Last night I finished the quilting on my Happy Birthday banner quilt. I had to do the four friendship stars in the corners, so I Googled "fmq frienship stars" and found a lovely design within moments.
Then I started drawing it on paper to figure out the proper path for stitching. Please excuse the ghostly images in the back (I drew on both sides of the paper). The design seemed pretty simple, so I moved right onto the quilt.
The first one looks a little lopsided, mostly because I had to start in the middle of the center square, but couldn't be bothered to measure to be sure I was actually in the middle. Of course I wasn't.
By the fourth star, I had it down! I'm still enough of a newbie with fmq that I get totally excited when something turns out the way it's supposed to. I left the quilt on the kitchen table overnight so I could see the stars first thing this morning.
Today, during nap time, I finished stitching the blue hexies around my last flower, so now all 56 are ready to be assembled. It's funny to think I started this stage while we were on vacation in Florida...it doesn't look anything like Florida outside now!
Here are all 56 stacked and ready to be assembled, once the connecting pairs are sewn together. They'll be pretty quick, though, since there's only one seam to connect each pair.
I even managed to stitch the first two pairs together, so there are only about 48 left to go.
Now, lest you think this photo session was easy, let me introduce you to my 'hinderssistant' - you know, someone who is helping you but actually makes the job take longer.
This is Keeran. He's the youngest of the little ones I babysit and he hovered at my elbow for the entire photo session, finally deciding he needed the blanket I was using as a backdrop.
I straightened the blanket, moved the flowers and positioned the two connecting pairs for their close-up. Keeran did this...
Then this...
Then this! Doesn't he look pleased with his arrangement?
Nathan offered to help pick them up, but wanted to spread them all out first so he could see them all.
I link to
these places.
I love your hexies. I've been working on a Hexie quilt since October 2012. I still have a LONG way to go!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean about the excitement when the FMQ works, and yours certainly did!
ReplyDeletePerhaps Keeran will be a quilter one day thanks to you :)
You did a great job on your stars! LOL, love your little assistant, so cute.
ReplyDeleteThose stars are great!
ReplyDeleteCutest photo session ever!! The photos are way better like this then they would have been without help :) He knew what he was doing.
ReplyDeleteLove the quilting you did on the friendship stars Leanne -- fantastic job! And your hexies are amazing -- so much work. Can't wait to see them sewn together! Karen
ReplyDeleteHow fun to look up new quilting designs online and use them accordingly! You did a fantastic job with them. I smiled all the way through Keeran's games with the hexie flowers!! Too cute!
ReplyDeleteThose stars are great! You improved really quickly too. I like the hexie patterns too. Well done, even with your little helper! :-)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.busyneedle.ch
Your quilting looks amazing! I love how it fits in there so perfectly. That is a lot of hexies! That will be a work of art when you get all those together:)
ReplyDeleteTehe a little "help" from a little friend ... ah yes, I understand completely! You're FMQ turned out lovely :)
ReplyDeletehaha! my husband and I used to call our son "anti-worker." So funny! The hexies look great though ,and that FMQ design is awesome!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you shared at Needle and Thread Thursday!
:) Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation