Q108 – Hexi-Abuelita – Quilt

Good Day,

A little girl will be cuddling up with her Great-Grandmother’s memories this Christmas morning, her new quilt Hexi-Abuelita.

Hexi-Abuelita is our commissioned design of a mosaic of half-to-whole hexagons cut and created from a great-grandmother’s shirts and skirts. The hexagon quilt has been in existence for many a year. An early recounting of a Hexagon Patchwork that I have found in my research dates to circa 1820-1840. There are various numbers of approaches to the creation of a Hexagon Quilt and Hexi-Abuelita is ours.

Our design is what we believe to be a combination of both traditional and modern quilting. We also approached the pattern of the hexagons by creating a structured but random strip piecing of half-hexagons. The quilting is edge-to-edge parallel lines in a patterned sequence.

The dimensions of Hexi-Abuelita are: Width – 59 ½” (151.1 cms); Length – 79” (200.7 cms). The backing and binding are a pink Michael Miller cotton fabric.

And more images of Hexi-Abuelita –

To read and experience our journey of designing, creating, and constructing our original Hexi-Abuelita check out the following Quilts SB links. Hexi-Abuelita is a construction and design of the same vein as our quilt construction Blue Memories.

- Oct 3 – The Beginnings of Hexi-Abuelita – A New Quilt

- Oct 4 - A Conversation – Hexi-Abuelita Quilt

- Oct 5 – Hexi-Abuelita – The Strategy Continues

- Oct 12 - Top of Hexi-Abuelita Quilt Completed

- Oct 23 - We Are Working On Quilts – In Progress and Update

Stay tuned for the completion of Grandma Remembers. And we have started another new project, Cosmos' Moon.

If you are interested in commissioning and contracting Andy and I to create your quilt or your wall-hanging, please feel free to contact us.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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My Quip – Hexi-Abuelita Quilt – Progress Update

Good Day,

The backing fabric for Hexi-Abuelita quilt has finally arrived. It is a Michael Miller Pink Cotton Couture Broadcloth. The top of the quilt is created of half-hexagons from great-grandmother’s clothes. The three parts of the quilt sandwich have all been loaded to our Rack.

The approximate dimensions of the finished Hexi-Abuelita quilt will be: Width – 62”; Length 81”.

Some more images of Hexi-Abuelita on The Rack.

Santa will be pleasing a little girl with some pleasant memories.

You can follow our history of Hexi-Abuelita at the following links.

- The Beginings of Hexi-Abuelita

- A Conversation – Hexi-Abuelita Quilt

- Hexi-Abuelita – The Strategy Continues

- Top of Hexi-Abuelita Quilt Completed

- We Are Working on Quilts – In Progress and Update

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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My Quip – Top of Hexi-Abuelita Quilt Completed

Good Day,

The top to our new quilt, Hexi-Abuelita has been completed.

To create a quilt at approximately 58” (147 cms) wide and 82” (208 cms) long 718 half-hexagons were cut to create 359 whole hexagons. The cuttings are of fabric of a collection a grandmother’s shirts and skirts.

The choice of the back will be in keeping with a shade found in the multifaceted construction of the top of Hexi-Abuelita.

And a couple more images.

If you are interested of commissioning and working with Andy and I to create your memory quilt, please contact us. If you would like some more information of available quilts, regarding costs, shipping, and insurance, please check our Quilts SB Etsy shop.

Andy and I are moving at a steady pace with our quilt and fabric wall hanging work. Keep abreast of all updates. I have added a “Follow By Email” capability at the bottom right of each posting under The Grid. You can also become a Follower of Quilts SB. Click on the “Join this site” to follow Quilts SB. I’ve added another means to follow the images of our quilt creations via Pinterest.

Check out my new experimental format of my Blog, Quilts SB Test. Certainly would appreciate your feedback.

