Half Hexie Whirligig
In the last post, Stolen Moments for Stitch & Play, I was playing with my scraps. Play is good. I traded the scraps for more moderate fabrics, and in a short afternoon put together the lower half of this sweet quilt. It's slightly under 45" from edge to edge here, and with a border/background will flesh out to a nice baby or toddler quilt a little larger.
If you're curious about the funny shaped pieces of green, this is a design on the fly, no-pattern quilt. I could have used full half hexies to those areas, but I was frugally guessing with my scraps. It's much easier to trim the edges evenly when everything is pieced, and even a bias on these edges isn't a problem. I'll still be adding surrounding fabric to it for background. So do make good use of your scraps in your projects!
I finally got to use the elephant fabric remnant I had in my stash. Woohoo! I think this would make a sweet quilt for a little boy. Don't you?
Old Quilts & Preventing Damage
The temperatures are high here for May. We've had many days of 80's and 90's, and more in the forecast. When the studio gets too hot to work even with a portable air conditioner, I close the door and head for cooler digs. Little stores that I might not get to, and time to check around for those vintage quilts that may have appeared.
In late spring, the quilts pop like mushrooms overnight from local auctions. This area is well known for its quilt history, and old quilts are a-plenty. This one above was too well used for my use, but it was still photo worthy. I am hoping you will see the light damage. The quilt had been folded for some time with the middle on the top or outside, and the lower section inside the folds. Can you see the difference in color? It's significant. Let it be a reminder to keep stored quilts out of direct and even indirect light. Open and refold them often to avoid creasing. Many people I know with extensive quilt collections lay them open on top of each other on an unused bed, and rotate the stack. Muslin draped across the top will keep them fairly clean, and is still breathable.
Something I did bring home was this fun bracelet made from old typewriter keys made locally. Contact Village Gift Shoppe from here in Gnadenhutten on Facebook for more adorable and witty sayings, and tell them, Julie, the Pink Doxie mama sent you.
Come on, Doxie girls.
Let's go sew.
9 comments:
I made a quilt like the first one you show for my grandson some years back in bright colors and it turned out really well - I have never bought a antique quilt I have too many of my own to find places for without getting more
Your elephant scrap fabric was waiting for just the right project! Looks good. And sounds like you had fun shopping!
I wish our temperatures will rise. We had awesome weather on Friday, but today, it was cold, windy, and raining. Sigh.....
Glad you had a fun shopping day, Julie! We just replaced the HV/AC on our second floor where my studio is, and I had them redo the zones, enlarge a duct, and relocate a thermostat in hopes that I'll be able to control the temperature in my studio better in extreme temperatures. It's in a "bonus room" over our garage and I know too well how frustrating it is when you have TIME to sew, you have the ENERGY and the MOTIVATION to sew, but it is just too darned hot in the studio to be in there with lights on and the iron plugged in! Fingers crossed that we will both have lots of comfortable quilting time this summer!
I love your elephant scrap project, Julie! Can you share how you piece that design? Is it all hand sewing, and you piece each whirligig shape separately and then join them with lots of Y seams, or do you have an amazing streamlined modern method? Thanks for sharing about the antique quilts, too. I have a vintage Dresden Plate quilt on my guest bed that belonged to my grandmother that I probably need to rotate!! It's very similar fabrics to the one you saw in the antique shop.
What a great idea with the half hexies. I use a twin bed in my guest room to store my quilts all facing down. There is some indirect light, but if it fades the backs, I'm okay with that.
I like that fan quilt and the bracelet.
I'm loving your Whirligig quilt! Anything hexie grabs my attention. I'll have to remember this layout for a future quilt. Nice finds- I to have an old typewriter bracelet, but just random letters and numbers.
Julie, this whirligig quilt is delightful. I love tessellated patterns. I always enjoy it when you share your playtime! I have a quilt top made by my g-g-grandmother tucked away in a dresser drawer. I’m going to go up and resold it right now!
The elephant fabric is too cute. That will definitely make a cite baby quilt.
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