Queen for a Hexie Day

It's here, my day is finally here. So many hurdles to overcome for this one. I was getting mighty close to finding myself on "the list". The end of my summer has been a bit hectic to say the least.  I am not one to  address these hops in advance.  I get my idea's all set up but I don't put my foot to the pedal until about 2 at most 3 weeks out.

 So 3 weeks ago I was at the LQS buying the fabric for this hexie project. I am not a great Hexie kinda gal. Took this hop on for the challenge. Several years ago I dabbled in Grandmother's Flower Garden Blocks, even taught a class at my Guild but I just found them to be slow going. When this hop presented itself I decided that what I needed to do was design a quilt using minimal Hexie's but being all about Hexies.

Back to the hurdles...  I got the fabric home and did the first cuts.

Officially started 16 days before posting, not bad. Lets jump to 14 days prior to posting and find me in the emergency room at 3 AM. By 10 AM they have determined that I need to be admitted for Gall Stones.  They also determine that I need to have the Gall Bladder removed sooner rather than later.  Day 3 in the hospital they decide to send me home for a long weekend.

So I'm back on track for the Hexie Hop.  After all I have a 3 day weekend  and I really can't eat anything worth taking time for.  I did have a couple of other things that needed to be done on the weekend, chief among them was the giveaway from the last hop (congrats to Connie who is now in possession of her Bowl Buddies) and getting some projects set up for any down time surgery was going to toss my way. So I did some more cutting and some trial blocks.

I did get most of the rest of the cutting done before heading back to the hospital for surgery on Monday. I now have a week left and I will admit that on Tuesday morning I did think about sending "She who is in charge" my regrets ; }  but by the time I was up to using the computer I was up to using the sewing machine. 

The recovery from this surgery has been unbelievable. Technology is just amazing. I'm writing the bulk of this post on Friday, you know 4 days after surgery, after spending the day running errands and eating out. I'm scheduled to be back at work on Monday.

I so appreciate all of the prayers those of you who knew what was going on said on my behalf. I am blessed.

So in small doses I made my contribution to the Hexie Hop.  It is all I had hoped it would be.  It is simple and all things Hexie.  While Hexie's tend to show up en mass I wanted mine to stand on their own.  I got the top together before I realized I somehow messed up the alignment of the top and the bottom halves.  I'm blaming it on the events.

 I gave a lot of thought to ripping and fixing and decided against it.  It represents my summer of 2013 and that's the way it will stay. 

I'm sorry I didn't get the quilting done. But I have been instructed not to pick up anything over 10 pounds for the next 6 - 8 weeks.  Also no pulling or pushing so I think this quilt will go to Sarah for her magic touch.

Thanks for stopping by and visiting all of us who are participating in this terrific hop that spotlights just how versitale a Hexie can be.  I never would have thought that to be the case.  Thanks also to Madamm Samm and Ms. Debby for all of their support and know how.  Please take the time to visit all of the other participants today.

Monday, August 26

Scrapbook-ChickaDoodle  

Kathys Quilts    

A Quilt and a Prayer   

I Piece 2 - Mary    

Life, Quilts and a Cat, too   

Quarter Incher    

    http://sewmuch2luv2.blogspot.com/

Kwilt Krazy    

Selina Quilts _- you are here   

Espritpatch   

Nunu’s Quilt World

I hope to see you soon, maybe at the next Hop.  I'm pretty sure Pin Cushions fall under my 10 pound lift limit.

Tough Week

I have a couple of things I need to post that got missed . 

First the winner of my HO HO HO giveaway is Connie over at Freemotion by the River. I will be whipping up a set of Christmas Bowl Buddies for her, hopefully this weekend. 

                                      

That sounds a bit lame, time wise, but I have had a rather tough week and I don't know how the weekend will play out yet.

I generally live a very calm life. I work, I quilt and live with a great guy. But every now and then life tosses you an obstacle. On Tuesday evening I thought I was having really bad indigestion, by 3 in the morning I thought it might be a heart attack and went to the emergency room.  At 9 in the morning after many tests to rule out the heart attack theory they gave me breakfast and low and behold I doubled over in pain from what turned out to be a gall bladder issue. 

They had me in the hospital for 3 days. I'm home now but will be having my gall bladder removed on Monday.