To see previously posted quilts, there is a visual Grid presentation at the bottom of the Quilts SB page. Move your cursor over any mini-picture found there and click to see an enlargement. Move your cursor to the "Q#" link to see the quilt's details. If the quilt’s title is highlighted in yellow or in red, it has found a home in a collection and is no longer available.

If you have any questions and/or comments please feel free to get in touch with me via email.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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My Quip – Hexi-Abuelita – The Strategy Continues

Good day,

Two halves hexes make one whole hexagon. Here is a snippet of our construction of Hexi-Abuelita.

Our production is to create strips of half-hexagons and then sew the strips together. As there is a random element to the placement of the actual hexagons, with a tempered progression of shades and colors, the completed top will be as much as a surprise to Andy and me.

This hexagon and half-hexagon process of making a quilt is definitely a tried and true method of creating a quilt. According to Womenfolk.com, the pieced hexagon quilt had roots in England as far back as the 18th Century. In the 19th Century hexagon quilts were known as Mosaic quilts, Honeycomb quilts or Six-Sided Patchwork, This is Andy's and my attempt to combine a number of the quilting techniques that we have learned and combine the past with the present.

If you are interested of commissioning and working with Andy and I to create your memory quilt, please contact us. If you would like some more information of available quilts, regarding costs, shipping, and insurance, please check our Quilts SB Etsy shop.

Andy and I are moving at a steady pace with our quilt and fabric wall hanging work. Keep abreast of all updates. I have added a “Follow By Email” capability at the bottom right of each posting under The Grid. You can also become a Follower of Quilts SB. Click on the “Join this site” to follow Quilts SB. I’ve added another means to follow the images of our quilt creations via Pinterest.

Check out my new experimental format of my Blog, Quilts SB Test. Certainly would appreciate your feedback.

To see previously posted quilts, there is a visual Grid presentation at the bottom of the Quilts SB page. Move your cursor over any mini-picture found there and click to see an enlargement. Move your cursor to the "Q#" link to see the quilt's details. If the quilt’s title is highlighted in yellow or in red, it has found a home in a collection and is no longer available.

If you have any questions and/or comments please feel free to get in touch with me via email.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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My Quip – A Conversation - Hexi-Abuelita Quilt

Good Day,

Thought you may be interested in a conversation that I had with regards to Andy’s and my quilting ideas and methods. And we always have an audience...

"May I ask what the process is for naming a quilt and what comes first the quilt design, colour or the thought of a name? Just so there is no doubt... I am being serious, I find it interesting."

Not being flippant with my answer, but yes... to all.

When asked to come up with an idea for a new quilt, after finishing Blue Memories, the new owner presented us with more fabric. This was also fabric that had belonged to the client's beloved Grandmother. The fabrics were from shirts, skirts, etc… We were asked to take on another challenge.

Andy and I were then told that the new quilt would be a Christmas present for a great-granddaughter. The requester did like the results of Blue Memories and next asked us to come with a new quilt idea. Also, we were presented with the possibility of incorporating a tablecloth as a part of the new quilt. I thought of the idea of an abstract patchwork of hexagons using the fabric that may have some of the shades and color semblance to the tablecloth. The requester really liked the ideas and thought processes.

The name, Hexi-Abuelita, for this new quilt, came as a function of me keeping track, and a way of organizing the files that I had begun creating for this project. Generally I like the title to give me clues, and in this case - Hexi - Hexagon Mosaic and Abuelita - Granny's treasure keepsakes.

Once the design and colors of the fabrics were decided, Andy and I then try to come up with a template for creating the top. For Hexi-Abuelita we discovered the technique of creating half-hexagons in strips to create corresponding hexagons. To assist with creating the hexagons, we found Natalie Dawn’s 5” Half-Hexagon template, from The Missouri Star Quilt Company.

The next job will be to come up with the quilting design to highlight and accent Hexi-Abuelita. This may take a bit of time, so as Andy is sewing the top of half-hexagon strips, I am working on my PC, and flipping through books and magazines, drafting grid after grid in order to come upon a complementary quilting pattern.

