Hexagons Galore

Five years ago, I wrote a blog post about starting a hexagon quilt.  I was making it purely for my own pleasure and I wanted to make it for our large double bed.  I had calculated I would need over 2,000 hexagons and it would take me at least 18 months.  Well, that was me being hopelessly over-optimistic as normal!  Five years later and the quilt is still in progress.  Realistically, it is going to take me another five years.

In progress

The process is slow, but satisfying and it is perfect for picking up and stitching now and again.  Mainly I have been stitching on long drives (when I am the passenger!) and on holiday.  It would be great for sewing in front of the TV, but I don't often sit in front of the TV that long at the moment.  It goes in fits and starts.

My hexagon kit

I keep the ongoing pieces in a little pencil case, but the actual top is now getting a bit bulky, so can only be stitched at home.  I worked out the best way of piecing - I make the rosettes, with a central red hexagon, then two full rounds of hexagons and I add 8 white hexagons on one side.  I had played around with the layout trying to work out the best way as I didn't want to be stitching just white hexagons for months on end as I near completion.

An individual section ready to be added to the quilt

I taught hexagons, along with layer and slashing and fabric postcards at the new Knitting and Stitching Show in Edinburgh at the weekend.  It was a lovely event, and great to share my passions with other stitchers.  I also enjoyed catching up with friends old and new.  I had to make a little sample for the hexagon workshop and thought I could just use a piece of the larger quilt in progress... except it didn't look right, so I had a very pleasant day on last Wednesday just hand stitching this piece.

The sample I made this week

I have also started a couple of other little hexagon projects and have paper to make a diamond quilt.  But really, I need to just concentrate and get this one finished... in about five years time.