My New Hexagon Millefiore Finish!!!!

Yes, it is finished.  Better yet, it was a big hit at Quilt Market in Houston.

The women of Cotton + Steel asked if it could be in their booth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I was so excited.

Rashida hammed it up for the camera.

This is where the quilt hung out for most of market.

Millie debuted at the Martingale school house for Katja's book "The New Hexagon."  Year two for Katja at Market.  Congratulations.  Katja introduced her new quilt along starting January 2016. Click here for info on the Millefiore and stay tuned for the new quilt along.

Next Millie went to the Cotton + Steel school house presentation.  I was sooooo excited when I saw it on the trolly of quilts entering the packed school house.  Being the nerd that I am, I had to take a picture of someone taking a picture of my quilt.

Millie had fabric from each of Cotton + Steel's releases.  Even a little Christmas.

Before I left market on Sunday I moved the quit over to Paper Piece's booth, where it will hang for the duration of Festival.  If you are attending, pop by and have a look.

Linking up with Finish It Up Friday!

Of To Market I Go!

I am so excited to be going to Houston Quilt Market.  Friday is the School House Series and then Sample Spree.  Way to much fun packed into one day.  Saturday and Sunday is on the floor, checking out all the new quilty things coming our way for the next year.  And to top it all off, my Millefiore quilt is going with me to be shown at Katja's School house presentation and then off to the Cotton + Steel booth to hang out for a couple of days.  Pinch me please!!!  LOL.  I'm sure I will have a few pictures to show when I get home.

Back to what I have been up to.

Just before heading off to retreat I finished up this cute little baby quilt for a friend.  The pattern is available here.  The fabric I used is Bartolo-meow's Reef by tim and beck for Moda.  All my retreat sewing is waiting patiently for me to be home long enough to get it quilted.

You'll be hearing from me soon.  Have a wonderful day!

Precious Stones

Today's finish is called "Precious Stones."  What is precious about it for me is that three of my granddaughters helped pick the fabric.  I set out a big box of 2 1/2" squares out and let them take turns handing me the next piece to add to the scrappy quilt.  A great way to include younger children in quilt making.

The pattern is from The Big Book of Scrappy Quilts.  Elizabeth Dackson is the designer.

I have several pages bookmarked for quilts that I just have to make.  Lol.  When I get a minute.

Currently I am at retreat in Sorrento with a few of my Quilty friends.  Great times and great memories.  And if i am lucky, a few quilt tops pieced.

Carol keeps us on task with a community quilt for the Women's Shelter.  This is this years quilt in progress.  It will be a great gift for someone who I'm sure will put it to good use.

Linking up with Finish it up Friday!

Finishing up my New Hexagon Millefiore Quilt

What is the last thing you need to do to finish your New Hexagon Millefiore quilt?  The edge of course.  I decided I would use facing to finish my irregular edge.

 Here is a great video from Marci Baker that I have used before for this type of finish.

I had basted the edges while I was quilting, so I used scissors to cut the excess batting and backing away.

I then stitched a scant quarter inch from the edge with a thread that I could easily see on the back of the quilt.

I cut my facing fabric 1 1/4" deeper than the irregular edge.  I would recommend cutting a little bit bigger, as this was a difficult size to work with when working the corners.  I ironed the edge that wasn't going to be sewn under 1/4".  I pinned the facing even with the outermost edge of the quilt.

From the back of the quilt I stitched just inside my previously stitched lines.  This is the reason I needed to use thread I could see.

This is what the facing looks like on the front of the quilt.

I trimmed away the excess facing, trimmed the outer corners and snipped close to the stitching on the inner corners.

The facing was turned to the back and then ironed into place.  The last step was to hand stitch the facing to the back of the quilt.  I'm not showing the mitred corners, as I'm not terrible pleased with them.  Watch Marci's video in the link above and cut your facing a little bigger than I did.  One added note, the facing on the top and bottom will be a different size than the sides of the quilt, as the offset is different.  Measure the offset, add the amount you would like to have to work with the back, and cut your facing.  It is a little fiddly to make, but a lot easier than adding a binding and having to turn multiple corners at a sixty degree angle.

I was in Valemount last weekend teaching my Lone Star class.  Two of the women finished their tops before I left.

The black top was cut from 2 1/2" strips and the bottom quilt was cut from 4" strips.  Both are stunning!

Linking up with Finish it up Friday!

Rosette # 10 The New Hexagon Millefiore Quilt Along

It's October, so it must be time for Rosette # 10.  I went searching through my pictures and I realized I hadn't taken a picture of the Rosette before it was pieced into the quilt.  Therefore, today I am sharing pictures of the rosette in the process of being quilted.

One half of the rosette is made from assorted Halloween Cotton + Steel.  I just love the ghost dresses.

The second part of the rosette has the apple fabric.  As soon as this post is done, I'm going to finish quilting this one.

I love to play with fabric with texture lines, so this is what the lions look like.

The pandas are a little more sedate with a simple outline.

A special friend that likes orange has a birthday tomorrow so I made her a little pincushion/binder clip holder.

Last post someone who is a no reply blogger asked why I filled the pincushion with walnut shells, and where you get them.  Walnut shells add a nice weight, and they won't dull your pins is the why.  The where has a few answers.  Some quilt stores carry them, but my local store didn't have any in.  A gun shop carries them for cleaning brass shells, but I found them a little expensive.  My local "Princess Auto" carries them in a very large bag for sand blasting.  So the my option was Kitty Litter made from Walnut shells.  I bought a brand called naturally fresh from Bosleys.

Linking up with Finish It Up Friday!