Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Extending the Hexagon Theme.







I had been planning my next small project in my mind for a while .....having hexagons on my brain planted a seed .......there are other ideas here you could try, using this same method, I thought. ( this is the 1st )



After a week of fine weather and hard work , 2 very wet days and nights gave me the chance to stay inside and cut out and prepare these. Big hexagons and middle sized hexagons...to make sets of table mats. I had already purchased some lovely Christmas fabrics when I saw them and I hope to use up other non Christmas themed scraps for smaller sets. I will make some for gifts and maybe a few for our sales table next week. They are made using the same method of folding the backing fabric forward around the batting and feature fabric; turning under the edges, mitring the corners all facing the same way; hand stitching then machine quilting. On these I have quilted a star shape which can be easily worked out by ruling from corner to corner on the hex shape.
Measuring a hexagon is always done tip to tip across it's widest part. These are 11.5 '' ( with 6 inch sides ) for the big mat and 6 " ( with 3 inch sides ) for the smaller ones.
As long as I find time each day to cut a few out ready I have something to handsew each night. Progress seems quite rapid so I am pleased to be producing some finished articles quickly. ( much quicker than a 325 hex quilt any way lol) Thank you all for your generous comments on the finished quilt in the previous post. It made me feel happy so thanks ladies .
Someone asked who that quilt was for. The answer is My house! Both hex quilts are staying here ( for now anyway. ) When someone comes to visit they may choose which quilt they would like on their bed. Leaving quilts on beds with the strong NZ sun is not a good idea so good quilts get put out for use then put away again. The one permanently on our bed has faded really badly especially on one dark blue fabric.....so I know to be careful.

7 comments:

Janice said...

Hi Ali - that's a great idea! I've made hexagon oven cloths but bound them as usual. I gave them to friends but they use them as table mats because they don't want to get them burnt. But I never thought of doing them with the back folding to the front, silly really, it makes it so easy.

Fiona said...

Ingenious - and a good shape for place mats.

meggie said...

For some reason Blue seems to fade really badly. I made Leo a quilt, & the *expensive* blue fabrics have faded so much!
Your lovely placemat idea is worth copying!!

Joyce said...

Love the placemats and the hexagon quilt is amazing. I keep planning to do some binding by turning over the back but never have yet.

Birdydownunder said...

what a wonderful gift idea

Suzy said...

Looks like to have been bitten by the Hex Bug!!
I also have made hexagonal placemats for christmas gifts - mine had folded points on the front in layers.

Unknown said...

You are stuck in hexagons ;) I love your work.