Hexies on my table

Hey, everybody!  I finished my EPP Hexies!

Hmmm, but what IS it, you say?

My new table topper, of course!  :)  
When I take the middle sections out of my kitchen table, it is a circle.  I think this new hexie shaped table topper will work great with the round table.



Once all my EPP hexies were sewn together, I wasn't sure how to finish them off into a useable object.  Finally, I decided to applique the hexies onto this piece of Kona in a forgotten color.  I didn't want to bind, so I layered batting, then more Kona for the backing, and then the upside down top.  Stitch around the edge, leave a turning opening, turn, and hey-presto!  no need to bind :)





I quilted hexie rings radiating out from the center, and I love how the back looks:



Do you see that little bit of a stitching line in the upper left hand corner?  When I removed all the basting stitches and papers from the hexies, I accidentally left one paper in and didn't notice until it was appliqued down and the layers were sewn together, so I had to rip up the stitches and sew it back down again.



If you want to read earlier posts about my hexies, click here or here or here :)
Getting this WIP done makes me feel like I'm making real progress on my WIP list {ha! there are plenty more where this came from!}

I'm linking up to Crazy Mom quilts, You Flew Tuesday, TGIFF, Quilt Story, Show and Tell Tuesday
   

a hodgepodge...

Firstly, I should confess I have a serious love of vintage cookbooks.  My fav, go-to cookbook is a vintage Betty Crocker.  It is in a three ring binder binding, and falling apart from use.  So back in December I thought I'd peruse ebay, just looking you know. 

I wanted the hardcover binding this time around, but most of the listings were for the binder style.  Somehow browsing became a systematic search for the binding I wanted in good condition for a price I could live with {I mean, if I waited I might not get one, right? why take a risk?}.   Next thing I knew, there was a 'you are the high bidder' notice on my screen.  I went to bed with 20 min on the auction, totally confident.  Next morning, I went to pay only to find out someone had swiped my cookbook!  can you believe it?

Let me just say, there was no way the next one was getting away!  No more sleeping before the auction ended!  And look, a Cooky Book followed it home, too :) 

Maybe I should also confess that I'm a competitive shopper.   A bit aggressive, too.  I now avoid fabric sales at my LQS.  The horrified looks on the other shoppers' faces were making me feel a bit guilty.  Not guilty enough to let go of the fabric, mind you :)  {really sweetheart, move it or loose it!}

ebay brings out the same competitiveness in me, so I thought I had better quit for awhile after I bought these two cookbooks.  Even though there is one more I have my sights on {you don't really expect me to tell you which one before it is safely in my hands, do you?} :)

Lots of snow around here lately has made for beautiful scenery in the backyard, but let me tell you it is heartache in the driveway!  And we are supposed to get more everyday through the weekend.  I've had enough shoveling, sunshine please come back again!

I used my Over The Rainbow Batiks charm pack {by Moda} and some shade of grey Kona to make HSTs, then joined them together to make flying geese type units.  I don't know precisely which Kona I'm using.  When I got to the shop, someone had cleaned out nearly every bolt of Kona, including all the greys!  Some lady was at the cutting counter with them all, so I was more concerned with getting a darkish grey than reading the bolt end.  {see above confession}

*No old ladies were harmed in the purchasing of this fabric.  There was plenty on the bolt to go around!*

You can see some strip sets for my Postage stamp quilt, my Madrona Road squares stacked up, and the pile of the rest of the geese in the picture also.  These projects are hanging out in plain view as I rotate through, doing a little bit of work on each one.  I thought about moving them for the picture, but hey, what are a few WIPs among quilters, right?

If confession is good for the soul, I'll be doing fantastic after this post!  Because I have another one for you :)   I bought the grey background without really looking through the charmpack first.  I mean, it said rainbow, and we all know what that means.  no need to check colors, right? 

I certainly wasn't expecting the brown fabrics I found inside.  I don't claim to be all that smart, but as far as I knew the b in roygbiv stood for blue.  I tried to ignore it, in a 'just sew it and when it is all together it will be fine' kind of way, but those browns {especially with the grey background} really bug me.   Maybe I'll hide them on the back of the quilt...?

how 'bout you and me go crash some linky parties, 'K? :)
Really random Thursday
Vintage Thingie Thursday
Tuesday at the Table

Salt Air & tulips in the kitchen

My Salt Air table runner has been done for awhile now, but it has taken me almost two weeks to get a decent picture of it.



I was grocery shopping when I realised what the problem was; the runner needed a vase of tulips to go with it :)

I made my table runner as part of curves class taught by Rachel of Stitched in Color.  This was my first try at improv curves, and I loved it!  I will definately be doing more of this someday!

For fabric, I used a charm pack of Salt Air by Moda that I won in a giveaway from A Girl in Paradise.  The batting I pieced together from leftover scraps.  And the backing and binding I also pulled out of my stash.  I had this marbled tan-ish fabric I bought for a specific reason, but I can't remember what it was.  Obviously, I never ended up using it for that.  The right side of the fabric was too dark so I turned it over and used the backside, which was the perfect creamy off-white.  I was so happy to be able to put this project together entirely from my stash!

I FMQed this quilt using Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters.  I really love this book! 
If you want to read more about the making of this table runner, and see some close-ups of the quilting, you can read {this post}.

I will be doing some linking here:
A Stitch in Time
Submarine Sunday #20
Sew Many Ways
New to Me in 2013
Quilt Story
Freemotion by the River
Better off Thread
You Flew
Made by Me
First Friday Finishes
TGIFF
Whoop Whoop Friday

a little red & green

On my desk:

Coasters.  Tomorrow I will finish turning these two charm packs into coasters, too.
Fabrics are Dear Mr. Claus by Cosmo Cricket & Joy by Kate Spain.
The grocery bag holders are done, too, {well, except for the one I put the ribbon hanger in the wrong end and need to unsew} but I didn't get a photo.

Linking to Fabric Tuesday, Freemotion by the River, WIP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced, A Stitch in Time October linky Party, TGIFF @ What a Hoot!
& Sending up prayers for those affected by Sandy