My first hexagon quilt

Tags

blue, hand quilting, hand sewing, hexagon, hexies, mini quilt, neutrals, old shirts, shirting, table runner

(c) 2016 by hs

I’ve been a quilter now for almost twenty years, and I’ve never done English Paper Piecing. It has a reason: I don’t like the shape of hexagons too well. It sounds strange and I can’t really explain it.

The reason I started a hexie quilt anyway was that I liked the idea of carrying along with me a small hand sewing project. To tell the truth: I carried this one along with me once, on a weekend retreat, rehearsing with our orchestra. Never before and never again. I found out that I don’t like carrying my sewing projects along with me. I like to work on my quilts at home, and when away I like doing whatever I went away for.

(c) 2016 by hs

To make a long story short: it took me several years, I guess as many as seven or more, to finish this one small quilt. It makes me quite ashamed.—But in the end, I should be proud of me for finally finishing a project I never warmed to.

There’s one further special thing about this mini quilt (14.5 x 26 inches): I used four old shirts of my husband to make it. A rather bittersweet fact, now that we are separated since four years. That’s the reason I won’t sell this quilt, although maybe I should.

(c) 2016 by hs

I used one inch (self-made) paper hexagons. I sewed the basted hexies together in rows, and appliquéd the whole piece on a blue background. Then I hand quilted it, using two layers of a low loft polyester batting. The only time I used my sewing machine for this mini was when sewing the binding to the front side. It is kind of cool to remember that.

(c) 2016 by hs

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We Wish You A Mini Christmas

Tags

mini quilt, reproduction fabric, reproduction quilt, table runner

(c) 2016 by hs

From December 1 to 12, I participated in a mini quilt along hosted by Temecula Quilt Co. Each day, they posted the instructions for a tiny quilt block. And after these Twelve Days of Christmas, instructions were given for putting together a mini quilt. You even had the choice between three layouts.

It was great fun to sew a mini block each day (each unfinished block measuring 2.75″), more like an Advent Calendar than celebrating the 12 days of Christmas.

For final layout, I chose to set the squares on point and make it a mini table runner, measuring 6.5″ x 18″. So cute!

(From top left to low right: Bowtie, Homeward Bound, Log Cabin, Broken Dish, Pinwheel, Four Patch, Shoofly, Lincoln Log, Yule Log, Hourglass, Friendship Star, Nine Patch)

December 3, 2014

Tags

Advent Calendar, cathedral windows, quilt, table runner

(c) by heike schneider

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Philippians 2:5-7

(c) by heike schneider

Table runners and coasters

Tags

aqua, christmas, coaster, english paper piecing, gold, green, herringbone, hexagon, quilt, red, table runner, white

I have still a thing about doing small quick quilting projects. During a short period of illness when I had to stay at home, these two came together:

(c) 2014 by hs

I started out with half square triangles and laid them out on the table in different designs. And it was quite hard to decide because there are so many options. Half square triangles are really great.

(c) 2014 by hs

After that I tried out English Paper Piecing on these two matching coasters. I honestly never did hexagons before. I started making hexies quite a long time ago, though. I have a small pile of them sitting in my cupboard but I am not getting on with that project. I always put any fresh idea ahead. Quite unreasonable, and more so because I already know in my head exactly how this hexie quilt will look like.

(c) 2014 by hs

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Colour Pools

Tags

batting, binding, circle, curved seams, Deborah Vollbracht, McCalls Quilting, piecing, quilt, quilt block, table runner

© 2012 by Heike Scharmann

Last weekend, I sewed this quick table runner. The pattern is by Deborah Vollbracht and was featured in McCall’s Quilting magazine, my constant source of both, inspiration and instruction for new sewing techniques.

© 2012 by Heike Scharmann

My attention was drawn to this particular pattern because, although there are curved lines enough, no curved piecing is required. Plus I liked the fact that piecing, quilting, and finishing, all is combined so that there is not the ordinary way of piecing, then quilting, and then binding.

Each of the nine blocks is a circle, pieced and furnished with batting and backing. When turned right side out, they each looked like a pancake. The nine circles are joined, sewing straight lines along the sides of the circles. And the last step is to stitch the flaps, which formed when joining the circles, down to the circles’ centres.

© 2012 by Heike Scharmann

The back of the table runner shows the curved quilting lines of the last step—all done in one continuous line!

© 2012 by Heike Scharmann