We’ve had a really wonderful summer here in Portland and today was a standout day. It was sunny and a perfect high temp of about 75. It was 70 degrees at 1:00 in the afternoon. I had my sliding glass door open all morning as I worked.
I changed the sheets on my bed yesterday and decided to take off all the blankets and only use two top sheets. It was so cool last night that I was cold all night! I woke up several times thinking I should get up and get a blanket. But I chose to shiver instead! It was really nice to sleep in a cool room.
I was thinking this evening about my friend who lost her husband suddenly last week and I decided something. I’m going to give her a quilt that I’ve had completed for a couple years. Here’s a post about that finished quilt. The photos in that post don’t do this quilt justice. I’m going to try to get a better photo tomorrow night. It looks really harsh in the photos. It’s actually softer in person.
This photo gives you a better idea of what it actually looks like.
I have something different to share from our walk tonight. We were about 1.25 miles into our 3.5 mile walk when I happened to look down and see this Stellar’s Jay feather on the street.
This photo gives you a good idea of how small it is.
I just love Stellar’s Jays. Look at this amazing cobalt color darkening up to the crest. GAH!!!
After our walk I hit my sewing room and managed to get the panels I quilted last night sewn into the outer body. These fabrics are pretty striking.
This bag has two sides. Amazing.
It didn’t take very long to get that sewn together so I decided to sit down with a set of hexis and sew together another flower. I changed my method yet again.
Kathy Whitmore commented on one of my blog posts the other day and suggested that I sew the hexis together in three segments. Then sew those three segments together.
It’s so funny because I had actually been thinking about how to sew these sets together in a more efficient and quick way. And Kathy confirmed what I had been thinking.
So I sewed this set together tonight and it worked really well. It meant that I didn’t have to tie off thread as often. It gave me longer seams to complete and I’m happy to thread the needle as little as possible.
I also decided to go back to sewing the pieces together with a whip stitch rather than the ladder stitch I’ve been using. And I’m really pleased with how this hexi flower turned out. It’s probably the best overall stitching of all the hexi sets I’ve sewn together.
And I love that it all went together really quickly. I love finding more efficient ways to do things.
We have a few hot days coming up, but overall this is a pretty good forecast. We’re lucky that we haven’t been suffering with the same heat as others have.
Rico was very disappointed that it took me so long to get going on our evening walk after leashing him up.
agilejack 
How about sewing your hexās together by machineš¤š¤š¤š¤ zig zag or another patterned stitch that goes both ways š¤š¤
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I have never seen a bird nor feather like that! Stellar, so beautifully blue. Thank you.
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Thanks for sharing about the Stellar Jay. I’ve never seen that type of bird. It’s gorgeous. What a wonderful idea to give your friend one of your beautiful quilts! I’m sure it will bring her comfort and brighten her days. She is lucky to have you for a friend.
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what do you plan to make out of all those hexis ?
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I’ve never seen a Stellar’s Jay before. He’s stunningly beautiful. The colors in that feather – wow!
The gift of the quilt is so thoughtful, Anne.
And seeing you bags always makes me happy.
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I absolutely love the colors in this bag. Itās gorgeous. Is it for sale?
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I love that quilt you are gifting. That is really sweet and thoughtful of you. Your hexi flowers are gorgeous!!!
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We caught a glimpse of the Stellar Jay while travelingā¦what a beautiful bird! The blue is outstanding! We have the Blue Jays in Iowaā¦love them also! They are bigā¦and bulliesš I really look forward to your postsā¦you lead a very interesting lifeā¤ļø
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Thank you for the shout out regarding how to sew the hexis, but my suggestion was to concentrate on sewing all parts to the center hexi. I hope you can identify the contributor who gave you the idea of sewing in 3 sections. I donāt want to take credit for someone elseās brainchild!! I really like the idea of sew SMART, not HARD!
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That is a really beautiful quilt you are giving to your friend. Can you tell me the length of the sides of the central triangles in the inner section of each block or the size of the hexigon? You are a good friend. The colors and fabrics in your latest tote are amazing. They are so energizing. It’s a wow!
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These hexagons were made from 2.5 inch hexagons. This post has a photo of cutting the triangles from the strip sets. https://agilejack1.com/2019/03/04/hexagon-quilt-progresses/
This post shows a little about how I constructed it. https://agilejack1.com/2019/02/19/thinking-about-my-next-quilt/
I don’t have measurements of the triangles.
Anne
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I have been thinking of your friend whose husband died suddenly, too. It is unspeakably sad, and I applaud your gift to her of a quilt you love and that took so much time and thought to create. It is always difficult for me, in these situations, to know what to do or say to comfort. My first impulse is āIāll make him/her a quilt!ā I donāt always act on that, but I did for a good friend who was going through chemotherapy, and to this day he treasures that quilt, tells everyone about it, and has noted on several occasions that it did exactly what I had hoped it wouldāwrap him in a great big fog of love as he underwent the treatments. And it apparently has continued to have that same effect, even a couple of years after the fact. A loving gesture seems to have great power, no matter what it is. But quilts are our specialty, yes? Good for you. May she recognize your heart in that quilt, and may it bring herāat the very leastāsome respite from her sadness in her recognition of your love and care.