And just wait until you see what we've next been asked to come up... Another new wall hanging.

"Thank You for sharing that with me! I must say that explains why a lot, if not all of your quilts are like works of art! Never even came to mind about the requester having much input. To think how far quilting has come over the years is amazing, but still all the same kind of love and attention to detail…"

Andy and I are relatively new quilters. We, both have a lot to learn, and we are constantly looking for ideas, thoughts, and processes to enhance our own learning experience.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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My Quip – The Beginnings of Hexi-Abuelita - A New Quilt

Good Day,

And we’re at it again. Our new endeavor – Hexi-Abuelita.

Hexi-Abuelita will be a quilt, approximately 58” wide and 82” long. It will be constructed completely of treasured clothes and will be presented as a Christmas keepsake.

The design of Hexi-Abuelita will be an abstract patchwork of hexagons. At this point, we have cut 440 half-hexagons, the main body of the top will be comprised of approximately 220 hexagons.

The backing of this quilt is a floral table-cloth, another cherished item.

A predecessor to Hexi-Abuelita is our design and completed quilt, Blue Memories. (See Q101.)

Oh and for ya’ll Northerners Abuelita is the Spanish for Granny.

Keep up with our updates and status at Quilts SB.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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Q101 – Blue Memories – Quilt

Good Day,

Two sisters… The clothes of a treasured grandmother. An idea for Father’s Day. Blue Memories.

Blue Memories is a commissioned quilt… A gift to their Father for Father’s Day, of 46 shirts and skirts of their Father’s Mother, their Grandmother. And it is a humongous King-Size bedspread quilt.

After some discussion and ideas bandied about, a geometric design was fashioned to incorporate 6” (15.2 cms) and 2” (5.1 cms) squares cut from all the 46 fabrics. Each square had to be cut at 6 ½” (16.5 cms) and 2 ½” (6.4 cms) square to allow for seam allowance.

The following are my original grid and design of Blue Memories once each fabric was scanned and applied to the mock up.

The choice of placement of the 6” (15.2 cms) and 2” (5.1 cms) squares in the overall scheme of the design is based on a controlled randomness. We have developed a definite steadfast technique. All the cut 6 ½” (16.5 cms)  squares were placed in a brown paper bag. (I’m not sure if the color of the bag has anything to with the final composition of the squares and patterns.) The bag is shaken and stirred and then each square is drawn out one at a time. (We did decide to forgo the blindfold procedure of this methodology.)

The same was done with the 2 ½” (6.4 cms) squares. In the placement of the squares, especially the striped ones we attempted to position them all, as best as possible, in a uniform direction. The quilting was decided to be horizontal and parallel lines, perpendicular to the direction of the striped fabrics. Each line of quilting is ½” (1.3 cms) apart and each line is just about 1,700 stitches of thread.

The final dimensions of Blue Memories are: Length – 114” (290 cms) and Width 114” (290 cms). It is a large King size quilt that can be used as a bedspread. As the actual width of the Blue Memories is larger than the width of the rack of our Longarm quilting table, we compensated by completing a 3” (7.6 cms) wide diagonal series of parallel lines sewn on each side using a Domestic machine.

Here are some more images; close-ups and the back of Blue Memories.

The final destination and new home for Blue Memories is Baltimore, Maryland.

If you are interested of commissioning and working with Andy and I to create your memory quilt, please contact us. If you would like some more information of available quilts, regarding costs, shipping, and insurance, please check our Quilts SB Etsy shop.

Andy and I are moving at a steady pace with our quilt and fabric wall hanging work. Keep abreast of all updates. I have added a “Follow By Email” capability at the bottom right of each posting under The Grid. You can also become a Follower of Quilts SB. Click on the “Join this site” to follow Quilts SB. I’ve added another means to follow the images of our quilt creations via Pinterest.

