Hexagons, Shabby Chic FQ’s and Batiks — oh, my!

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The first 3 strips of hexagons are joined together. Once they’re all together I think I’ll print enough hexagons and half hexagons of one fabric to add 2 rows of hexagons and one row of half hexagons on all 4 sides. What that fabric will be I have no idea, but my idea is that that will frame the strips and then I’ll use the same fabric to bind it. I’m actually amazed at how quickly this is going together.

Wednesday’s mail brought another lovely treat. Tracy, a no-blog friend sent me these wonderful batik 5″ charms for my birthday. I had more fun looking through them at the various colours and thinking about my plan for some batik-only quilts.


Thursday’s mail brought these goodies from Karen! Gorgeous Robyn Pandolph FQ’s — I have always loved Robyn Pandolph fabrics and this collection is wonderful. Karen sure knows my taste! I know another shabby chic quilt is in my future and now I can dream about just what it may be. There are some fabulous prints in this collection — and some solids, too. I was thrilled to see these as I had only seem them online or in magazines. They’re going to be so much fun to work with!

I feel incredibly spoiled by all these wonderful fabrics and all the choices I have.

Smudge, guarding the toys — again. This time he has 4 within paw’s reach.

Lester, in his favourite spot, perhaps resting his eyes from all the bird watching.


Shabby Chic Quilt

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I’ve written about this quilt before. It’s approximately 90 x 110 and is composed of elongated hexagons and 1″ hexagons. It was an absolute joy to piece this quilt but we never use it and it seems rather a shame to have it sitting. I’m contemplating selling it but have no idea how to go about doing that or if that’s even feasible. There are 3,295 pieces in the quilt, every piece joined by hand.

The main body of the quilt has the 1″ hexagons in a cream print while the outer 6 rows on either side have green 1″ hexagons as the connectors.

The backing is an off-white.


I haven’t got a clue how one would go about selling a quilt, how to put a value on it or even where to begin. Any pointers?

Smudge, of course, could care less. He’s much too happy upside down having a nap.


While Lester is, once again, in his favourite spot on the windowsill.


I Got Mail

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These fabrics arrived in the mail Tuesday from Pink Chalk Fabrics, which I ordered using the gift certificate I won during the Quilt Festival hosted by Park City Girl. Pink Chalk Fabrics’ mailing charges to Canada are among the least expensive I’ve found. The package arrived quite quickly too.

Along with these 3 half-yard cuts, I ordered a yard of Kona Snow, which is a fabric I’ve been wanting to try out. I love the feel of it.


We were outside on the roof garden for a while Tuesday. The crab apple trees are blooming and the scent is absolutely fabulous! Just standing underneath this tree was wonderful.

The other crab apple tree on the roof garden isn’t quite as fragrant, but is still glorious. As you can see from the cranes in the picture, there’s a lot of construction going on around us. More and more high-rise condos being built. Traffic congestion is bad enough now. I can’t imagine what it will be like when the new condo towers are up and full.

Lester in his normal spot — on the windowsill. The robins are definitely keeping him entertained.

Smudge was very busy watching the robins early Tuesday morning. He was sitting on the windowsill, his tail was swishing and he was chattering away. It went on for at least 5 minutes. It’s so funny to listen to them when they start chattering at the birds. I think it must have been exhausting — he had to have a rest afterwards with Raggedy Ann.


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Here are all the strips of hexagons. Although they may look like they’re jumbled up, they’re actually basted together at the top in order so all I have to do is take the next strip off the bunch when I need it. The first 2 rows are actually joined now — but no picture yet.

And this is the rainbow with the first row of purples started.

Saturday we had thunderstorms. It started out as a wonderfully warm, mild day but, as the afternoon progressed, it got chilly. This was the late afternoon sky as another round of thunderstorms was headed our way. The sky was really interesting to watch.


Smudge doesn’t mind storms at all.


This was Lester watching out the window Monday afternoon. We have huge robins this year which are keeping him entertained.


Beginning of the Hexagon Lap Quilt

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This wasn’t the picture I planned on posting but, for some reason, I seem to be unable to upload photos. From the various hexagon swaps we’ve had on the Inklingo list of 1″ hexagons, I have made strips of hexagons. I knew that a traditional GFG was not what I wanted to make with that size of hexagons and have been stitching them into rows for ages. Over the weekend, I finished stitching the hexagons into rows and spent a few hours Sunday night arranging and rearranging the rows so that the same fabrics wouldn’t be immediately adjacent. Now I’ve begun stitching the rows together. This will take a while to complete but is the perfect mindless stitching I need some evenings.

There was progress on the rainbow too. The reds are finished and the first row of purple diamonds is halfway done.

There have been more fabulous giveaways added to the InklingoProjects blog Great Inklingo Giveaway. There’s one of hexagon butterflies that is amazing!

Because there’s almost always a kitty picture in every post, I copied this from an old post. Hopefully tomorrow I can post the pictures I was hoping to post today!


