Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Hexing Along


My pile of hexie flowers is growing! I need to make 8 more, for a total of 22. Love the fabrics I've chosen! Lots of Kaffe Fassett!

I'm using English Paper Piecing to make these and enjoying every minute!

So what's on tap for today?
1. Trip to Sam's and to the grocery
2. Work on some Hexie Love business stuff
3. Work on some Hexie Love articles
4. Make more hexie flowers!

Monday, September 29, 2014

Striped Hexies

Before I get started with the subject at hand…I've had tons of requests for the source of my hexie magnetic board! I got it here!


I LOVE to use striped fabric in hexies! How about you? I like to cut them so that the stripes run from straight edge to straight edge. Then I stitch a hexie flower so that the stripes radiate outward.


I do love this one with its polka dot center!


This flower's give the appearance of stripes though they are segmented.


Here's another example in which I cut the stripes to run point to point. I stitched the flower so that the stripes radiate around the flower. Love this effect!



Show me your striped hexies! Post them on the Facebook page!

Speaking of the Facebook page, I'm wondering if you'd like to post your BOM progress there? I'm working on the October block today!!!!

Saturday, September 27, 2014

My New Magnet Board


I've been wanting a magnetic board to my studio for over a year. I finally found one I love - hexie shaped, of course! It was yellow, but I spray painted it orange. I hung it yesterday. I've been rearranging the studio a bit - I have more room since I sold my HQ Sweet Sixteen. There's still more work to do to get everything in order. But I'm making progress!

Today was football around here - yes, we went to the game. The weather was gorgeous! It was so nice to have cool breezes and pleasant temperatures.

I think it was good for me to take the day off. Tomorrow I will hexie again!

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Why? Why? Why?

Why?

So why? Why do I want to start a magazine? At 54 years old? I get these questions…

I've been quilting for 20 years, Or a bit more. I've written 3 quilting books. I've taught lot of classes. Etc.

I absolutely adore quilting. How can I even put it in words? Quilting is so much more than a hobby for me… for many of you probably, too. It's my outlet, my passion, my art, my life. And after all these years, I'm realizing what my favorite bits of my quilting life actually are.

I love to share ideas. I love to make quilts. I love to reach out to people with my ideas and quilts. Plain and simple.

It takes me about a year to make enough quilts (10-12) for a book. Rush, rush, rush! Then people (hopefully) buy the book and I may (or may not) hear about how they like it. Though I'm very proud of each and every book (MORE Quick and Easy Hexie Quilts coming soon!), I'm ready to slow down and actually take my time during the quilt making process. 

I'll be making ONE spectacular quilt over the course of the next year. Hexies, of course! I'll present a section of the quilt in each magazine issue so you can follow along and make it too, if you wish. What fun it will be to relax over this quilt! I'll also be making smaller hexie projects to share.

About teaching. ..I love to teach classes! BUT. ..I like to be home in the evenings with my hubby. Don't get me wrong, I do like to travel, but not all the time. And so, I'm cutting way back on traveling to teach.

The magazine (Hexie Love, of course) will allow me to do all the things I love from home. I can enjoy the process of making quilts. I can share my patterns with all of you. I can also share others' work and patterns. I can get your feedback. I'm really excited about this new journey.

About being 54...Whatever. That has nothing to do with anything, does it now? You're only as young as you feel.


Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Hexies in Green!


Yesterday afternoon I went to my small sewing group. I hexied away the afternoon while we all chatted and snacked on pumpkin bread and chocolate dipped pretzels. One of our members brought along her finished hexie top. She only used her scraps and used the Quick and Easy Hexie technique, making the hexies from circles of fabric. Didn't she do a great job?!

I've decided to give away one subscription to the HexieLove magazine for every 100 likes on Facebook. So go over and join! AND I'll give away one subscription to my followers here (either through Google or Bloglovin) at the same time!

Today I have my first scheduled training on my magazine software - hope to be accepting subscriptions by the end of the week, if not sooner!!!! Yay!!!!

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

HexieLove Facebook Page!


I now have a HexieLove Facebook page! I'll be updating it more often than the blog - multiple times a day! Once I have 500 likes on Facebook, I'll start giving away a few subscriptions over there - you'll have to LIKE it to be eligible.

