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The Frugal Quilt 4: assembly started.

It’s a new way of putting hexies together, for me at least.

Since the last post, I’ve made up all the blue hexies and 60% of the teal hexies.  Only 60% because I finally ran out of papers, and the last third of the teals will have to wait till I can free more papers up during the assembly.

It took lots of procrastinating and flip-flopping to actually get started. The amount of hexies I have for each colour varies considerably, so it wasn’t a case of just making up tidy identical sections of flowers and joining them up. Also, the batch of hexies I had no papers for was the darkest set, so I’d have to start with the lighter sections of each colour. So eventually, I just got on with it. I started with the palest colours, the yellows, and then just spiralled out through orange, red, pink, purple and blue.

I’ll continue through teal, green and brown, and then reverse, using the mid tones of each colour, and then reverse again using the darkest of each colour. I’ll see how it’s looking once I start on the darker colours, as it may have become quite wide by that point and I’ll have to develop corners. This is all new, and I have no idea how it’s going to work out, but what have I to lose? It’s all scraps, after all!

One thing is clear, though. I need to find my thimble; there are already holes in my fingers!

 

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The Frugal Quilt 3: orange, brown and blue

I have not been idle.

Someone asked me the other day how many hexies I’d have to make to have enough for a quilt. That’s the proverbial piece of string question, but if I make a quilt about the same size as the Delft quilt (link here), I’d need somewhere in the order of 1,600 hexies (without the borders). I arrived at that figure by folding the quilt in quarters, counting one quarter and then multiplying.

So now, I thought I’d get a rough figure for how many I’ve already made. Just a tad bit over 900, so well past half way. And that’s before I’ve even touched the ginormous teal scraps drawer, or the black/grey or white/cream drawers. The main problem now is that I’m running out of hexie papers – again! I bought 200 the other day, powered through those and am back to using my oldest, most battered papers. The pressure is on now to start stitching the hexies together so I can release papers to reuse.

Do I start in the middle with the brightest, hottest colours and work outwards to the darker colours? That raises the question of what to do with all the white-ish hexies. Or do I start with white, work through the brights and end up at the outer edge with the darkest ones. Which means I need to do the whites and creams next, which was not my plan. Or, strangely alluring idea, do I make a border of the white, cream, grey and black fabrics, and confine the colours to the centre. Which would work visually and with the hexie supply issue.

Meanwhile, I’m bracing myself to open the teal drawer…

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The Frugal Quilt 2: purple, green and yellow

And the next lot!

Interesting to discover that I didn’t have too many small purple scraps. I have scraps, sure, but most of them are either the wrong shape to make hexies, or too large to cut up for one or two hexies. And my yellows almost all feature multiple colours. I have to admit that yellow is my least favourite colour, so I didn’t have much that was mostly yellow, vs something that had a reasonable amount of yellow or yellow-adjacent in it. Lots of greens, too, mostly lighter shades.

It’s becoming clear that this quilt is definitely going to be interesting because of the sheer variety of colours and prints. I’m still not lear in my mind about how it’s going to go together, but hopefully that’ll emerge in due course.

Next, I think I’ll be tackling orange and brown. Blue and teal will be a massive undertaking, so will have to wait until I can really spread out and sort. And the neutrals…. let’s not go there till the time comes.

I think I may need to buy more hexie papers before this is over!

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ScrapHappy March

Welcome once again to ScrapHappy Day!

It’s the day I host ScrapHappy, a day for showing something made from scraps.

So, the teeny tiny hexies are now a teeny tiny Hitty quilt (or rug). The problem with tiny hexies is many, many seams, which has a tendency to make the finished thing a tiny bit stiff. Add a backing, and it’s stiffer still. I’m debating whether to actually quilt it, because that may be the point at which ‘quilt’ definitely becomes ‘rug’. I’ve backed it with a dark blue flannel so it’s cosy, and I may add a single line of quilting, inset from the edge about an inch, just to stabilise it. I have a leftover dark blue and white hexie flower which I’m considering stitching to the back too, just for pretty and maybe make it reversible?

