ABFSI Report--Anti-Black-Friday Sew-In

Got all my hexies cut...finally... (218 in total.)

Got my Christmas table runner done. 

(Well, technically, that project stretched into Saturday and Sunday but it all blurred together so I'm counting it as ABFSI.) This was the one that I started at my quilt retreat--just had to do the backing, quilt and bind it. This was a "Triangle Tablerunner" kit from Generations Quilt Shop in Pottstown, PA. It's almost 50" long, about 13" wide. I even remembered to put a little label in the corner--which will be handwritten with a sharpie where right now you can barely see my pencil markings. Nothing fancy there. The backing is something I inherited from my Mom--she'd have appreciated this particular use. Stitched in the ditch, no quilting on the border. Very, very basic. This is going to be a gift for a home with little tots so I wanted something sturdy and that wouldn't be fancy enough that it would break anyone's heart if something happens to it. A Very Practical Christmas. But aren't those pudgy birds with Santa hats just the cutest dang thing?

I was supposed to go somewhere Sunday afternoon and it got cancelled, so I made very good headway on my pinwheel wallhanging, too. It was a banner weekend for quiltmaking up in these parts!

Attack of the Hexies--Part I (Introducing the Quasi-Quilt-Along)

This week's podcast episode, "In Which the Hexagons Attack," sorta officially launches a quasi-quilt-along that Jaye at www.artquiltmaker.com and Pam at www.hiptobeasquarepodcast.com and I are doing together using hexagons. Are we right in our heads, you may well ask? Remains to be seen. Especially after taking on projects using hexagons. I think I'll be all sorts of wrong by the time this is over.

So far I've worked out my design--kinda. (Have you noticed all the qualifiers I'm using in this post?) At least, I have an idea of where I'm heading and an idea of what it'll take me to get there. But I'm allowing myself elbow room for changes along the way. Organic, I think they call it. Allowing the quilt to speak for itself, they might say. Or, just hedging my bets. Which is more realistic but doesn't sound quite as artsy.

How is this a quasi-quilt-along? Well, we're not really giving you specific directions, patterns, designs, fabric quantities, or really anything else you can hang your hat on. Rather, we're giving you a process and a community. We're giving you links with information about the methods we'll be using, which you can find in the podcast show notes, or at Jaye or Pam's sites at the links above, and we'll be egging you on! We'll all be posting pics of our hexies in progress as we go, and sharing tips and tricks that we're picking up along the way. (Hint: There are no templates involved, and we're not hand-piecing. Although if that's your modus operandi, who am I to stop you?)

If you've never done a hexie before (like me), this is the perfect opportunity to try one out! Start with a small project (unlike me) and see how you like it.

If you've got hexie UFOs around, this is the perfect inspiration and encouragement to get 'er done! Did you get stuck on something? Post photos and get advice. Or just whine. We know how it feels.

If you're a hexie-afficianado and just want to do another one, come on board! Your experience is welcome.

Pam designed a great button for us to use--you'll see I've added it to the upper right of this blog. If you want to join us in making hexagons, go ahead and post the button on your blog too! Here's the link to it.

Leave a comment here or in the show notes to the podcast if you're on board! The more the merrier! Eventually I'll probably do some sort of give-away around it, just haven't gotten that far in my thinking yet. Let me at least get a few hexies cut, first....