Thankful for Power & Cable Again...

I love a good storm.  The rumble of thunder, the flash of lightning and the sound of rain.  I know when it's over there will be a freshness about the air, the lawn will flourish, the flowers watered.  However...

This is Tennessee!  And you can't really rely on accurate weather forecasts.  Around 7pm last night, we lost power.  ARGH!  With that, we also lost all access to cable!  Double ARGH!  I am totally lost with out those comforts, shoot I can't watch TV, let alone sew on bindings!

My kids were sweet enough to load the laptop with Pirates of the Caribbean movie, so you know, Johnny Depp helped me through!

It could have been worse!  I had just enough light to finish gluing my hexies down for some pillows.

I have two 18" x 18" pillows in the works using 1" hexies.  For some reason  hexies and polka dots are my favorite combination!

There are also two 18" x 18" pillows in 2 1/2" hexies.  I've made pillows with this size before, Cheerful Spring and was excited to do it again!  Here's a link to a fabulous tutorial at Modern Handcraft ~ Modern Hexagon Tutorial.  You will love making these!

I used my favorite tool the ever popular Hera Marker to mark some lines for machine quilting.  

As for the storm and power, we got the power back on at 10 pm.  Still no cable, no Internet, no sense staying up!

I finally went to bed after the movie only to be jolted a few times by the loud crack of lightning!  Really LOUD!  Turns out one street over a bolt hit a huge oak tree and that sucker went down!  

The cable finally, finally have I said finally (?) came on at 2:15 pm today!  Now it must be time to get back to work and get these pillow finished!  

LINKING:

Let's Bee Social

WIP Wednesday
Needle & Thread Thursday
TGIFF

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' WIP

Here we go again!  Round and round and round I go...where I stop...

This idea was floating in my head spurred on by the 2015 Pantone Quilt Challenge.  Anne at Play Crafts and Adrianne at On The Windy Side are hosting this challenge again this year. 

You know the color?  Marsala.  I don't know how I feel about it.  Actually I do...I'm not a fan! I'm just not.  But, I seriously wanted to participate in the challenge and see what I could do with the color ~ or close to the color.  I'm going to blame this all on Anne (just kidding), she does inspire me and makes me want to push the limits. 

I pulled out some solid scraps of 'in the spirit of Marsala' colors to begin with.  I call this my 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' work in progress because I didn't have a clue what I was going to do once I started.  And I still am not sure!  Fun stuff, right?!  

I pulled out a couple Circle of Geese paper piecing templates and started there.  I just randomly places the different shades for texture.  The fabrics are a mix of Kona, Shot Cotton and random scraps dug out from the depths of the bucket.

A couple weeks before I started, during my brainstorming phase ~ I saw this gorgeous solid staring me down.  I decided it was going to be in the Pantone Challenge piece.  That I was sure of!  I think, but not positive this color is Bella Tawny Olive.

Hexagons.  Why not.  It may work, it may not!  

  

I guess I should say I also decided to use Emma's Garden by Patty Sloniger. (the top fabric)

The bee part anyway!  They were perfect as 1" hexies.  Sweet little bees...buzz, buzz, buzzing!

I'm a little bummed that I couldn't get the true color of this Tawny Olive.  It's similar to Kona Wasabi or Cactus.  I made a few 3/4" hexagons last night and this morning I decided to throw in some 1/2" as well.  Apparently I'm taking this project in some direction ~ hexagons seem to be the theme!

Moda Tawny Olive

Here I am.  At this point.  Is it the point of no return?  The point of contention?  Or pointless? If I only knew!  

Linking:

WIP Wednesday
Needle & Thread Thursday
TGIFF
Crazy Mom Quilts

Cheerful Spring

We recently had a good taste of spring ~ sunny, warm and steady humming of lawn mowers.  The windows were opened for some much need fresh air, sandals were dusted off and then Mother Nature decided...not yet you foolish little girl!!!  A couple days of cold and frost. Awww...soon grasshopper, soon! 

Since the weather isn't working right (it's broken), here's a finished project that I hope will brighten your day and give you a good taste of the Spring to come!

18" x 18"

At our last Music City Modern Quilt Guild meeting, we had hexie workshop!  It was super fun!  We weren't able to finish the project at our meeting that day, but as soon as I got home I went to work!

I decided polka dots would make for some happy hexies!  The hexagon templates are 1 1/2" and the fabric squares are 3 3/4".  

I tried hard to make everything line up using 1/4" spacing.  I may have went a little overboard on marking, and to be honest it wasn't that much help!

I just kept going.  Glue, mark, glue again!

Yes indeed...glue!  Fabric fusion was used to glue each and every hexagon down!  

Once they were all secure, the quilting fun began!  Don't you love the triangle pattern?  It looks even better on the front! 

Sneak peak from the outside looking in!  I was happy I got to try the hidden zipper back again.  Love it!

Here's a link to a fabulous tutorial at Modern Handcraft ~ Modern Hexagon Tutorial.

I hope to make a couple more one day soon!  

LINKING:

Sew Cute Tuesday
Let's Bee Social
WIP Wednesday
Needle & Thread Thursday
TGIFF