You’ll probably see this one more time when I’ve finalised the finishing/ probable quilting. After that, it’ll be on its way to Canada to keep the Hittys warm, just in time for Spring (their season – we’re looking forward to a cool, dry tropical winter).

ScrapHappy is open to anyone using up scraps of anything – no new materials. It can be a quilt block, pincushion, bag or hat, socks or a sculpture. Anything made of genuine scraps is eligible (including food). If your scrap collection is out of control and you’d like to turn them into something beautiful or useful instead of leaving them to collect dust in the cupboard, why not join us on the 15th of each month? Either email me at the address on my Contact Me page, or leave a comment below. We welcome new members. You don’t have to worry about making a long term commitment or even join in every month, just let either of us know a day or so in advance if you’re new and you’ll have something to show, so we can add your link. Regular contributors will receive an email reminder three days before the event.

Here are the links for everyone who joins ScrapHappy from time to time (they may not post every time, but their blogs are still worth looking at).

Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan, 
Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, 
Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Viv, Karrin,  Alissa, Tierney,
Hannah and Maggie

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The Frugal Quilt 1: reds and pinks

So, this is the first small step.

I’ve cleared out all the smallest scraps in my red and pink scrap drawers. All that’s left is larger, usable pieces for future non-hexie blocks. It was interesting, because I’ve actually used some prints I don’t really like but which are now ‘invisible’ amongst all the other similar colours. Some scraps were over 15 years old (hoarder, moi?), some fairly recent, but it was an eye-opening exercise.

I haven’t counted how many finished hexies I’ve ended up with, but  you can see it’s a fair number. There’s no target number for these; whatever quantity I end up with is what makes up the quilt. I’ve looked at a number of colourwash quilts online, but they do seem to be far more intentional in terms of colour and print selected, so that may be a bit ambitious. I think completing a few more colours will give me an indication of what I’ll be able to do, particularly since I have much smaller quantities/variations of certain colours.

Anyway, I thought I’d check in so you know I’m still alive. I’m doing targeted physiotherapy now, a very little aerobic work and a lot of weight/resistance training which spares the back, hip and knee but helps to support my core. Early days, so it’s hard to say if it’s going to make much difference, but it keeps me off the streets , out of the fabric shops, and gets the blood flowing!

We’re heading north on Friday in the caravan for a long weekend in Airlie Beach to catch up with greyhound friends. The weather’s not great at present; there’s been widespread flooding up and down the east coast of Queensland, and seemingly more on the way, thanks to the recent cyclone and monsoon front in Far North Queensland. It may make for a muddy paws and dripping umbrellas weekend, but sunshine is never guaranteed in cyclone season, and you get used to mopping floors and wiping paws!

See you soon with scrappy happiness.

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The year ahead, heaven help me!

I have set myself a challenge.

I’ve just got back from our 2 week holiday. We went south, which should have meant more temperate, less humid weather. Er, no.  There was a fair bit of rain, a day when the temperature reached 38.5°C (101°F) and another when it barely reached 19°C (66°F). But one thing the break did supply was time to think. I disconnected myself from the internet as much as humanly possible, I read three books, I did some hand sewing, and I thought.

One of the things I did en route was visit the wonderful Fifi’s Fabricology. It’s completely impossible as a quilter to leave totally empty handed, but I did treat myself to 5 ‘cigars’ (16×10 inches folded and rolled) of Liberty Tana lawn.  And then when I got them back home, I wondered what I was going to make with them. This was the turning point.

I’ve spent decades and dollars making quilts, many of both. And now my scrap collection is impressive, and largely unused. So my challenge to myself for the year ahead is to not buy any more fabric (except backing, batting and possibly binding). Everything I make after finishing the Lightning Ridge quilt must be from fabric I already have, or scrap. INCLUDING the yearly Ovarian Cancer Quilt! Let’s face it, my teal fabrics and scraps outnumber any other in my collection (with blue coming a respectable second). And since I already know what this year’s theme is, I know the challenge is perfectly achievable.

