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Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Cutting up treasured fabrics

All I have for you today is a few more completed hexagons for my Birds in the Loft hexagon quilt. I need 200 pairs in total. Twenty of them have already been made and stitched to the medallion. Today's hexagons are all made from old treasured fabrics and/or leftover bits. I just can't throw those little bits out because they just might come in handy one day and I am always reluctant to cut into the treasured bits but when I see them stitched into a block it is so satisfying!

I love stripes and they are so easy to fussy cut. I just line the edge of the paper on a stripe and cut out the fabric! If I had used a centre with a very light background I would have lined the hexagon paper on the edge of a white stripe however with the yellow centre I like having the dark stripe to frame it! The stripe is a small leftover bit from a craft project of many years ago. I needed it to make some doll legs and there isn't much left! The centre is also an old piece of fabric pinched from my Mom 's stash!


The hexagon in the middle of the next rosette is an old piece of fabric in my stash. I don't remember how long I've had it but it could be more than twenty five years! I think I used it to make a EPP star quilt. I still have that quilt so I should pull it out to see if indeed the fabric is there! The plaid is leftover from Stars in the Loft. It is funny the things you remember; this fabric is from a line that is exclusive to my fabric shop. After a period of time they discontinue their quilting fabrics and clear them at $3/meter so I bought a small piece of this fabric! I don't have much left but it is a great fabric because it includes so many of the colours I like!


The red print is also a treasured piece in my stash. I know I've had it for at least twenty years and I use it sparingly! One day I would like to make a red quilt and I've been hanging on to this fabric for that quilt! The fabric in the middle is a leftover bit from my Dear Jane quilt!


I had a strip of fabric and there was just enough to make the rosette on the top. I knew I had more of the fabric but couldn't find it so I pulled a similar fabric to make the second rosette. Needless to say I found the first fabric after I made the second! I love both fabrics and they are starting to disappear. I use the fabric in the lower rosette in my hexagon quilt Good Golly Miss Mollie but I used textile medium and watercolour paint to change the colour! You can read about it here.


The fabric in the middle is yet another treasured fabric. It keeps getting smaller and smaller but I LOVE the colour and the print. The selvage is gone so I have no idea who made it. When I bought it I was buying primarily fat quarters and how I wish I had bought a yard or two instead. Oh well, it just makes this one more precious!


I've got most of the background hexagons cut out so I've always got a bag of them with thread, needle and scissors in my purse. I put every spare minute to use because there are so many to make! At least it is a task that I enjoy....the repetitive motion of basting is very meditative in nature! Ommmmmmm!

Hope you liked my hexagons. Until I post again, happy sewing!
Karen H

9 comments:

  1. Love the walk through your fabric choices. This quilt seems to be going together really fast!

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  2. Beautiful rosettes, Karen! Move day for us is approaching and while I still can I am frantically cutting out hexies so that I will have handwork for our FOUR DAY trip to New Hampshire. I plan on stitching up a storm in the car and at the hotels.

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  3. Such a trip down memory lane for you Karen! Lovely rosettes. I love how you treasure the fabrics and use them so carefully - I am loathe to cut into some of my favourites too but seeing them in a project is also so exciting!

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  4. Lovely fabrics, Karen. I can see why you call them treasured.

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  5. I agree stripes are always fun! But that red and white fabric is so dimensional looking! Do you follow Hilda of Every Stitch? She is doing a red and white Civil War Bride! I just drool when I see it!

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  6. 10% of the hexies are done, haha. You can see the end. The leftovers are nice. there is always a moment you can use them. Groet, Dientje.

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  7. .the repetitive motion of basting is very meditative in nature!

    I completely agree, that's how I feel about hand sewing in general.

    I'm kind of working backwards here as I just read the re-wind post. I was so glad to learn about the colouring trick, I used it a lot with my Soupçon quilt. It remains my favourite quilt I've made.

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  8. Love all your hexies and the stories behind the fabrics. My memory is generally hopeless but I always know where a particular fabric has come from :)

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  9. Love all your hexies and the stories behind the fabrics. My memory is generally hopeless but I always know where a particular fabric has come from :)

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