Check out my new experimental format of my Blog, Quilts SB Test. Certainly would appreciate your feedback.

To see previously posted quilts, there is a visual Grid presentation at the bottom of the Quilts SB page. Move your cursor over any mini-picture found there and click to see an enlargement. Move your cursor to the "Q#" link to see the quilt's details. If the quilt’s title is highlighted in yellow or in red, it has found a home in a collection and is no longer available.

If you have any questions and/or comments please feel free to get in touch with me via email.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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My Quip – Blue Memories In Progress – The Quilt Top is Done

Good Day and Happy Mother’s Day,

Thought you might like a gander at the completed top of our latest quilt, Blue Memories.

It is one large king-size quilt, and all-things-being-equal it may be used, when completed, as a king-sized bedspread.

We are very pleased how the arbitrariness of the placing of the squares of the 46 fabric fit and present a very nice composed and comforting feature. The sewn 6”and 2” squares are set to our original design.

The quilting of the top, batting, and backing fabric continues, and we are excited that this will be, albeit a huge one, a well-treasured quilt.

Here are some more images of different angles, that I took on a King size bed. Check out the overhanging sides…

Keep tuned to Quilts SB to follow our progress of Blue Memories.

If you are interested, and would like some more information of available quilts, regarding costs, shipping, and insurance, please check our Quilts SB Etsy shop.

Andy and I are moving at a steady pace with our quilt and fabric wall hanging work. Keep abreast of all updates. I have added a “Follow By Email” capability at the bottom right of each posting under The Grid. You can also become a Follower of Quilts SB. Click on the “Join this site” to follow Quilts SB. I’ve added another means to follow the images of our quilt creations via Pinterest.

Check out my new experimental format of my Blog, Quilts SB Test. Certainly would appreciate your feedback.

To see previously posted quilts, there is a visual Grid presentation at the bottom of the Quilts SB page. Move your cursor over any mini-picture found there and click to see an enlargement. Move your cursor to the "Q#" link to see the quilt's details. If the quilt’s title is highlighted in yellow or in red, it has found a home in a collection and is no longer available.

If you have any questions and/or comments please feel free to get in touch with me via email.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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My Quip – Blue Memories In Progress – How Many Stitches?

Good Day,

Blue Memories Quilt top has been pieced and completed. It is now ready to be quilted. We have learned one valuable lesson… One cannot load a quilt on a Longarm frame that is wider than the width parameter of the Longarm rack.

After one row of horizontal quilting, we counted just fewer than 1,700 stitches of quilting. That is, 1,700 stitches to almost traverse the width of Blue Memories.

And we have calculated that there will be more than 220 rows of horizontal quilting. In another words, that is, 382,000 stitches. This of course does not include the border quilting or the binding. Now we’re talking about 400,000 stitches. That is one heck of a lot of thread.

Keep tuned to Quilts SB to follow our progress of Blue Memories.

If you are interested, and would like some more information of available quilts, regarding costs, shipping, and insurance, please check our Quilts SB Etsy shop.

Andy and I are moving at a steady pace with our quilt and fabric wall hanging work. Keep abreast of all updates. I have added a “Follow By Email” capability at the bottom right of each posting under The Grid. You can also become a Follower of Quilts SB. Click on the “Join this site” to follow Quilts SB. I’ve added another means to follow the images of our quilt creations via Pinterest.

Check out my new experimental format of my Blog, Quilts SB Test. Certainly would appreciate your feedback.

To see previously posted quilts, there is a visual Grid presentation at the bottom of the Quilts SB page. Move your cursor over any mini-picture found there and click to see an enlargement. Move your cursor to the "Q#" link to see the quilt's details. If the quilt’s title is highlighted in yellow or in red, it has found a home in a collection and is no longer available.

If you have any questions and/or comments please feel free to get in touch with me via email.

Enjoy,

Jim and Andy

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