Hexed

It all began innocently enough.  Last Saturday I rejoined the Chattanooga Modern Quilt Guild.  First let me just say that this is one fun group of ladies.  They even handed out goodie bags from their visit to Quilt Con in Austin, TX.  In my goodie bag was a little package of precut 3/4" hexagon patterns and 2" inch squares of fabric, along with instructions on English paper piecing.  At the top of the instruction page was the warning.  "Addicting and Contagious!"  Yeah right, I thought to myself.  I do not. hand. sew. anything. anymore.  Way too slow for my lack of patience.  But then, as I was sitting in front of my sewing machine, contemplating how to proceed with the quilting on my totally machine made tree quilt,

                           I was somehow distracted by that little package of hexies.

Okay, just for the heck of it, let me just see what the internet hoopla is all about.
  Before I could blink twice, I was hexed!  

I quickly checked the instruction page to find out how to order my own set of precut hexie patterns. Being the impatient person that I am, I proceeded to google hexagon printable patterns.  To my delight, there were all sorts of available patterns.  Instant gratification, almost.  I still have to patiently hand cut all those little hexies.  So why not increase the size.  Easier to cut, to sew, for faster quilt finish.  

But those darn 3/4 inchers are so darn cute.

After printing out a couple of pattern pages, I patiently and precisely as I possibly could, cut out the paper patterns.  After a night of watching "Call the Midwives",  "Mr. Selfridge", and "The Borgias", practicing patience has paid off.  

  

I must say that no matter how painful my arthritic hands might be, the mental joy, calmness and satisfaction outweigh that pain.  Patience, is indeed, a virtue that I need to practice more often.  

It seems a strange coincidence that I opened up my email box on Tuesday morning and saw the latest newsletter from Robert Genn regarding patience.  

Time to slow down and smell the proverbial roses, methinks.   

  

For now, back to the machine quilting.

I just cannot wait to make more hexies. I may be "watching" more TV in the coming days.

It's a never ending battle in my mind  . . . . . 

New Ways vs. Old Ways

I tried a new technique with this project.  Rather than dividing the pattern into often oddly shaped pieces, I opted for panels.  Let me tell you, it really made a big difference when sewing all the sections together.  All the panels lined up perfectly (well perfectly for me) and was quite a bit easier to stitch together.  

"The Old Road to Home", measures 45" x 70" unquilted.  

The gray geese are also sewn together and ready to be quilted.  Now to get this one quilted as well as it's mate, the bird house.  Methinks these guys will get along well together.  

Now to get busy with the quilting part.  I do know I want to use silk batting for light, summer quilts.  What I don't yet know, what to use for the backs.  Try as I may to choose a softer, neutral, perhaps solid backing, I keep pulling out all sorts of my old large scale, patterned Alexander Henry fabrics.  Can an old girl ever get on board with the new ways?