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I gave a quilt to a friend several years ago as she was going through surgery and treatment for thyroid surgery. The first night she sent me a photo of her under the quilt with her beloved dog on her lap. It made me so happy because she loved it so much she made it a part of her life!
Anne
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That’s a beautiful quilt that you are gifting, I am sure it will be well loved and appreciated. Every bit of your blog resonated with me today, wonderful! Silly question for you…do you recall where you got the rug that Rico is lying on? I really like it!
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I don’t remember where I bought them but they are available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Mohawk-Home-Wave-Rainbow-Multi/dp/B009PRVKSA/ref=sr_1_27?crid=1IHZEB8N4VN37&keywords=striped+throw+rug&qid=1658345384&sprefix=striped+throw+rug%2Caps%2C455&sr=8-27
With the name/manufacturer you might be able to find them from other sellers.
Anne
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Itās so beautiful there! I dream of cooler days. Iām in Texas & at 110 itās brutal. Even my crepe myrtles didnāt bloom & they are heat tolerant. Your pups are so cute! Love you sharing your adventures!
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We’ve been really lucky with our mild summer. It’s getting hotter the next few days but nothing like what others are seeing. I feel fortunate.
Anne
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What a nice idea to give your friend the quilt. My friend’s husband died of a heart attack a few years ago. It was so horrible. He was such a great guy.
The feather is so pretty and the bird is too! We finally have some scrub jays back here, we used to have a lot but the left for a few years.
Love the bag!
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My friend seems to be doing ok, but still in a little shock. I hope to actually see her later this week.
Anne
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Your hexies look so pretty. What a great idea to sew them together in rows! Whoever suggested it, Iām going to use it the next time Iām stitching hexagon flowers. The quilt you are gifting your friend is beautiful. How sweet and wonderful to giver her something from your hands and heart. Lastly, I love Stellar Jays. At our old house, we had hundreds it seemed. They were so much fun and always provided lots of noise and chatter. That beautiful electric blue! Weāve moved from the open into the woods and at the new place we donāt have Stellars for whatever reason. Instead, weāve got Bald Eagles and Ospreys.
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I don’t see hundreds of Stellar’s Jays, but I do see them more often now than I used to. I just LOVE them!
This new method of sewing the hexis in rows is working really well… so much more efficient and quick!
Anne
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Super beautiful hexagon KF quilt ā¤ļø your friend will be honored to have it.
I am amazed at those beautiful hexie’s you are hand sewing. I am terrible at hand sewing and avoid it.
Rico is super cute waiting patiently. Our dog barks like crazy once her harness is on. Enjoy your beautiful weather!
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I don’t like hand sewing either. I love things that are made with hand sewing but it’s not something I love to do. But this isn’t as awful as I though it would be. So that’s something.
Anne
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Iām so jealous, we hit 104 today, I would love temps in the 70s! We might cool off to 99 Thursday! Going to get in the pool after sundown. I hope the water wonāt be too warm. We have a few š¦ bats that swoop around getting mosquitoes at night and we enjoy watching them and the lightning bugs. Your friend will cherish that quilt, so sweet of you š„°. We donāt have Stellars jays here, they are beautiful!
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It’s not unusual for me to have bats swooping around my yard in the evenings. I love having them around! WE don’t have lightning bugs, but I have seen them in other places.
It’s hotter here for a few days, but not like what you have.
Anne
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Go Rico! Come on mum!
I take my cat, Possum, for walks around the garden morning and evening, and he’s always impatient to get going! He wears a little chest harness.
Your kindness and love for your dear friend is pure love. I feel privileged to ‘know’ you through your blogging.
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Rico also gets impatient if I stop and talk to people. Just barks and barks because he wants to keep moving!
Anne
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Your hexies are beautiful. You have the best fabric!!! Hexies are great to take along and work on without taking up much space. I had a hexie project that lasted several years. When it was finally finished, I had used 8,242 hexies. The quilt is now on my bed. Over time I had developed a system that worked well for me.
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OMG! That’s a LOT of hexies!!! They must have been smaller than what I’m making!
Anne
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One side is 3/4ā.
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Yikes!
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I have a question for you…..do you wash your fabric before using it? There are as many people for as against, but I haven’t seen any remark on your post about the possibility of washing the bags. Still loving your posts full of ideas by the way!
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I am firmly in the non washing group. The only fabric I’ve ever prewashed was a wide backing I used recently as someone said they can shrink significantly. Even the KFC wide backs are different from their regular quilting cottons. So I was afraid the backing would shrink more than the fabrics on the front of the quilt.
YOu’ll have to wash a bag you make eventually. I’d just recommend washing it on the gentle cycle and don’t throw it in a hot dryer. Maybe toss it gently to get it partially dry and then shape it with your hands and let it air dry the rest of the way.
Anne
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Sewing the hexi flowers together in three rows is genius!! I have sewed hundreds together but this way is sooooo much better. Definitely a game changer for me. I love your colorful fabrics and all the things you do with them. Iām not sure how I found your blog but I am so glad I did. I enjoy your dogs even though Iām not a dog person. And the flowers are great too. Keep up the good work!
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