I am so ready to be done with this scrappy hexagon quilt with the blue spots background. I had wanted to finish it up this weekend and move onto assembling up my crumb quilt, but I kept having all kinds of trouble.
So this is where it is as of this evening. The half that’s not on the design wall is done! All I have to do with this half is to sew these three sections together, then cut the bottom off straight.
I had wanted to do a little documentation on how I put the bottom and top rows together, and ran into all kinds of issues with the top section because I just flat out did it wrong! I had to pick out quite a few seams and redo them. But this next photo gives you an idea of how the last few rows go together. This is of the bottom section, so I did this one correctly the first time!
You sew the pieces together in diagonal rows. Then sew the diagonal rows to each other. This post shows a little more about how the rows go together.
The triangles at the bottom edge will be trimmed off even when it’s all sewn together. Then I’ll put a 1.5 or 2 inch border on the bottom and top and a wider border on the sides. This quilt is a little narrow and long so I want to add a little width.
When I made the original Kaffe Fassett Collective hexagon quilt that all these scraps came from, I remember it going together much more easily. I’ve really struggled with this one. It slowed me down yesterday and made it a frustrating process. It all seems so wonky and uneven. I think I didn’t do such a great job managing all those bias edges.
So I decided that tonight I’d only do a little bit and save the assembly of the larger pieces for later this week.
Once this is done I want to see if I can get some decent photos of it. It’s much prettier in person than it is in photos. It all feels so harsh in the photos. It’s much more friendly in person. But it is definitely bold! Not for someone who has discomfort with color!
The weather here in Portland has been fantastic. Today was such a perfect day. The next ten days look about the same. Mid 70s to low 80s and cooling down nicely at night. We took our typical two walks today — one mid day and one in the evening — and it was pretty glorious.
I did some calculations this afternoon and realized that my boys and I have walked around 800 miles since the first part of February! That’s like walking from Portland to Salt Lake City! I sure do feel a lot better and have dropped just shy of 50 lbs in the process! And my boys just love it. They get so excited when they start seeing the signs that I’m getting ready for a walk (headset, poop bags, leashes, phone. . .) It’s going to be quite an adjustment for them if I ever get to go back to working in the office.
If you wear glasses you know how tough it can be to wear a mask. A friend of mine gave me some self adhesive flat aluminum wires last week that you adhere to your mask to make it fit around your nose better and helps keep your glasses from fogging. So far, I’m a big fan. they work really well with my favorite mask. (You can find the pattern in this post.) I bought the flat wires on Amazon. I picked up several packages of 120 for around $8 each. I kept some and gave some to friends. It seems like you could use them on pretty much any style mask.
I broke down and cut my own bangs Sunday morning. They were really starting to bother me. They’re not really as short as they look. I’ve just pushed them up and to the side. I’m not willing to die for a hair cut, so I’ll tolerate this mop for awhile.
I took Rico to his agility lesson last week and my teacher snapped this photo of us. This is what dog agility looks like in a pandemic: a mask, crazy hair, and a dog who is REALLY excited to be out there doing agility!
agilejack 
This quilt is so awesome! Love all the brightness. Congrats on the weight loss and your bangs look fine 🙂 Wish it was cooler here in East Texas – mid to upper 90s and heat index close to 110, miserable. I love Fall best!
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Yikes! I don’t know how people live in that horrible humidity. I can tolerate a lot of different types of weather, but that’s one that I would find really tough to live with. I hope you get some relief soon! Fall is always nice… I love the cool down after the heat!
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Thanks for the tip about the aluminum wires. I ordered right away as I’m still making masks for friends and family!!
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Inspiring is the word for this post! I like seeing how the hexagons go together and the quilt is beautiful. 50 lbs is incredible, I do walk my dog but now realize that more walking would be better! And I will look for the self-adhesive aluminum wires. Great idea!
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Thanks! I’m glad you like this quilt. I love the colors and really like the hexagons. It will be really nice to see it all done and quilted! Walking has helped keep me sane during isolation! I’m working from home and I really NEED a walk mid day… it forces me to step away from my desk and I feel much better when I do.
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You can purchase Fog Gone for your eyeglasses. They don’t steam up.
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Hmmm. I’ll have to see if I can find some and give it a try. Foggy glasses make mask wearing really difficult! Thanks!
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I really enjoy your posts. Thanks, Joan
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Awww. Thanks! I got notification from WordPress last week that I had done my 100th post! I really do this so I can keep track of all the stuff I make, but it’s been really fun to see other people responding to the things I make. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
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I would love to have your weather!! We have had so many 90 degree days already this summer and lots more predicted in the next 10 days.
I haven’t had a hair cut either, also trimmed my bangs a little. My hair is like I wore it in the 1990s but so far hasn’t driven me crazy.
Congratulations on sticking with the long walks and losing that many pounds. It’s not an easy thing to stay motivated but your 2 partners are happy you are.
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When I first moved to Portland from Salt Lake, I was worried that it would be humid here, but it’s not in the summer. The last few summers have been hotter and drier. This summer has been really glorious.
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Hi. I love your masks. Dumb question. Do I cut 2 pieces of the pattern?? And sew them together on curve
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You cut two pieces for the outside of the mask, and two pieces for hte lining. I sew the curve that’s the front of the mask first… outside to outside, lining to lining. I use a 1/4 inch seam. Then I clip that curved seam allowance. The you sew the outside to the lining, leaving an opening along the straighter bottom edge of about 2.5 inches. Then I turn it inside out, press it, and topstitch all the way around the outside, making sure to catch both sides of the opening. Then I put in the elastics.
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Hi AJ! Talk about masks, fogging glasses and hair getting too long, just makes me sigh! Add to the mix – ear pieces of masks making hearing aids fall out! As I always say “nothing is ever easy when you’re 81” ! Plan ahead!!! I’ve done a lot of rotary cutting lately and now my left arm hurts from pressing down on the acrylic ruler! I have an Accuquilt GO that I’m going to use from now on. Guess I’ll just go in to my fabric acquisition room and fondle fabric. I just purchased Quilts in Morocco by Kaffe Fassett and it is a beautiful book – lots of inspiration. Beautiful color. Can’t wait to see the “crumb” blocks with the sashing up on the wall. You’re looking’ good girl, doing the ability thing!
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I used to knit a lot and really loved doing it, but I just can’t do much any more because it’s just too hard on my hands. So I sew more now. And a year ago this last Christmas, i started getting really terrible pain in my hip. Initially required oxycodone to keep me from crying. Turns out my sewing chair was too high and I put my right hip at a terrible angle when I used the foot pedal. It’s 1.5 years later and it’s still not better. Luckily it’s better when I’m active. Who would have thought I’d get a sewing injury! I hope to have the crumb blocks up on my design wall this weekend. I’ll share photos when I get them up. I can’t wait to see how it all looks!
Anne
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