Category Archives: Hexagons

Cozy Cabins Log Cabin Challenge

Posted on November 16, 2018 by heARTs Creations

An Island Batik Adventure

Cozy Cabins

 

 

What better project for the cold and wet we are experiencing this time of year than “Cozy Cabins.”  Once again, as I try to minimize the number of Works in Progress I have in my studio, I thought of something simpler for this month’s Island Batik Ambassador project.

 

 

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I love log cabins! At first I thought I’d do a table runner, but honestly, I have plenty of those and wasn’t very inspired. I also knew I didn’t want to do a full quilt. Ah Hah! Potholders! These will also make great stocking stuffers.

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Many of the Island Batik bundles come tied with these really cool ties and they made for a perfect loop to hang the potholders with.  I also used insul-bright batting to keep the user from burning their hands. This stuff really works! I chose a hexagon shape, some simple quilting and here they are!

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Full disclosure – after completing these potholders, I reread our instructions for November and we were supposed to do a larger project. I’m begging for forgiveness. If I lay them all out side by side, does that count??

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Thank you to Island Batik for the fabrics used in this project and to Aurifill thread for supplying the threads.

 

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Love the Birds – Great Outdoors Blog Hop and Giveaway

Posted on September 4, 2018 by heARTs Creations

An Island Batik AdventureGreat Outdoors Blog Hop

“The Great Outdoors” – what a broad subject! Hubby and I do love the great outdoors. we walk, hike, bike ride, and kayak.  The heat of the summer, however, doesn’t agree with us for such activities and we do spend a great deal of time on our screened porch enjoying the great outdoors of our yard. We have lots of plantings, live among the trees and have a LOT of birdhouses.  Several bird couples have moved in at different times this season, had babies and have now relocated.  Several bird feeders and a bird bath keep the winged activity going quite strong. We even have owls and hawks – oh my! My decision for this challenge was made when I went through my pattern bin (yes, a bin full of patterns!) and revisited this cute birdhouse and bird wall quilt design, Remembering Annabelle by Bloom Creek.

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The collection of batiks that Island Batik provided for this project is Whatnot.  Such amazing fun colors to work with!

Whatnot

I did not follow the pattern exactly.  I added the suns in each of the corners. I thought the black and white checked border really helped to set off the whole design.

The center of the pattern had words. I chose, instead to add a butterfly.  At that point I was not wanting to do any more applique, so I cut a square, starched it heavily and found an origami tutorial for folding a butterfly. It worked! The first one was too large for the center, so I perched him in one corner and did a second, smaller one to add to the center.

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The end of this fun and talent packed blog hop comes to an end today. There’s still time to visit the other blogs, enter their giveaways and to enter the Island Batik giveaway below. Now for heARTs Creations giveaway! – 1 fat quarter and 7 fat eighths.  All you need do is leave a comment telling me what you like about the Great Outdoors.  Please note, I will need to contact the randomly chosen winner by email and this giveaway is for US addresses only. Winner will be announced Sunday, September 9.

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Monday, August 6 – All A Flutter – Yellow Cat Quilt Designs, Creative Blonde
Tuesday, August 7 – Birds N’ Bees – Ark Angel Creations, Patterns By Jen
Wednesday, August 8 – Canterbury Manor – Sally Manke, Powered By Quilting
Thursday, August 9 – Eclectic Garden – Desert Bloom Quilting, Sew Karen-ly Created
Friday, August 10 – Vintage Morris – MooseStash Quilting, Devoted Quilter
Monday, August 13 – Safari – Sew Incredibly Crazy, SweetGrass Designs
Tuesday, August 14 – Spring Blossoms – Mary Mack Made Mine, If These Threads Could Talk
Wednesday, August 15 – Victoria and Albert – Bejeweled Quilts, Clever Chameleon
Thursday, August 16 – Wild Things – Freemotion By The River, Kauffman Designs
Friday, August 17 – Petting Zoo – Den Syende Himmel, Sarah Goer Quilts
Monday, August 20 – Ocean Odyssey – Gateway Quilts, The Quilt Rambler
Tuesday, August 21 – British Rose – Busy Hands Quilts, Mania for Quilts
Wednesday, August 22 – Dear William – The Inquiring Quilter, MMM Quilts, Living Water Quilter
Thursday, August 23 – Dragonfly Dreams – Inchworm Fabrics, BeaQuilter
Friday, August 24 – Fur-ocious Friends – Quilting Affection Designs, Dizzy Quilter
Monday, August 27 – Globetrotter – Pamela Quilts, Curliecue Creations
Tuesday, August 28 – Jungle Cruise – Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting, Little Bunny Quilts
Wednesday, August 29 – Lavendula – Carole Lyles Shaw, Masterpiece Quilting
Thursday, August 30 – London Calling – Quilt in a Not-Shell, Lizard Creek Quilting
Friday, August 31 – Spirit Rhythm – Steph Jacobson, Whispers of Yore
Monday, September 3 – Sweet Tweets – Kathleen McMusing, Adventurous Applique and Quilting
Tuesday, September 4 – Whatnot – heARTS Creations, Me!;   Slice of Pi Quilts

Linking up with WIPS on Wednesdays, Needle & Thread Thursday

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Posted in Applique, Art, Blog Hop, Color, Fabric, Give Away, Hexagons, Island Batiks, Modern Quilting, Pattern, Projects, Quilt Setting, Quilting and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Sew Much Sewing, Sew Much FUN!!!

