Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Tiny and Teeny-Weeny

Recently I wrote about 2 quilts I busted a gut to get to Adri, the machine quilter, on time.  Here is the second quilt,  a kit I purchased in 2003 from The Patchwork Heart  in Penrith.  Usually I don't buy kits but my heart stopped when I saw this one.


 It is from a booklet produced by Kaye England.   Now that my quilt is finally completed I no longer need the pattern so, with Kaye's permission,  I am giving it away.


Inside the booklet there are poems and songs as well as background to the blocks' names and all the cutting and piecing instructions for each of the 12 blocks.  Just leave a comment relating your greatest quilting bargain (see below) and you will be in the running to win.  International entries welcome.   Competition closes Friday 28th October, 2011 at midnight EST Australian.

Adri  has cleverly customized the quilting so that it is a sampler of machine quilting.  And the back is one of my favourite column fabrics.


I was in two minds as to whether I should use it or not, but as I have previously discussed, the fabric will be enjoyed more on a quilt than tucked away in a cupboard.  One of my memories attached to this fabric is that it was a metsieh (yiddish for bargain).  In 2008 it was on sale for $2/yard, unless, of course,  I wanted to finish the bolt.  In that case it was $1/yard.  I walked away with more than 5 yards and a huge grin on my face.

The little guy on the top left of the quilt is a "dragon" made by my son when he was 10.   I think it is cute, but the dogs often mistake it for a possum at night and growl and bark to try to frighten it away.  It must infuriate them that it never budges from this spot.

Apart from stitching down the binding on my quilt, this week I finished off a section of "Hexagonia".


It has been put aside to permit rumination for the design direction.  The 5/8" hexagons seem huge compared to this little project I started:


A pin is next to the 1/4" hexagons so you can get an idea of the size.

31 comments:

baukje said...

I am still 'waiting' for a great bargain.There are no quiltshops where i live. But next week i go to Holland to a quiltfair, maybe I can find my luck there. Would love to win the booklet!!!!

Anonymous said...

Oh yes it is beautiful, thank you for the chance to win the great pattern

Janet O. said...

It is a gorgeous quilt. You did a great job, but don't include me in the giveaway. I recently won a pattern to add to several I have purchased lately. I'm set for a long while.
Hexagonia is looking so good, and I can't believe how tiny your other project is. What size are you planning to make that finished product?

Nicky said...

The quilt is gorgeous but Liz I'd love to get a good look at the quilting!

Your hexies are trully awesome but are you mad woman doing hexies that small?? Is this to be your competition quilt or is it just a small project too???

Michele said...

Love the tiny hexagon quilts. I've been working on a hexagonal "I Spy" for a few months using EPP, but those pieces are huge compared to yours.

Can't think of any great quilt bargains, just some sales where I saved $ buying fabric I loved.

antique quilter said...

I love that you used the column print as a backing, that fabric is just beautiful...I might be tempted to have that as the front of the quilt!
I can see why you bought the kit! the fabrics are wonderful, great design too.
I had no idea those hexies were that little!!!!
makes it even more amazing then I thought and I thought it was really amazing!!!!!!
Kathie

julieQ said...

My greatest bargain is that I found my beloved plaids on sale at $1.00 a yard! I was in heaven! Thank you for putting my name in the pot.

Joan said...

My biggest bargain was from an auction. There were 96 boxes of fabric. I bought 19 boxes and ended up with over 2,000 yards of 36" fabric. So it is all vintage. I paid less than 10 cents a yard.

Ann Marie said...

I have some favorite fabrics on the backs of my quilts, and you will enjoy them more there than in the cupboard. Especially if you hesitate cutting them up.

Love Hexagonia. Can't wait to see where you take it next.

Lynne said...

My BArgain is a little different in that a bargain was offered. I take up four pairs of pants and enough Liberty fabric in 4 different patterns to make blouses was offered. The trader could not sew and the fabric had been her mothers. Love the pattern. Your quilt is looks wonderful and those little hexies. A touch of insanity!

Joanne said...

The sampler quilt is amazing. Love the hexagons, couldn't imagine
making the 1/4" ones though.
I have bought some good fabric on sale, but my favourite bargain was a quilt kit that I bought on sale - it was an easy quilt to make with great fabric. It is still one of my favourite quilts.
Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Kaye is one of my faves!! My favorite quilt shop has a special 'back room' where they place their 50% off fabrics. I always seem to find just the perfect piece for that special project!!

regan said...

We have a chain of stores here in Maine called Mardens, and they have fabrics usually no more than $4.99 a yard.....but they also have them down to $1.99 a yard! I am forever stacking bolts on the cutting table, usually until my husband starts to roll his eyes! But at $1.99.....why not!?! Right?

Valentina said...

Greetings from Cyprus! Liz I am swooning so bad... I love your quilts, your projects, your blog! Oh- I'm in trouble! :)
That was an amazing bargain! Never had such luck, but I love to hunt online for bargains. And I have had luck in the sales sections especially when they are willing to stick 7 yards in an envelope! :) So nice to meet you, and your hexies just make me to yearn for mine, I am almost at the same stage as yours and they have been in the cupboard far too long... :)

katydidart said...

