i heart hexagons

not that it is a secret or anything!

now that the hexagon quilt a long is over

{ tutorials all still available here }

it's back to some hand piecing!

i work on my hexies from time to time... but whether it was the world cup... the hexie flickr pool.. or something else... hexies seem to be all the rage this summer in blog land!

and i love it!

i missed out on round one... but i wasn't gonna miss round two!

here are the hexies i made for my secret partner

for handsome hexies the swap {on flickr}

fabrics are from Celebrate Seuss! and The Cat in the Hat fabric collections

from robert kaufman... both due in shops in september!

as a cute stack when i had half of them done

a closeup of my favorite one

{ i fussy cut a few of the fabrics }

now i just need to make a holder for them...

here is a photo from back in sept...

of a project that never got finished
{ life gets in the way sometimes! }

but... i did take step by step photos back then

so i'll post them soon & show you tips on how i make hexies

and show you a bit more of this still yet to be finished project!

i have a growing hex charm project

made all from scraps... no duplicates

the back shows that i use paper hexies

and plastic ones...

i like the plastic ones better... i'll tell you all about them when i show my step by step photos

a pile waiting to be added to the other hexies

a pile cut and ready to be worked on during my flight yesterday
{ i didn't get too many done.. but i did make progress! }

and a set already started

i came up with a plan for my giant hexagons

{ 3" sides and 6" across}

fabrics are...

Urban Zoologie by Ann Kelle {available now}

Urban Circus by Laurie Wisbrun {available in august}

both from robert kaufman

after auditioning them on a lot of different solids

i settled on kona crush in chocolate

my plan is to make a simple whole cloth quilt

with a vertical stripe of hexagons

{ the wind did not make taking pictures easy... }

but you get the idea

oh and head on over to the swatch & stitch

robert kaufman's blog..

to see a video of me!

;-)

to swap or not to swap { & giveaway winner announced! }

heather & kerri are at it again!

{the brains behind the pillow swap}

they have just started a new swap.

The { Urban } HOME Goods - a modern swap

pillow talk swap done!

first off..

thank you for all of your opinions on my original pillow idea

i read each one.

tried a few things.

but the flower wasn't cooperating... so since my deadline was approaching.. i put the flower aside for another day... and made this....

i love it.

love love it.

so much that it was really hard to send it!!

here it is in progress.

it fits a 14" pillow form.

the white.. and final navy linen border are a flange. 

i quited along the shape of the hexagons... 1/4" in and around all the shapes. 

since my partner sent me my pillow early.

the two of them got to hang out together for a few hours...

how great is this pillow that quiltinkimmie made me??

i just love it!

my pillow loved it too.

they didn't want to leave each other.

they hung out together for a while.

along with my fantastic denyse schmidt pillow {thank you!}

wall art & ottoman via target

& since this post is all about hexagons...
& since the cat is already out of the bag...
i'll be hosting the next old red barn quilt a long!!!
yesm... me!
a hexagon quilt a long!

as dana put it... "Julie has graciously volunteered to teach us the mystery of the hexing hexagon."

so are you in??
we will be starting mid april...
so you have some time to plan!

pillow talk swap... opinions needed!

so a while back i joined the pillow talk swap

hosted by heather & kerri over on flickr

i got a few ideas...

tried them and changed plans...

and had today set as the deadline in my calendar.. so i really started thinking & working on it over the weekend... i uploaded the below photos to flickr & began to panic when i didn't get answers right away...

until.

i realized that the actual deadline is wednesday.. and not today.

phew.

this is why i self impose earlier deadlines!

so now i have time to ask all of you...

the base is linen... quilted with variegated green & brown thread

the blue flower is made with kona crush.. the purple thread is just basting thread to keep the flower together... it isn't attached yet.

option #1.

keep it simple.. just one flower.

option #2.

add a ruffle w/ kona solid and a structured piece of linen in the center

& add a flower in kona solid.

option #3.

overlap the flowers on the ruffle

other ideas i had...

add a print?

keep it solid?

a border? 

fyi.

the flower was inspired by these pillows from target.

but i didn't want to make the same thing you could buy...

so tell me your thoughts...

so i can work on this pillow tonight!!

thanks ;-)

i've been productive.

as you know i signed up for this...

and admitted 14.

since then i've been busy!

my sig swap blocks have been signed & mailed out...

i found time to quilt this for my mom..

its been just a top since i did this tutorial for you

i also finished this..

not a tree skirt.. but there is a secret inside...

i'll have the tutorial for you next week!

and i got this baby done...

she'll be on the bake shop for ya next week.

i love crossing things off on lists as finished!!!

so i guess that counts as 3 done.. 11 to go.

since i have to wait for the sig swap blocks to come back to me.

i have been working on lots

and like amy i have lots going on i can't share yet.

different kind of lots.

but good stuff.

anyway its hard to not show you & tell you everything.

but i promise as soon as i can.

i will.

