Hexed by a Hexagon!

      

I've been hexed! I found a fabric that I just HAD to have! (Imagine that!) It's Radiance Lace by Beth Studley for Makower. 

I brought it home and started pulling fabrics from my stash to see what I had that complimented the colors in the fabric. Then I started trying to decide on a quilt that would show it off. Most blocks required cutting the fabric into pieces too small to really let the design sing....except for these large hexagons. Each side is 6" long.

I love the look! I at first pulled bright reds and golds from my stash. I decided then that I would try to tone it down a little (really hard for me!) and give it a more feminine look. When I laid it all out to see, I wanted more. I went to a local thrift shop and bought some vintage laces and doilies. I embellished some of the blocks with these. Later, I read that Beth had been inspired by vintage lace, so it turned out to be quite fitting!

After that, I decided it was like a giant bee hive, so I appliqued some bees on half a dozen blocks.  

So here it is draped across a bed. I haven't decided on a "home" for it yet, but it is big enough for a twin sized bed and could easily be made larger. It is completely hand sewn with each block quilted as I went along. 

I can envision doing this with fabrics from  men's shirts or with novelty prints for a child. It could be any size you want with blocks any size you choose. 

On the homefront, we are getting closer and closer to finishing the downstairs. We are waiting on a couple of inspections before having the drywall put up. After that, I can paint! Of course, we still will have a LOT to do - tiling the showers, finishing the kitchenette, flooring! BUT, we'll be able to see the new rooms with walls.

My garden, small as it is, is beginning to bloom.

The hydrangeas are covered with buds, but they haven't opened yet. 

We are having some thunderstorms and hail, so hopefully, they will benefit from that and not suffer!

Until next time!

 

School Supplies for the Sewing Room!

(Check out Debby Kratovil  Quilts today! I've been featured! I made some throw pillows using a beautiful line of Bernatex fabrics!)

As a former teacher, I can't resist the school supply aisles at the local stores. I am drawn to them like a deer to water! 

I found these great little metal boxes this year! They have a black top and brightly colored sides. 

I used these great Expo Neon dry erase markers to write on the top of each what I would be storing inside the boxes. These markers are made for writing on windows.(Although the words can be erased, they do dull the shiny surface of the metal a little so you can tell where you have written.) 

I plan on a brightly colored sewing room, so I'm thinking these will add a pop of color on the shelves.

I think they would also make a great little toy for travel. Fill the boxes with the little magnetic alphabet letters and include a small box of sight word flash cards and let your child have an "educationally" great time!

Hill Country Updates:

We spent the weekend in the hill country. Although I posted that a lot would get done this week, there were delays. :(

We did walk in to find that the dry wall installer had been there! Yay! He did a lot of drywalling. Unfortunately, he did more than he was supposed to do! 

This half wall and these columns were supposed to be left for the stone workers to do. We have been removing dry wall where backer board and then rock are to be installed. This will delay us by quite a bit. We will have to have this removed. He also set all the electrical boxes that Doug had so carefully "UN-set" for the rock work.  Things like this can be a problem when you're not there to clarify things. I feel sorry for the dry wall guy. He was trying to do us a favor by getting this done before he had to go out of town.

We removed some picket fence and leveled an area in preparation for a garden shed. That will be built starting next Monday. There were raised garden plots here, so we shoveled the precious dirt out of them and into a different area. It was HOT work! 

At lunch, Doug went back to Home Depot and dropped me off at the thrift store. I found another souvenir plate! 25 cents!!! (I am working on a lap quilt that will be in the same room as the plates! I'm using them for inspiration. Watch for it in the See You In September Blog Hop!)

We bought a washer and dryer and it will be delivered around the end of September. (Hopefully, we will be ready for it by then!) 

The dry wall has to be in and the walls textured before the cabinets are in. The cabinets have to be in before the stone is in. The stone has to be in before the floor is laid.  Then we can take a break and go see our  grandkids. Thank goodness we live in an age where we can at least talk on the phone! Can you imagine how our great great grandmothers felt when their kids traveled west and even letters were few and far between? We really are blessed, aren't we?

Last summer we had a family Luau on our patio. My daughter-in-law had just returned from a two month duty station in Hawaii where my son had joined her for part of the time.

This was the last family get together there before the fire. Thank goodness for memories!

Toy Sewing Machine and Other Vintage Items

My oldest son sent me this adorable little toy sewing machine for my birthday! It is a Betsy Ross 707. According to what I can find, this model was made in the 1940's (the plaid box is an indicator). The 1950's models came in a red alligator textured box. 

This machine sews a chain stitch. I doubt I will be making quilts with it, but it will look so cute sitting in my sewing room!
I'm really drawn to all things vintage. I don't know why I'm so fascinated with them, but I am! Here are a few other "old" things that I consider treasures!
My husband's mom was a child in the "roaring 20's". She gave me these sweet "pin cushion dolls" many years ago. 

This little pin cushion doll is only about 2 1/2" to 3" tall including the skirt.

This pin cushion doll does not have her pin cushion skirt. She is about 3 1/2" tall without it.

This tape measure was in with my great grandmother's buttons. (She died in 1988 just shy of her 108th birthday!) It feels almost like paper. I have no idea how old it might be.

These sequins are not all THAT old, but old enough that you won't see any like this any more! A friend gave them to me. They had belonged to her mother. (Thank you, Diane!)

These two "knick-knacks" have nothing to do with sewing, but were also passed down to me. The snow globe on the right was from my grandmother and depicts a sailor and his girlfriend. (I have no idea how old it might be. - perhaps World War II?) The globe is very heavy glass and the base is a heavy porcelain or similar material. The globe unscrews from the base. I'm assuming that is for filling with water?

 This "saucy" little dancer belonged to my husband's mom. She appears to be dancing. Again, I have no idea of age, but she looks like she's having a grand old time!

When I look at these things, I don't really see old objects. I imagine stories and events surrounding them. Did my great grandmother use that measuring tape to sew for her family? Did some little girl learn to sew on the toy sewing machine? Although I may not know them, there are stories connected to these little things. 
Until next time....