes where I bought a refrigerator for our garage.  We had two refrigerators at our old house - left them both for the new owners.  I really can use extra space during the holidays when I cook so much more than usual.  I knew I'd better get one soon since Thanksgiving is almost upon us.  It will be delivered Tuesday.

A Candle Mat from a Kantha Quilt!

I actually have a finish to share!  I had a bee in my bonnet every since the daughters and I had our candle making adventure a couple of weeks ago.  I felt like my pumpkin spice candle deserved a little mat.  I snipped a circle from a Kantha quilt scrap and added some bias binding - easy peasy!  I really love it.

And it's reversible to boot!

I've been making itty bitty hexies again.  I should have put a coin in the photo for comparison, but these measure 1/2 inch from side to side - just a bit bigger than those other ones.  I will definitely make more of these little beauties.

Basket-a-day:  bubblegum pink.

Group shot: 13 blocks done!  I've gotten enough done now that I'm beginning to wonder exactly what I'm going to do with them.  Hmmm....I'll put my thinking cap on.

Other than my sewing, we're having a lazy day.  Hubby has now come down with my yuckity-yuck.  :(  He got a lovely steroid shot this morning, along with a bag of antibiotics and some cough medicine.  Poor thing.  I treated him to this:

The girlies have gone to the football game while we are hunkered down with the dogs watching football.  I am surrounded by fabric and thread, sewing away.  Love that I can hexie while we watch TV together.

Cranking up the HQ

Basket-a-day.  Cute one, huh?

And the group shot.  12 blocks done!

Okay, now I'm getting back in the swing of things, slowly but surely.  I decided to dust off the HQ Sixteen to get it ready to quilt Gee's Bend.  I haven't touch this machine since we've been in Auburn!  I plugged in all the plugs and re-installed the light on the top.  Then I gave everything a good wipe with a damp rag - oh, she was dusty!  Then I filled a bobbin and was ready to go.  It's been so long....I decided I'd better warm up on a small quilt sandwich.

I need to adjust the tension a bit before I quilt on something "real," but I'm getting close to being ready. Also I can tell she needs a good dose of machine oil.  Now where is my oil?  It's got to be here somewhere!

How Small Can I Go?

I decided to see how small I could go with the Quick and Easy Hexie technique today - yup, getting my quilting mojo back!  These hexies measure 3/8 inch across - easy peasy!  I know I couldn't have done this with English Paper Piecing....

  

The yellow and gray color combo was inspired by this vintage cotton dress I bought way-back-when from an antique mall.  I think this dress may soon become a quilt border.  It's the true spirit of Making Do!

Basket-a-day!  A bit of kelly green!

And the group shot.  11 blocks done.

Settling in for a hexie evening....

Hello? Are You Still There?

I'm still here, crawling out of my oblivion - I've been in a sort of dazed stupor for days.  Today I feel like I'm coming out of the fog at long last.  Coming up for air.  Trying to get my get-up-and-go back again.  The problem is that every time I sit down, I fall asleep.  I've had three naps today.  A bit much, don't you think?  I guess my body is trying to tell me not to move too fast.

This afternoon I forced myself to stay awake for awhile and went upstairs to my studio.  I made a basket block; it had been so long.  The handle is little off, but then I'm still a little off.  I'll leave it be.

Hexie Goodness

As you may have guessed, my scratchy throat worsened.  I went to a nice doc who gave me a nice steroid shot, a nice Z-pack, and some nice cough medicine.  I took a few days off from my basket-a-day project.  But last night I did feel like some hexie goodness.  These are so quick, easy, and mindless to make - can't wait to share the technique when our book, Quick and Easy Hexie Quilts, comes out in the Spring!

Do you see that teacup candle there?  Daughter 1 made it for me - cucumber melon scent.  Ahhh!  I'm also enjoying yummy pumpkin cupcakes from Daughter 2.  Daughters are nice.  Medicine is nice.  Naps are nice.  Think I might just take one now.

Slow Day, Some Piecing Tips

Basket-a-day.  Glad these little blocks don't take long to do!  I've got it down now.  Maybe I'll time my block tomorrow to see exactly how long one block takes me.

You know, I've always said that I'm not a good piecer.  But the last year I thing my piecing skills are finally improving.  The keys things that are important for me are:

1.  Careful pressing:  I have to be very mindful of which way seams should be pressed, and make sure I  press each seam carefully and flat.

2.  Use a SCANT quarter inch seam!  See the photo above.  In the past I would have sewn that horizontal seam a quarter of an inch from the top edge of the fabric, crossing over the middle of the X made by the 2 other seams.  But I find it works MUCH better to use a very scant seam allowance, sewing on the outside of that X.   In the past, I never allowed for the tiny amount of fabric required to fold over the seam allowance.  That tiny bit adds up quickly!

3.  Take you time!  Slow and steady wins the race.  Even though a block is simple to piece, rushing through it usually causes small deviations in the seam allowance.  If I take my time, all the time, clip threads, press correctly, my results are always better.

Group shot - 9 blocks done!  Happy little baskets.

I didn't do much else today.  Still battling a touch of something.  Plus we've had a workman here ALL day.  Hubby took a day of vacation to oversee the work.  I didn't know how many trick-or-treaters we'd have here in our new home so I bought TONS of candy.  We didn't have many.  Only 8.  Lots of candy for me and hubby!