;-)

so have you been productive??

it's november?

really where did the time go..

i have trouble realizing it's november... if feels like march was yesterday.

i spent friday evening catching up with allison {and her kids} at barnes & noble

the kids stayed pretty busy reading some books & playing while i talked about market... gave allison some fabric gifts... and just caught up on life.

when we were getting ready to leave we walked over to the magazine section to check out the new quilty magazines... and look what i found.

yes i let out a little scream.

allison shows her kids... & her daughter lyssie goes "that doesn't look like her"

out of the mouths of babes...

in her defense.. it's a good picture... and at b&n i had my hair up.. and wasn't dressed up.

i was so happy i bought two.

--

on saturday i taught a class at spool on coupon clutches.

i had made this one as a new sample

in progress....

here is what my students whipped up....

no piecing.. one fabric with contrast quilting... and no tucked corners

wonky french braid with no tucked corners

wonky french braid & straight wonky piecing both with tucked corners

wonky french braid with tucked corners

wonky french braid with no tucked corners

you can't see in this pic but she used selvages & it looked great

and lastly wonky french braid with no tucked corners

they all turned out so different... and still so pretty!!

--

and sunday... i caught up on lots of odds and ends... and finished piecing my sig swap blocks

now i just have to sign them.. all 70.

i played with a layout & i think this is what i'm gonna do...

an 8x8 layout would use 64 & i'd have 6 leftover... so we'll see!!!

fyi...you still have till tomorrow {tuesday} night to enter my 100th post giveaway

100th post giveaway... & wip wednesday! {ended}

i can't believe its been 100 posts already!

to celebrate.. its giveaway time!!

because barb & mary of me & my sister are the sweetest ladies ever... its all about spring fever!!

i snagged some goodies at market just for this!
1. a quilt kit for easy 1..2..3 of spring fever [quilt #2}
2. a charm pack from spring fever
3. a pinwheel & rubber ducky from me & my sister's booth decorations!


the kit comes in the cute canvas bag & is right from sample spree..
it even has a removable tag with 3 moda tags on it you can use on your quilt...

the pattern is great for a quick gift or teaching someone to quilt..
it uses 3 1/2" strips.. all cut & ready for you!

i'm even adding a triangle signed by mary of me & my sister...

& best of all the pattern has 3 quilts in one!

so lets make this fun...

to enter.. leave a comment & tell me if "spring" is your favorite season.. or what season is.. and why! {i'm a fall girl.. love those leaves!!}

for a second try... blog about my giveaway on your blog... and let me know

for a third... twitter about it.. & leave another comment..

for a fourth.. follow by blog.. or tell me you do... & leave another comment..

for a fifth.. join the fig tree club over @ the quilt shoppe & tell me! ..she has a special.. just for you guys! .. see below..

you have till tuesday next week {the 10th} @ midnight EST to enter!! good luck!

{ended}

lani @ the quilt shoppe is offering you... my faithful readers a deal!

she has less than 10 spots left in the fig tree club! {you know i joined the club...}

go sign up now... you'll get your registration fee free {i'll be taken off the 1st month's cost}... and get 10% off ALL four quarters!! to get this special... you have to put a note in the comments section of your order saying that you want the special deal from julie's 100th post!! @ jaybirdquilts!

also the quilt shoppe will include a free goodie with each quarter.. this month's is the new fresh vintage #13!! {i so want that!}

--

oh yeah... it's still wip wednesday too....

a while back i signed up for the sig swap hosted by melissa...

i'm not a repro style girl.. so i traded kim for some civil war repros.. started cutting.. and sewed one piece into another by accident... oh fun! only 70 to make.. but i'm going to finish them this week!!!