Mother’s Day

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My Mom was, aside from being my mother, a great friend. Even when I was a teenager I always wanted to spend time and talk with my Mom. This is one of the few pictures of us together.

Every time I think of a way to make something work in a quilt block, I think of Mom. She had a great knack for making things work — be it in baking or knitting or whatever. Every time I am reading a book late at night and just do not want to put it down, I think of her. She’d often tell me that she had stayed up very, very late because she just had to read one more chapter of whatever book she was reading. As we’re now coming into summer, I often think of how much she loved being up in cottage country and lazing on the beach reading yet another book or doing a crossword.

She has been gone for almost 13 years now and I still miss her every day.

Bits and Pieces

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There are nine little 9-patch blocks I have done for the one a day quilt along. The fabrics are actually a bit brighter than they appear in this shot.

A couple more little flowers added to whatever this is going to grow up to be. I’m still not sure where I’m headed with this but, when I need a hexagon fix, it’s the thing I pick up. I put a 1-cent coin on it so you could see the size of these hexagons — all with .50″ sides. I’ve always loved hexagon quilts and now, using Inklingo, they’re an absolute delight to stitch; a simple running stitch makes them so much fun. No basting, no whipstitching — just lots and lots of lovely quick running stitches. On these ones, as the seams are so tiny, it’s just one load of stitches on the needle and each little seam is done.

Thursday I had a cyst removed from my lower eyelid. The eye doctor froze the area well and the only thing I really felt was the pressure as he drained the cyst but by the time night came, it was hurting. The worst of this? Trying to get the antibiotic eye drops in my eye. I could put contact lenses in my eyes from now until forever without a problem but eye drops? More will run down my face than will ever get in my eye!

Yet another favourite picture of Lester.


And an extra fluffy Smudge with — well, I’m not sure. Perhaps he’s working up to a lounge lizard look in this one.


Basket Block

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I’ve shown this block before but now that I finally got around to pressing it — yet another good reason to hand piece, I think, being able to leave the pressing — I had to take another shot of it. I have a plan for another set of these baskets but I’ll use a third fabric for the interior where I’ve used white fabrics in this one — so that the basket will appear to have flowers, leaves or whatever in it.

The back of it looks almost as good as the front, I think!

Lester in his favourite spot. Today we had two robins singing, sparrows and grackles and a lot of activity as the gardener is getting the flower beds ready for planting.

Smudge did check out the roof garden activity for a few minutes today but I couldn’t grab the camera fast enough.


Charm Packs!

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What is it about charm packs? I absolutely love them! A friend, whose husband comes to Toronto every quarter, and I send little gift bags back and forth to one another — thus earning her husband the nickname of the “fabric mule”! We did the gift bag pick-up and drop-off on Tuesday. In my gift bag I found these two wonderful charm packs! I am thrilled! I had a lot of fun putting her gift bag together this time as she’s in the midst of a move. Once I know she has received it, I’ll talk about what all was in it!

The second drunkard’s path basket block is well on the way to being finished. I’d like to finish the blocks within a week or so and work on the setting.

Spring is definitely here. Tuesday there were two robins singing on the roof garden and lots of sparrows and grackles. No squirrel sightings but Lester is now a very happy kitty with his entertainment having finally shown up.


Smudge doesn’t seem to have quite yet discovered the summer show is back. When he does, he’ll be sitting on the windowsill chattering at them.

Definite Signs of Spring

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I’m thinking perhaps it’s a bit of spring fever, but the rainbow seems to need a rest for a few days. Or perhaps it’s me. I need a break from it, maybe.

So I got all the bits ready for the rows of the 3 more drunkard’s path basket blocks I need. That pattern has really grabbed my imagination.

And these? These are all squares for 9-patch blocks that will finish at 3″. I’ve had the little squares printed using Inklingo and cut out for ages, probably a couple of years. Some 9-patch blocks are already made. Making 9-patch blocks can be so satisfying, even if it is only 1 or 2 a day. I’ve joined in on Crazy Mom Quilts‘ one a day quilt along. The quilt along calls for larger blocks, so I possibly should be making 2 or 4 a day. I’ll be making these until mid-summer by which time there should be enough for a wonderful 9-patch quilt! You can see a great picture here. Mine may end up smaller, using the 3″ blocks, but that works for me too. This may be just the thing to keep me working on these. Somehow just doing a couple a day is much less daunting than doing nothing but.

And now for the reason for the post title. The first robin sighted on the roof garden. A robin’s song is the most glorious sound to hear in the spring!


Finally, some activity out on the roof garden for Lester! If you embiggen this photo, you’ll see a little squirrel near the walkway. First one we’ve seen this year.

And Lester in his favourite spring/summer/fall spot. Lots to watch now. Monday the sprinkler people were testing all the sprinklers, the gardener was working on the flower beds, a squirrel was scampering about and the birds were singing. It was a very good day for kitty entertainment!