Today I'm sending my Hexie Harvest Club email a day late, and my regular weekly newsletter a day early and combining the two. If, like me, you rarely even know what day it is, let alone what day of the week your favourite emails come on, then I probably didn't even need to mention it! If you're sharper than the rest of us, then hopefully you appreciate the explanation.  

My goal for the final Hexie Harvest Club newsletter is to share my finished Hexie Harvest quilt (not the one I thought I'd finish!), share the NEW updated Handbook and announce my 2024 CLUB! This struck me as the perfect opportunity to bring everyone in on the action, and let you see what a monthly club email is like if you haven't joined one of my clubs before. Therefore, this is the FINAL club email for the Hexie Harvest Quilt Club. Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Read on and enjoy.

 

Today I got the email I've been waiting for. The FINAL copy of the BEAUTIFULLY updated Hexie Handbook! My good friend Hannah and I have been working on this for over a year, and now that I have it all done and downloaded, I'm so glad we took the time and effort to get it right. It's EXCELLENT!

 

If you've bought the Hexie Handbook before, you should have been emailed an updated link to the new PDF already. The updated version is available to you for free!

And, just like the original, it has 16 quilt patterns for the price of 2, colouring sheets for each quilt layout, helpful block instructions and diagrams, and 8 pages of extra info about Hexagon-related shapes, choosing and cutting fabric, and more.

I was really hoping to finish my Firefly Hexie Harvest last month, but I just can't get past my uncertainty with the pink triangles I chose.

 

 It's been a good lesson for me. I basted all the triangles, handed them to my mum who helps me with my sewing each week, and forgot about them. When I got them home and laid them out, I didn't like it! No! Next time, I'll cut 1 strip rather than all of them, baste a few joining shapes, and sew them, just so I can be sure it's what I love. 

 

I did, however, dust off my gold and white Hexie Harvest top, which I finished over 6 months ago, and finally press, baste, quilt, and bind it. I talk all about choosing colours for this two-colour version, sneaking in a third colour for interest, and then deciding on quilting and binding in the blog post below!

Have you ever heard someone say, “If I've gone to all that effort hand stitching this whole quilt, I really should hand quilt it too.”? It's so easy for sneaky little rules to creep into our creative life. It's completely understandable. Creating can be such a messy, unstructured endeavour, and we humans like labels and rules and turning all that chaos into order.

 

Some rules, like seam allowances, are super helpful, but others are just extra weight we carry because we think it makes our quilts extra special or perfect or cohesive. 

 

These rules are worth giving a little examination. Are they really helpful? Are they true? Since asking myself that question, I discovered a few things I love and hate, and now embrace about myself.

For each quilt finish I choose ease and joy because I'm totally allowed to, because it's MY QUILT. These are the guiding principles I tune into. They give me permission to finish a quilt anyway I like. What do you love and not love about finishing your quilts?

 

I've added a photo below for easy, straight line quilting inspiration!

Squeal! I cannot wait for this one! My deep, long term goal for my quilt clubs is to help you grow in confidence and joy in your quilt-making. I chose Ice-Cream Soda because the blocks are simple and fun, but look complex, allowing you to play and learn with colour, value, placement, fussy cutting. You can be thoughtful and deliberate like Lucy's below, or you can be haphazard and throw it all together like me, and both will be BEAUTIFUL! 

 

If you have the Ice Cream Soda kit already, you are SO WELCOME to join us. I'll be sharing more over the next few weeks, and I'll have a sign up form on the website on 24th November (Black Friday). We'll start stitching together in February.

 

 

We're introducing a new, UPSIZED version of Ice Cream Soda Quilt! Using 1 ½" shapes instead of 1", the new, larger version has 10" blocks and finishes at large lap size (or twin size if you add the borders). If you hate tiny diamonds, this is the quilt for you! I've been working away at mine behind the scenes. I can't wait to show it to you.

 

First name / Friend, I hope you get a chance this week to re-examine some unhelpful rules you've set for yourself. I hope doing so frees you up to feel more joy and motivation in your creating. You are worthy of quilts you love to make.

 

Thanks so much for spending some of your day with me! I really appreciate it. 

Happy stitching,

Jodi. xx

 

PS. to save you scrolling back up to find the link, the new, amazing Hexie Handbook is here! ;P