I had a ball playing in my sewing room preparing for the hop, exploring a new shape and piecing options. I hope that you will also cheer on today's group of participants. Some blog names I recognize, some I do not but I can guarantee that we all are going to be in for a treat!
Tuesday, August 27
I've got quilt meeting today so will have to hop on my return. While the car is packed, I still need to shower and dress! However I did want to talk a little hexagon first since I have a few minutes, LOL. One of the posters yesterday asked what our first hexie project had been/would be. I think I forgot to answer that in commenting on her blog but it did set me to thinking, later when I couldn't sleep.
I began quilting in the late 80's joining the Hands All Around Quilt Guild based in Bloomington, Illinois shortly thereafter. One of the speakers shortly after I joined was Janet B. Elwin who may have been that era's Hexie Queen. I have a copy of her book written in 1986 Hexagon Magic: Using the Versatile Six-Sided Shape to Create New Patchwork Sensations. I am searching my mind (and coming up blank right now!) but I believe that cover quilt was one that was recognized in the top 100 quilts??? Google and Wikipedia are no help on a quick glance and I really don't have time to find more details.
The link will take you to amazon where you can still find the book on the secondary market and essentially pay for shipping. Anyway I took a guild workshop with her at the time for "Ode to Grandmother" which I never finished and finally tossed what I did manage to get done. This was back in 90 so my skills were NOT there yet.
Still, it was a good exercise in not only drafting circles but also drafting sectioning in the hexagon shape itself. I think that is part of what our cheerleader Debby Kratovil with the half hexie rulers and 60 degree equilateral rulers she has developed. You can see from the opposite page a few of the break downs and trust me, there were a ton more in the book. Some using curved shape in a rob peter, pay pal or orange peel arrangement. "Ode to Grandmother" would be a fun one for me to try now that I think my skills may match up a bit better, or I would sure hope so about 20 some years later! Especially if Mdm, Samm has another hexagon blog hop. This one was popular enough to add another day, after all.
I found the Hexagon size chart on Chapter 2 page 16 helpful for this hop especially since I was having a break down in communication with my ruler substitution. ( I do NOT want to keep buying specialty rulers to get the job done, nor do I think I have to when others should do the job.) Another interesting reference point was a drawing with all the different sizes of hexagon, measured by the length of the sides. This is exactly how the Marti Michell ruler set up does it, From what I can tell the length of the hexies measures from the middle point to middle point, approximately and inch to an inch and half in difference. Width then is the height of the hexie from the flat side down. I know that sounds a bit confusing--perhaps this link will be of some assistance. http://www.fromthebluechair.com/2012/08/tutorial-cutting-accurate-hexagons.html
Tomorrow I will share one of my other early hexagon ideas but now, I really must get going! 30 minutes till blast on outta here!
Congratulations on your win yesterday! Isn't it amazing that something we think is new - hexagons - really isn't! You have proof in that book from the 80's!
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