My hexagons are glorious and scrappy

I've been EPP-ing (English Paper Piecing) my Glorious Hexagons, and it's becoming quite addictive. Because of the possibilities this technique has to offer, I find myself looking at fabrics in a totally different way.

Progress with the "Glorious Hexagon Quilt Along"

I quilt by the philosophy, "Why use 5 when you can use 50?" and I also adore scrappy quilts. So for right now, I'm just enjoying the EPP process while using random fabrics from Blank Quilting and StudioE Fabrics. Here are a few of them.

From "By the Sea" by StudioE Fabrics.

"A Stitch in Time" and a Splash blender by Blank Quilting.

"Natural Wonders" and "By the Sea" by Elizabeth Isles from StudioE.

Shoes from "Lady Claire" and "Bonita" from Blank Quilting.

"Gentle Forest," Autumn Elegance" and "By the Sea" from StudioE.

Several friends and I are also posting photos of Glorious Hexies and other projects made with fabrics from Blank Quilting and StudioE on our Blank Quilting Q-bies and StudioE Fabrics Q-bies Facebook groups. Come over and join in the fun.

ATCs: Whisperings from within

"You've GOT what it takes." by Veronica Hofman-Ortega

Do you ever hear that little voice in your head (or in your heart) speaking to you? What does it say?

Something inspirational or encouraging such as, "You can do it!"

Something hopeful like, "Is this the one?"

Or perhaps it is a reminder for how to set the tone for your day, "Smile."  "Be happy."

The ATC (Artist Trading Card) theme for the February FiberAntics ATC swap was "Whisperings from within." Here are the whisperings that the ATC traders heard and then interpreted in their cards.

Enjoy the art and I hope the noises in my head aren't bothering you.

"Whisperings from Within" by Bonnie Stevens

When opened, the inside of Bonnie's ATC reveals the whisperings.

Inside: "Whisperings from Within" by Bonnie Stevens

"Whisperings from Within" by Diane Pineschi

"Kiss Me!!!" by Liz Armstrong

Here is an encouraging reminder that great things can come from small beginnings.

"Mighty Oaks from little acorns grow" by Karen Downer

From a poem by e.e. cummings:

"Greenly Spirits of Trees" by Cathy Dillon

"Whispers in the night" by Sharon Griffith

"The Subtle Conversation" by Marilyn League

"Whisperings from Within" by Dawn Spagna

Glorious Hexagons: a Quilt-Along with Paper Pieces

I've joined the Glorious Hexagons Quilt-Along!

Each time I visit Paducah, KY, I try to stop in to see the gang at Paper Pieces—JoAnne, Cathy, Jess... and Lily [the dog], of course. Cathy always apprises me of the latest and greatest quilts, books, kits and projects that English Paper Piecing [EPP] aficionados are pumped up about. Needless to say, her excitement is contagious and you want to take home "one of each, please!"

With a renewed interest in the Slow Stitching Movement and giving a presentation on "Quilting with Hexies" at my quilt guild, I've noticed that hexagons have creeped into several of my quilting projects. Last November when I was visiting Paper Pieces, I was blown away by the quilt sample showcasing the newest hexie craze—Glorious Hexagons—which is the basis for the 2016 Glorious Hexagons Quilt Along. Have you heard about it?

The program—and the quilt—was inspired by Katja Marek's book, "The New Hexagon," and subsequently escalated by Kim McLean and Liza Prior Lucy who took it to the next level by creating a "glorious" hexagon sampler.

OK... twist my arm a little harder... I'm in.

Oh, and I'm not alone in this fate. There was minimal arm twisting for several of my fabric rep friends to join in the fun as well. We started two Facebook groups to share Glorious Hexagon blocks, progress and other quilty endeavors. Feel free to join in!

Here are my first Glorious Hexagon blocks. The size of the finished hexagons are 6" regardless of how many pieces are used.

Judy Block #13 using "A Cat Tale" and tonal blenders
with the paw prints from a Kitty Kat fabric line.

Some hexagons have as few as three pieces. Several have more. You'll need Katja's "The New Hexagon" book to see the block layouts and participate in the Quilt-Along.

Carol Block #2: A Stitch in Time and a blender.
Joyce Block #51: Around Town and two blenders.

The pieced hexagons are interspersed with single-fabric hexagons. They all can be fussy-cut from your fabrics. Here are a few examples.

Prints from collections by Elizabeth Isles (Natural Wonders, By the Sea)
lend themselves beautifully to the 6" hexagon blocks.

Are you hexed yet? If you decide to give this program a go (and you absolutely should), you'll be looking at quilting fabrics in a whole new way. I'll post my discoveries and tips in future blog posts. In the meantime, check out the Q-bies groups on Facebook [Note: these groups are no longer supported] and help us build a repertoire of inspiration.