I love the Civil War legacy quilt. I've got quite a collection of Civil War repro fabric.
My best bargain was from a cousin of mine. She was cleaning out her attic and gave me two large boxes of vintage 30's fabric. Not only was it vintage fabric but a large amount of it had been pieced into various blocks - Dresden Plate, Eight Pointed Star, and (my favorite) Double Wedding Ring. I just need to find/make the time to piece the blocks together and make the quilts!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I love your "Hexagonia". How do you get the little stars in the outer ring? I'm guessing fussy cut, but I can't picture how it works. Would you consider a tutorial on those? I'm working on 3/8" hexies and love them. I don't think I can make my fingers work on the 1/4" ones.
Love your blog. Thanks for the eye candy!
Bev (no blog)in Southwestern PA.

Me and My Stitches said...

Oh my gosh - I absolutely LOVE your hexagon project! Send it to me, and I will finish it for you...promise! It is just amazing! I think the best deal I have gotten on fabric is one that I found online - it was my favorite chocolate brown with little wheat bundles on it. I found it on a website for something like $3/yd. I bought 6 yards, assuming they wouldn't have that much left but they did - I have often wish I would have gotten more!

Robert said...

Love the quilts you have pictured today. Would love the pattern, and all the scrapes from sewing it. I buy scrape bags and when I visit a new shop I will usually ask if they have any. One place in Michigan, I asked and the owner said no, but what would I do with them. I explained that I was a scrape quilt and had made dresden plate quilt, log chains, grandmother's flower garden, etc. She bagged up a lot of fabrics and gave it to me for nothing. Thanks for the opportunity to enter. Robert in northern Iowa.

Carol G said...

Love the column fabric and your hexagonia is looking swell. Glad you found the extra background to show off those fussy cut flowers.

Dawn said...

I made a Kaye England designed quilt - I think from her Somewhere In Time book. Your sampler is a great quilt and a wonderful backing. The hex projects are treasures! WOW - 1/4" is really tiny. I'm not posting to eneter - just saying hello ;-)

Maureen said...

I've never seen such small hexies!
Love your sampler quilt - everything about it! Glad you used the pillar print for the back. Great dragon - I didn't see it at first.
I guess my best quilting bargain has been the old calicoes I pick up for about $2 a yard or for free at guild meetings. I used them (plus others that have been in my stash 20+ years) for my HST quilt and I'm really happy with how it turned out.
You've been busy - a lot done on hexie project #1. It's already beautiful and not even finished or quilted yet!

Sharon said...

My best bargin was a bag of fabric at a yard sale for $5. There was a 5+ yard piece of quilt store quality green, perfect for the backing on my newphews quilt that has yet to be started! All the rest of the greens in the bag will get cut up for his scrappy quilt. Love those 1/4" hexi's. I've got a few packages of them, (note I didn't say I've tried them)

Janet said...

What a sweet finish that must be, it looks fabulous. Don't put me in the draw, I have no time left.
My best purchse ever was buyiny yardage for $2 per meter in a moving sale. I bought backings.
The hexagons are incredible, what a huge effort.

Meredith said...

My best bargain was being given lovely vintage fabric by someone who said they knew I did not waste. So they were inspired to give it to me. Which I was very suprised by. I see why you purchased the quilt. I would love to make that "sampler" pattern it is very pretty. The border fabric goes great with it and the column red fabric is fantastic.

audrey said...

oh wow, was just drooling over a kaye england quilt in the quiltmania magazine. would so love to make one of her quilts. my best bargain was when an acquaintance gave my mom & me about 10 totes of mixed fabric, small kits and patterns from her 'overflow', which we divided to our satisfaction.:) congrats on your finish!!

Janet said...

Not many quilting bargains in my world. I'm happy when I get 60% off if you finish the bolt and the price ends up at $4 a yard!

Dinah said...

Your quilt is beautiful; I would love to have the pattern! Thank you for the chance to win. My best bargains on fabric have been from yard sales! Also, knowing that I make a quilt each year with my 2nd grade students, two years ago the mother of one of those students gave me most of an entire bolt of warm and natural batting! She said she tried quilting and couldn't use it anymore. I was overwhelmed by her generosity!

Ann-Mari said...

Hi, thank you for becoming a follower to my blog.
I like your quilts:-)

Jane said...

Hi LIz
Your tiny hexies and so delicate and beautiful and the finished Kaye England quilt looks amazing.
I have found my greatest quilting bargains online, even including paying for postage, from some places. (Please don't include me in the quilt pattern competition).

Jeanne Gwin said...

As a lover of tiny and small, you have stolen my heart with your work. Oh my, do I have a lot of catching up to do. I do hope the book comes into my possession, I am challenged to make the quilt now. Thanks for the chance. :)

Sandra said...

Wowza, the hexagonia is beautiful but so small and the 1/4" hexs are INSANE!!! Very impressive.
Glad you had a good trip to the colonies.