Posted on May 9, 2017 by heARTs Creations

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Just back from the Quilt & Sew-In Spring Retreat and WOW! It was such a good time. I am always impressed with the fun attitude and amazing camaraderie at retreat. I am also always wowed at how much everyone accomplishes and their exceptional talents. There is so much to show, I will do this in two parts.

Our Venue:  The Meadowbrook Inn, Blowing Rock, has been home to the Quilt & Sew-In Retreat for five years. The sewing room is bright and each sewer gets their own table. There are 3 pressing stations that are counter height, and 3 cutting stations counter height. Each day we start out in the pretty windowed breakfast room.

Thank you Island Batiks for the pretty charm packs for everyone!

Free Spirit and Rowan Fabric also generously donated hexie charm packs with Kaffe Fassett, Joel Dewberry  and Denyse Schmidt fabrics. Building up our stash!!

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The “Mad Button” game was played and lasted 24 hours. It was brutal! If someone said “quilt” or “fabric,” one of their red buttons would be taken – she with the most red buttons won. (Thinking about how often you say those two words? ) Cindy played with a fun and ferociousness that couldn’t be beat – 21 buttons gave her the win! She scored  a ceramic magnetic pin dish with pins.

Quilt! – the Quilt & Sew-In’s very own first cousin to Bingo, was played several times over the weekend. Winners enjoyed the new Oly Fun craft fabric by Fairfield. Great opportunity to try something new!

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Whew! There’s LOTS more to share – tomorrow. Visit again to see the amazing creative projects by all who attended! Sorry, I have to use this word again – “WOW!!!”

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Stashbuster Sunday – Sew Much Progress

Posted on July 3, 2016 by heARTs Creations

Mid-Year Update  –  This year is half gone already? I feel like I’m just getting started! There were a few weeks of no motivation, but I’m once again pumped! So far this year I’ve had nine finishes, two of which I cannot show because they are gifts. Three of the finishes are charity quilts which makes my heart sing! Before retirement my goal each year was to complete two charity quilts. I have no set goal now, but should have completed at least six by the end of this year – Yeah!!

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My newest project is Tula Pink’s True Colors Sedimental quilt. I cheated a bit on my progress chart and posted that this project is cut. Well, it will be all cut in about an hour or two. These fabrics are just so yummy and how fun to work with so many different colors!

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Having three quilts at the long arm quilter’s is a pretty big deal for me. It’s usually one at a time. I should have them back in a few weeks and will have several days of binding. Now that I do most of my bindings by machine, it’s not too bad and goes quickly compared to binding finishes by hand.

Year End Goal – to reduce my Works in Progress to fifteen. Twenty-seven projects is just more than I want to even think about! Do other quilters set goals? Do other quilters keep track of their projects? Please share – I’d love to know!

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Spring Table Runner

Posted on March 12, 2016 by heARTs Creations

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On sale precut hexies led to this quick project. I did not want to English paper piece, so I cut a hexie from card stock and pressed each fabric hexie around it. Using a bit of steam helped each hold it’s shape. I then placed the hexies on the background and held in place with dots of Elmer’s white glue. I’ve wanted to practice with my new Sashiko and this was perfect! I am pleased to say that I can now wind bobbins and thread the Sashiko like a big girl!

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And, I love Spring in the south. The daffodils never disappoint and the Hellebores have been blooming for about a month now; beautiful week, it’s in the 70’s. It does, however, get into the 80’s much too soon so I’m going to enjoy it while I can! Please know that as a transplanted Yankee, I’m not really complaining!!

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A New Machine!

Posted on March 6, 2016 by heARTs Creations

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This makes number 4!  I have my Bernina that I do most of my sewing with, and it never leaves home. Then there is the Singer Featherweight.  It is a collectible and sews like a little dream, especially if I have straight sewing that I can chain piece, it is now my go-to machine. I have a Pfaff Passport – weighs only 17 pounds and travels to retreats and sew-ins. It doesn’t even live in my studio – it goes from the hall closet to the car and back. And the newest addition to my sewing family – the Babylock Sashiko! I have been eyeing this specialty machine for some time now. Basically, it’s stitches look like hand sewing. If you’ve ever seen hand Sashiko stitching, it’s quite lovely and can now be done by machine.

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I’ve been getting the feel of it and learning how to thread it. It uses a bobbin thread only and is very different from standard sewing machines. I Sashiko quilted this table runner. It’s a lot of straight lines because I wanted to get the feel of the machine. I have more projects lined up and will next try curve stitching . I am not a collector of sewing machines, so this is my last addition. Pretty sure…

Works in Progress – I have decided to only keep track of actual WIPs, not projects in boxes that have not actually been started. The list is a now a little easier to swallow and not quite so daunting. (green highlite depicts progress made)

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Layered Hexies, Halved

Posted on September 5, 2015 by heARTs Creations

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This will be my last hexie posting for quite some time! I had two packs of ten inch squares of a Joel Dewberry fabric that is so colorful. The fabric shouted for something fun and not too difficult. I cut hexagons in three different sizes. Layered some with two and others with three.

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These were then straight stitched appliqued about 3/8″ from the edges. Each layered hexie was cut in half, point to point. Then the fun really began – to the design wall! I played and played then began sewing rows together. No “Y” seams as you can see by my illustration.

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I had lots of scraps left and was adamant about not adding them to my scrap bins, so I began to “make fabric.” It made quite a sizeable panel for the backing. I like the back as much as the front of this quilt. This would make a nice child sized lap quilt, but for now, it is on one of my quilt racks. It makes me happy to look at it.

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