Saturday, April 25, 2015

Silence is golden

In my case the silence wasn't so golden! The entire clan was hit with a flu virus. All we've done for the past week (aside from dealing with the usual flu symptoms) is sleep. I know I'm really sick when I have no interest in sewing and I had none at all for the duration. I felt the same way about food (also uncharacteristic)! But yesterday afternoon I finally felt like I had turned the corner - I knew I was getting better because the urge to sew overwhelmed the urge to sleep. I picked up my needle and thread for the first time in four. I managed to get two pairs of rosettes stitched for my Birds in the Loft quilt.

The first pair are the same fabric but the print is oriented differently to create some interesting effects.


The second pair of rosettes are identical. I like the fussy cut centre! Both fabrics are old, treasured fabrics from my stash.


Today I'll add the partial path units and then get a few more rosettes stitched. I may also start laying out rosettes and number them so they can be stitched into rows.

Angie of A Quilting Reader's Garden did an interesting tutorial on sewing the hexagons together to make an open donut without continuously having to knot, cut and then re-knot the thread. You will find it here. What's an open donut? It is a term that I used to describe six hexagons that are sewn together to form the outer ring of a hexagon rosette.

An Open Donut

I wrote about making an open donut here and here (this second link also has a video that demonstrates setting in the middle hexagon). I tried Angie's technique and it worked really well. Angie likes to bury her knot at the corner however I prefer to start in a few threads from the edge so that the knot doesn't pop out later on. If you watch the beginning of my video you can see how I place my initial knot. When I've finished my stitching I go back a couple of stitches so I can tie my knot away from the corner. Use the knot placement method that works best for you and you'll get no arguments from me! I encourage you to visit Angie's blog and check out her very interesting tutorial and be sure to let her know you enjoyed it. Your comments mean a great deal to we bloggers!

If you are new to English paper piecing and hexagons be sure to check out the tab English Paper Piecing Instructions & Hexagon Fun at the top of this page. It is where I share what I've learned over the years and how I do things!  If you have questions or would like me to demonstrate how I do something please don't hesitate to ask. I am always more than happy to share!

That's it for me today. Hope you are all keeping well. Until I post again, happy sewing!
Karen H

10 comments:

  1. Oh Karen, I knew there was a disturbance in the force this week! It was so weird not seeing a post from you and I kept checking. I was going to write to you this morning and find out if you were alright if I did not see a post. So sorry you had the flu - just miserable!!! So glad to hear you feel like stitching again. A sure sign you are on the mend. Continue to get better - pamper yourself a bit! Have a great day!

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  2. Sorry to hear you've been ill. My family has been rotating illness since February. It was my turn this month too. Glad you are on the road to recovery. I checked out Angie's tutorial. I've done something similar, but never thought to tie off as securely and snip the threads. Great idea.

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  3. Dear Karen. I just wrote a comment but somehow...it disappeared I think. I am very happy, that your are better again. I also missed your posts. Love your little rosettes.
    Hugs
    Marina

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  4. So sorry to hear that you have been unwell but glad that you are over it and are back sewing and blogging. Love your video and so nice to hear your voice!

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  5. the flu is just the worse-especially this time of year, glad you are on the mends. did your Mom get the flu too? always love your posts too

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  6. Gosh, I would have hoped that flu season would be over by now! I am sorry to hear that you all caught it too. But, with the warm weather coming now, hopefully you will be back to normal soon!

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  7. I, too, like Chantel, was going to write you today, because it wasn't like you to not post in so long. I was hoping you were off on a great vacation. April does seem late for the flu, but apparantly in the US - it can run October through May peaking in January or February. It's when it's cold that the flu lingers and it's been a cold winter up north, hasn't it. Love your rosettes - so pretty. And thanks for the shout out - I'm glad to share too. Get better and better.

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  8. Hope your flu has gone. The new Rosettes are pretty. I love the first two. Get better. Groetjes, Dientje.

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  9. Hope those bugs have gone for good - no stitching - now that is very serious :-) From your lovely post it does seem that you are on the mend! Very interesting, I'll have to check out Angie's tutorial. Love how you can change the look of your rosettes so easily!

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  10. Hope you are feeling better. It is the pits to be under the weather. I got my Loose Threads newsletter from Quilter's Connection this weekend and have Cherry Blossoms printed out. Thanks for the detailed instructions. I am on a mission to get UFO's finished up so I won't be starting Cherry Blossoms soon but it will be safely tucked in my to do binder for when I am ready.

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