Fabric Frolic Quilt

Finished quilt top drying in the warm summer sun.

I am a world champion procrastinator! I always leave things as long as possible before getting around to them, and this has always been a problem of mine.  Having confessed this, I am unlikely to change, so it is just how I am.

Today, after putting it off for months, I finished off the Ringwood Sewing Centre's version of the Fabric Frolic Quilt for 2014.  Each shop made the blocks for each other last year, so all I had to do was put together a quilt design.  I was absolutely stumped, and it took me so long to find inspiration, finally it came from Pinterest (isn't it great), and once I saw something like what I imagined I was off.  The result is a great looking quilt, although it remains a hexagon, which might cause some people worry, it doesn't concern me at all, it would look great on the centre of a bed, on the wall and even as a table quilt.

Right now the wet top is drying flat in the yard to remove some nasty size issues (sometimes happens when there are so many contributors to a quilt), and goodness knows if it will be quilted before the Frolic begins, but I do hope to twist Jim's arm and get him to whip it onto the Handi Quilter Fusion frame at the shop.  He will use Pro-Stitcher and have it done in no time at all!

This is the Ringwood Sewing Centre block, made using a stain glass window technique.  The theme for the Fabric Frolic is Crystallogy and all our blocks were inspired by a particular Gem.  Ours is inspired by the Opal.

I wanted to take some time and share on my blog, just how the process goes in terms of putting it together, so a photo How To.  When you get your pattern during the frolic it will have all the sizes you need to cut of the fabric, so this is just something to show you how it was done.

I began with 7 hexagons, with the longest measurement (through the middle) of 12 1/2".

First I prepared the background and star points.  You will need to have a 60 degree triangle ruler that is at least 12 1/2" long!

Cut you background setting fabric (the gold colour), in 6" strips.
Cut the framing fabric (I used a stripe and a pattern) in 1 1/2" strips.

Sew one strip of patterned fabric on either side of the background setting fabric.  This makes it quicker to cut the triangles, and saves quite a bit of wasted fabric.  You will still get some waste, but not as much as if you only did one side of the fabric!

Now, using the 60 degree triangle ruler, cut triangles that are the same measurement as one side of the hexagon, my sides were 5 3/4, and I cut at 5 1/2, but regret this, and advise you to cut a little bigger rather than smaller, it is easier to trim off excess fabric once the triangles are ready to sew in position.

Your triangles will be assembled in pairs using a 1/4" seam.

You will make six sets for every hexagon block you make.  Set these aside for a few minutes, and cut the fabric that you are using to make the star points.  I used black.

Cut the same size triangles as you cut from the pieced fabric, to 6" triangles.  The cutting instructions will be given to you when you pick up your pattern from Ringwood Sewing Centre during the Fabric Frolic.

Using a 1/4" seam sew three black triangles to the hexagon block.

 

 Assemble the three side units, by sewing the setting diamonds to the black star triangles.

Sew the prepared units to the block as shown above.

Repeat this process for all your blocks.

Lay your blocks out to work out the arrangement that you like the most.

You will make the large setting diamonds using the same method that you used to make the diamonds within each hexagon block, and the cutting sizes in the instructions you will receive during the frolic.

Happy New Year!

My husband, Jim tells me that he finds it hard to find the perfect gift for me!  Mental note to self, drop more hints, leave pictures circled, and if in doubt just tell him what I want.

This year he struck gold with not one, not two but three great gifts.  The first was practical - my lovely (oh gosh I miss it) Samsung was faulting so it needed to be replaced, and it was, with the new iPhone 5.  Now I confess to having fallen in love with my Apple Mac, and it is my laptop of choice over my HP.  But since I use my Mac it made sense to go over to an iPhone because my Samsung didn't talk to my Mac.  While he was at it he upgraded a free iPad Mini and gave me that too.  Now all my technology should hook up and that will be more productive (forgive me Samsung).  

My third gift was low tech, a beautiful veggie garden.  It is a u-beaut (Australian for great) kit set job, that went together like a dream.  The whole garden is enclosed with insect screens which should eliminate the need to use pesticides, and in the cooler months there are vinyl screens to turn it into a hot house.  I've finished moving all my plants from the vertical gardens we made about a month ago, and planted lots of seeds.  I think Jim is going to put in a watering system, and so all we will need to do is wait to harvest all the goodies. 

We had a lovely Christmas eve with family and friends, and with the shop re-opening today it seems like forever since Christmas Day!  

I've got so much to do to prep for classes beginning at the shop in just 2 weeks, and of course the digitising retreat.  Time to stop wasting time on Pinterest (gosh isn't it easy to spend hours being inspired?), and get on with samples.