They tell me that the surgery is out patient and that I'll be out of work for about a week.  The real issue is that for a month I won't be able to pick up anything that weighs over 10 pounds.  That means I need to set up for several quilting projects before I go because lots of what's in my sewing area is not always easily accessible and I don't want to find that I can't sew because of where things are located.

Next topic,

This month I participated in a Triple-Zip Pouch Swap.  This was a blind swap.  I received my wonderful pouch and several gifts from Laurel in Illinois.  

                                                Thank you so much, I love all of the goodies.

I sent my pouch and gifts out before "the episode"  and it should be with it's new owner by now. We were invited to include small gifts only if they fit inside the pouch.

                                                 
                                               my first gift was a coordinating tissue holder.

This is the inside of the largest pouch with pocket.

                                                           inside of the smallest pouch

                                            This is the tissue holder on the back of the pouch

                                                   These are all of the goodies I included

I'm always a little afraid of not meeting expectations when I participate in a swap.  I really hope she likes it.  I was really happy with the outcome.

                While I'm feeling tip top  I am  off to set up the sewing room for the next month or sew.

pets on quilts 2013 - Art Quilt Category

This is our first time participating in the Pets On Quilts event.  Last year I stood on the sidelines. This year we're in.

Tink is an English Bulldog who we rescued.  She is a year round shedder and full time drool-er. She has her own quilt and it is no longer fit to photograph.  She is my full time assistant.  She helps with all my quilt  photography and is always putting her self in the center of the action in the sewing room.

This year I participated in a blog hop   http://selinaquilts.blogspot.com/2013/07/stamp-on-it-blog-hop-my-turn.html    where we designed quilted pieces that would represent a stamp if we designed it. I knew right from the beginning that I would do a stamp for Animal Rescue.  A local artist, Andrew Cifelli, did a watercolor of Tink from the picture above and I made it the center of my stamp.

It is now hanging on the wall in the TV room.  I had made it with the intention of it being a Mouse Pad

but I was out voted.

I am linking up to Pets on Quilts 2013, it's not too late for you to link up over at
 LilyPad Quilting.  You have until Aug. 17 to get that pet on a quilt  or pet quilt and link up. Go direct to link HERE

Ho Ho Ho

 

HO HO HO

 

From the first Bowl Buddy that I made last month, I knew that I would be making them for Christmas gifts.  Once this hop was announced I knew I could really jump start the gift making process.

I made red ones and I made green ones.

I made a matching red trivet.

And a matching green trivet.

Nobody said that the bowl buddy could only hold a bowl  ; -}

Ok, so after making these bowl buddies I realized that, yes I had made them before so just because this time I was using Christmas fabric I really wasn't stretching myself.  So back to the quilt shop I went for more Christmas fabric. 

A couple of weeks ago I saw a tutorial for a zig zag quilt that was made without using HST. The tutorial is by Amanda Jean at http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/

 

This was a super simple way to make this quilt.  I put it together over the course of 3 evenings.

I had more trouble coming up with a niffty back than i did with the entire front.

The real stretch came when it was time to quilt it.  If you look at the top of this picture you can see where I started to straight line quilt in the ditch.  All of the switching direction was making me crazy.

It was time to make the leap and free motion quilt my first big quilt. In the past I have done minimal free motion work on small wall pieces and table toppers. I just haven't had what it takes to do the necessary practice it takes to do this type of thing on a large scale.

There was a lot of trial and error but I am tickled with the outcome.

OK if you have followed along this far you have earned a chance to win a set of Bowl Buddies. I'll send them anywhere.  Just include the words Bowl Buddie in the comment and if I pull your name on the 

                                                             11th they'll be  yours.

Now I would like to take the time to thank both  Mdm Sam &  Carol for cheering us on and setting up this continuing adventure.        

Please be sure to visit all of today's participants as well as all of the players for the entire event. You'll be so inspired. It will be so worth the time.    Enjoy, HO HO HO

                                            August 6

Why-Knot-Kwilt

Debby Kratovil

Apple Avenue Quilts

Domestic Deficit Disorder

Jane’s Fabrics and Quilts

Marjorie’s Busy Corner

Cate’s Linens

Brenda’s Blog

Charlottes Creations

Selina Quilts (you are here)

Made By Me In Red

Blooming where I am Planted