This is not a financial issue. I have carte blanche from the Husband to buy fabric just to pet and admire, but I can foresee a day when I simply cannot use everything I have, and it will become someone else’s unwanted problem. I want to respect the time, resources, effort and creativity that went into producing the fabrics I’ve already bought. So it’s time to  Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, or Do without.

I’m not allowed to visit fabric stores, buy online or buy from a friend. I must not accept gifts of fabric from well-meaning sympathisers. I must do it the hard way, which is why I think heavenly intervention may very well be required!

Let’s see if I can stick to my self-imposed limits…

 

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ScrapHappy February

Welcome once again to ScrapHappy Day!

It’s the day I host ScrapHappy, a day for showing something made from scraps.

I took all those teeny tiny hexies I showed last time away with me on  holiday, and they’ve turned into this.

It’s going to be a quilt, or possibly a rug, depending on how stiff it ends up, for Kjerstin’s Hittys. She herself has built a wonderful collection of furniture, furnishings, garments and accessories, as well as a major Hitty community she has either been given or has carved herself, another of her many skills. To visit the world of Kjerstin’s Quimper Hittys, click on this link. For those who have never encountered a Hitty, do Google ‘what is a Hitty doll?’. You will get the dry history, but it will not communicate the charm and personality of these little wooden people.

Obviously this piece is not ready yet, since I need to finish the edges, remove the papers and back and quilt it, so you’ll be seeing it again in future ScrapHappy posts.

ScrapHappy is open to anyone using up scraps of anything – no new materials. It can be a quilt block, pincushion, bag or hat, socks or a sculpture. Anything made of genuine scraps is eligible (including food). If your scrap collection is out of control and you’d like to turn them into something beautiful or useful instead of leaving them to collect dust in the cupboard, why not join us on the 15th of each month? Either email me at the address on my Contact Me page, or leave a comment below. We welcome new members. You don’t have to worry about making a long term commitment or even join in every month, just let either of us know a day or so in advance if you’re new and you’ll have something to show, so we can add your link. Regular contributors will receive an email reminder three days before the event.

Here are the links for everyone who joins ScrapHappy from time to time (they may not post every time, but their blogs are still worth looking at).

Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan, 
Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, 
Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Viv, Karrin,  Alissa, Tierney,
Hannah and Maggie

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Lightning Ridge: town silhouette?

Well, after lots of experimentation…

This is where we are. I’ve had to simplify a lot of the classic small Australian country town building shapes and the water tower and windmill are blocky, but at least they’re there. Amazing what you can do with a ceramic pencil, some dark blue fabric and a very sharp, very small pair of scissors 😊.

What do you think? Does it work? I think it probably does, but if anyone has a visceral negative response, tell me. Right now, it’s just tacked onto the left side of the background using spray baste, so it’d be easy to remove. I’m now considering whether to add tiny glass or silver metallic beads to represent lit windows. I think it helps to balance the visual activity happening on the right hand side.

Onwards and downwards!

 

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Lighting Ridge: all the strata

It’s creeping along slowly.

I’ve added trees, and a lake. It’s not identical to Coocoran Lake at Lightning Ridge itself, it’s more the notion of a body of water. Originally, it didn’t have trees around it and it looked so wrong, like I’d just dropped some grey-blue scraps on the background, but adding trees around it settled it into the landscape. I added more thickets of trees here and there, not really noticeable, but adding to an overall impression of landscape, not just stripes of colour.

At some point, I want to add the silhouette of a small town. Maybe even add some tiny lights in windows (although that’d be a lot), just to strengthen the landscape feel. But it’s hard to know where; it has to be in the top half, anything below that is soil and rock. I should probably just create the silhouette and then decide. It’ll definitely be fiddly!

I haven’t sewn the 4 sections together yet. If I’m adding more details in, it’s definitely easier to do if the piece I’m adding to is a bit smaller and more manageable, which is why you see gaps in the layout below.

There are also underground workings in the area, and I’m debating whether to try and show caves and tunnels without turning it into some sort of caricature of a treasure map (here be opals!).

Anyway, progress is being made. Mostly squinting, of course, but some forward motion!