Friday, December 21, 2018

31 days of posts Sewing... opinions wanted

Here is my little Hexie table runner... done! Yea!
Fairly quick to stitch while watching TV this month. Fun to arrange.
I started with one of the little 2.5" square packets, added in some of my Christmas scraps and love how it came out. The poinsettia girl, the snow scenes the holly, the red bird/star are all mine. The smallest scrap can showcase a design!
I basted behind the papers only (not thru) and could easily remove them. Put the quilt on red felt, quilted with gold metallic thread (YLI) and buttonhole stitched around the whole thing outside. I then cut with scissors, about an eighth inch outside the buttonhole stitching, to make a pretty red edge.
Then sewed through the whole thing on certain hexies, little gold beads.

That's the good news... as to my Bargello quilt from 2.5" strips (Bonnie Hunter design)
 
It was okay to arrange the 12" squares...
and I made 12 of them, 3 X 4

I realize I merged a true bargello look (zig zag) and a trip around the world look, and that caused some issue in construction as the blocks wouldn't nest after being turned.

It was okay to sew the blocks together across in sets of 3's




Then the bloom fell off the rose, it was no longer fun, but aggravating and tedious.




As we all know, when you're in this deep you keep going.

Matching all the squares, that no longer nest since you've turned them in the arrangement.
The seams flip. The edges don't quite meet, the whole thing is an exercise in endurance.


This is a close up of the center

I didn't like the way the white blocks came together after it was all stitched so I put a quick heart shape to see if I liked it more.

I do!

They'll need to be appliqued




So now the center is 36.5 X 48.5"

I wanted a throw size, so borders have to be chosen.






Argh, more good fabric on a quilt I don't love...
could I just be tired of it? I don't think so... into the stash I went, and how about the little rose fabric and the swirls?
Or just the red?
or a really old Hoffman celestial print with gold in it
The auditions continue
this may be the back since I do like it, there's enough and I've been saving it for a while. It's pretty busy as a border choice...
Ribbon candy!
What do you all think? Keep going?

I had an art quilt meeting this week, which was lots of fun, and met at a LQS named Holly's Fabric Cabin...
yes please, one of each would be great!
Look at their notion tree
and this beauty
ah, back when a Singer was the gold standard!

 So I purchased a few items for my own gifts...well if Milo can have early presents so can I!
Some cream colored fabric with gold shot through, two little notebooks like the 50's style, a felt ornament kit to put on the January mantle and a cute little bird needle threader (his beak) with thread cutter.

So, I got to use my Christmas stash, and now there is still no room in the drawer... how can that be?

I didn't get around to the icicle beaded ornaments, but still could this week during some down time.
If you feel like giving feedback on the bargello quilt, please comment.
Thanks!

Linking to:
Let's be social Wednesdays 

Midweek makers wednesdays
 Free motion by the River Tuesdays    
 
lovelaughquilt.mondays
keepingitrreal
 slow stitching Sundays
 scrap happy Saturdays
sewcanshe Saturdays
 
off the wall Fridays
can I get a whoop whoop Fridays 
tgiffriday

22 comments:

easyweimaraner said...

the runner is great... every time you look, you can see something new... that is a art, BRAVO!

Kathy said...

We all have an opinion.....mine is that you only need one border, that red one. Love the little table runner, too. And we all know that scraps multiply when they are left alone in the dark! Merry Christmas!

Libby in TN said...

I feel your pain. I, too, hesitate to put "good" fabric on something I don't like, but adding something you don't love only makes it worse.

Mari said...

You may be tired of the bargello quilt, but it's looking lovely. I would use a narrow border of that celestial print and then the wider red border. And definitely use the ribbon candy on the back! That way, if you don't like the front, you can always turn it around and enjoy the back! Merry Christmas to you and Drew and Milo!

Mary in Peoria Handmade said...

The hexie runner is lovely.Too tedious for me. My thumbs wouldn't last. I almost missed the gold beads. How in the world did you do the binding!!Yhe bargello looks pretty. I would choose the white with roses for an inside border to offset the red border. Enjoy!

Mary in Peoria Handmade said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shannon said...

I like the red and gold border. I sympathize with feeling done with tedious projects- that happens to me frequently with piecing. My brain thinks it will be fast and easy because it's simple piecing, but then no. It takes hours and hours and gets tedious and boring and I'm sorry I started etc. However your bargello center looks lovely and I really like the addition of the hearts. Persevere! It'll come out great!

Sherry said...

I love your hexie runner. The beads give a lovely effect. Your idea of attaching it to felt is one that I may steal if I ever get a paper piecing project done.

As for the bargello quilt. . . I feel your pain because I have had the same thing happen on a couple of my quilt tops.

I like the gold as a small inner border with the wider red. The gold seems a bit lighter than the light fabrics so it looks like a good way to separate the reds from the top and the red from the border.

I love that ribbon candy fabric! You could just call that the front & have the bargello as the backing, like someone else mentioned before me.

Merry Christmas and happy stitching.

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

So.... I think keep going - and once it is quilted you may like it more... or once you have had time away from it you will love it again..... but don't stop now!!!

Alla @ rainbows.bunnies.cupcakes said...

Love, love, love your hexie runner! As for the bargello, there are some good opinions already, so I won't muck up the clear thinking. I just can't "keep going" when the tedium is too much. I often find that 6 months or so in the naughty corner is enough to give me renewed hope and enthusiasm for a project (and this is why I have dozens of UFO's). I once tried a bargello quilt as a scrap-buster, and it certainly didn't look like any scraps had been busted by the end of it.
Happy Holidays!

Norma Schlager said...

Your hex runner is surely a winner! The little gold beads are a perfect touch. I like the two borders on the bargello.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

I love how you finished off your hexie runner! I have one similar in size that I'm ready to finish, but got stuck not knowing how to. Did you put any batting in between the hexies and the felt? It looks great!

LA Paylor said...

not this time. I have in other pieces I finished this way.

Cathy said...

Your hexies table topper is awesome, and the addition of the little gold beads makes it just spectacular!

MissPat said...

I love all the things to look at in the hexie table runner. Maybe if I did a small project like that, I might actually finish a hexie piece. I'd do the little rose inner border with the red. It helps diffuse the white squares in the bargello/TAW. And the ribbon candy fabric definitely begs not be cut up.
Pat

The Joyful Quilter said...

Feedback on the Scrappy Trips Bargello... LOVE it!!! The ribbon candy fabric will be perfect for the back. As far as borders go, I'm a fan of twin borders. The fabric choice is totally up to you! Either of the cream options will work. Do you want cute little rosebuds or flecks of gold?

Ann said...

I love your hexagon table runner. What a clever idea. Thanks for sharing and giving me inspiration for yet another project. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

scraphappy said...

I really like the gold inner border. Lo9ks great with the simpler red, maybe the other one could be part of the back?

Quilter Kathy said...

Your hexie project is stunning!
I love the ribbon candy fabric!
Merry Christmas!

Andree G. Faubert said...

Hi LeeAnna, thanks for sharing how you made your hexie runner. It looks great! All the best for 2019!

Teresa B said...

I love the hexies. Actually, I love all your work. Because I’m not a quilter and I rarely have time for complicated projects, I really admire those who manage to make such pretty things,
My grandma had a Singer like that, we sent it to my brother in law because the wooden table was totally wrecked but he never got it fixed. To be honest, I didn’t have room at home for it, but when I see a similar one I still miss it.
Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party and happy holidays. Pinned.

Tails Around the Ranch said...

Your Christmas fabric in the runner is just adorable!