Hello friends, and happy Autumn if you're down under! March is my favourite, not least because this week we're moving into a new, big house with a beautiful second living area for my studio! So if I come across a bit manic in this newsletter, you know why! There are boxes everywhere, there are people dropping in to help, and there are children, who I'm hoping magically catch the vision and pack their own rooms! ;P
How did you go last month? Did you enjoy the mix of hexies and half hexies? This month we're using some of the same shapes again, but in a completely different way. Cedar and Nutmeg share little triangles in common, but otherwise look nothing alike. They're a bit more involved than last month, but equally lovely. In fact, I think Nutmeg is my very favourite!
The first decision you'll need to make is how you colour in your blocks. You'll find the diagrams for making these blocks in the Hexie Handbook, but read on for some colour inspiration!
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Lucy's Cedar blocks above show the amazing kaleidoscopes that can be achieved from fussy cutting your half hexagons.
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Both Cedar and Nutmeg work well as a single colour block with low volume triangles. You can see my Nutmeg quilt in progress here!
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Nutmeg looks lovely as a 3 colour block (like mine at the top, and Lucy's above)
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One of my favourite ways to colour in Cedar is scrappy. I think seeing each half hexie clearly because they are different colours, makes them even more twirly. I started a Cedar Quilt made from low volume scraps and black solid triangles this week. I'm looking forward to seeing it come together.
March Tips!
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Keep a piece of scrap fabric or a hanky handy to wipe around the glue stick if glue bits build up around the sides. It stops chunks of glue getting stuck in the folds of fabric, and also keeps the lid nice and tidy when you put it back on.
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If you take photos of your basted shapes laid out into your planned blocks, you can pop them all into one zip lock bag or pretty pouch and they're easy to access or travel with. Just check the photos to see which colours/shapes go with which!
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Choose colours in daylight so that you can sew in the evenings. Yellow ceiling lights are awful for putting colours together. But if you can snatch a few minutes in the day to make some colour decisions, you can cut/baste/stitch in less ideal light conditions later.
February Faves!
Check out these beautiful blocks found in the #hexieharvestquilt hashtag!
I love the colourful blocks above made from solid-like basics by @ablemissdesigns! Aren't they lovely!
I love the autumn colour palette of these pretty blocks below by @dreamingstardust!
Prizes!
Remember I promised PRIZES?! I've had the best fun doing a little shopping AND a little making to create a little collection of gifts for you each month! This month's winner gets a sweet EPP needlebook by me, some Sohmo clips, Victorinox scissors, a sweet quilty tin, and a small sampling of pins and needles.
