Yes, I have been busy!

Waves on a pirate print for Barbara.

 Roses are red for Beryl.

Super spirals on this for Enid, the camera has sucked all the colour out of it but in the flesh it is amazingly colourful

Two applique quilts for T's grandchildren, some lovely little characters here.

A big one for Holly.

For Bev, with much love.

For Ollie, with much love and best wishes for a good recovery from surgery. Crappy pictures because I have lost my camera and didn't understand the settings on the one I borrowed but this is a stunner and I love the swirls I quilted.

Two more to do before I can concentrate on a couple of projects for show, as well as a couple of little jobs for the theatre so yes I am going to be busy for the next few weeks too.

Till next time

Liz X

Hexagon tutorial for Emily

I have just found out my cousin wants to sew and I can't wait for the school holiday so I am sending a little hexi kit and posting this tutorial for her.

 Take a cardboard template and put in the center of a roughly cut fabric hexagon. I use a small clip to hold one side in place while I start to fold over the edges and take two stitches to secure the fabric folds on each corner. Use tacking thread for these stitches. There is no need to try to sew through the template, the stitches only need to go through the fabric.

 Six of one colour and a contrast are needed for each flower. Take the contrasting hexi that will be the center (here it is orange) and one of the petals (here it is blue) and place them fabric sides together and along one edge. A fine needle will make this easier and a fine thread, but not tacking thread, will make less visible stitches on the other side.

 Open these two pieces and place another petal along the next side of the center hexi and carry on stitching.

 Carry on sewing around the center hexi untill all six petals are sewn.

 To be able to sew the seams between the petals we need to ease out the template from the centre hexi. Just snip a stitch or two and take it out, then fold the flower in half to be able to sew the six remaining seams to sew the petals together.

 The flower is now complete and you can decide if you want to make more and join them together to make a bigger project in that case leave the remaining templates in place or if you would like to sew this one to the front of a cushion or a bag in which case you could give it a little press with the iron on the wrong side and take the remaining templates out.
Whatever you decide to sew it to you could embrioder a stem and leaves too.

I hope you enjoy this little bit of stitching and look forward to a sewing get together soon.

Liz