Check it out HERE!Facebook.com/hexielove

Here's what I'm working on…


Hex Bugs?


Even McDonald's has the Hexie Bug! Literally! Interesting... I almost got a Happy Meal just to see what these bugs are all about.


I went with Daughter 1 Saturday on a little road trip to shop for some recliners for her new home. Look at this rug I saw - isn't it amazing?! It's made of men's neckties. LOVE it! But I wouldn't want to walk on silk ties and I wouldn't trust Cooper around this. So it didn't come home with me. But it did give me a few ideas…

I'm hexing away around here - pictures coming later. I started working on my new magazine software yesterday.  I'm dedicated the morning to watching the how-to videos that come with it. This afternoon I'll go to my small sewing group and hexie away a couple of hours with friends.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

More Info About HexieLove!


The e-mails have been FLYING! WOW! I'm so happy about the response to the HexieLove magazine! I've had thousands of visitors on my blog in a short amount of time. This dream of mine is becoming a reality! I'm so thankful to all you for your excitement and interest.

A few days ago I purchased the special software I'll use to manage the magazine. It will handle subscribers, advertisers, and pagination. This may be more than you want to know! But I'm working hard behind the scenes to make this happen. The software is being set up this weekend and I'll start learning to use it Monday! I'll need to have hours of training to get proficient in the system, but I know in the long run it will make my life easier and more organized.

Here are some questions that I've been getting:

1. Do you have a list for people who want to subscribe?

No, I'm not keeping a list. Just stay tuned to the blog and to HexieLove.com! You'll hear it here first when I'm ready to take subscribers! I'm hoping I'll be ready in the next couple of weeks.

2. How much will it be to subscribe?

Not sure quite yet, but I do know it will be under $20.

3. Are you accepting submissions?

Yes! If you have an idea, please send me an e-mail (julia@hexielove.com). I'm always looking for new hexie patterns, both traditional or modern. Any tips involving hexies (no matter the technique) are always needed. Be creative - I'm looking for things that haven't been seen before. I'm also looking for small projects, such as bags, table toppers, pin cushions, etc. 

Every issue will have a Featured Hexie Artist article. No, you don't have to be "famous" in the quilt world to be the Featured Artist! If you've made an amazing hexie quilt, let me know!

Every issue will also have an article on The Modern Hexie - do you make modern quilts with hexies? Let me know!

4. Do you pay for submissions?

Yes! Okay, it's not a fortune - so don't expect to get rich! But I know that I have to pay in order to get quality submissions!

As Dolly Parton said,

"If you're going to DREAM, you're going to have to put some WINGS on those dreams, and some FEET and some HANDS. You can't just sit around and THINK of all the things you WANT to DO."

Thanks for sharing my dream!



Thursday, September 18, 2014

My Recent Hexie Quilt


You may remember a few weeks ago…I was working on a quick little quilt to enter into a juried show. It did not get into the show, so now I can share it with you! I think it's kind of cute…


This was made for the Farm to Fabric Challenge - celebrating fabric made here in the US.

I think I'll hang it in my studio!

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

The Story of a Dog and a Pair of Glasses

Once upon a time, there was a quilter who love to do handwork, specifically hexies. (That would be me!) She had a sweet dog who was often mischievous. (That would be Cooper.) But he was more than a year old now and seemed to be calming down a bit.


The quilter traveled to Chicago in June where she taught some quilting classes. She had heard of the amazing Craftoptics glasses and happened upon their booth at the quilt show. She fell in love with their product! 


These glasses are made using your own prescription. There are telescopic lenses that allow you to see your work SO much easier. There's even a light that you can mount on top. My favorite part about the Craftoptics glasses is that I can look down to sew, then look up and clearly see the TV. (Yes, the quilter in the story loves to watch TV when she sews.)

So the quilter ordered a pair! When she got home from Chicago, she e-mailed her eye doctor's info to Craftoptics and they, in turn, obtained her prescription. A couple of weeks later, her new glasses were delivered. She loved them even more than she thought she would!

A couple of weeks later, the quilter went upstairs to her studio for a mere 10 minutes. Her Craftoptic glasses were carefully packed away in their beautiful case and placed on a table.  Her dog, Cooper, was taking a nice nap.

When she came back downstairs, this is what she found:





 Note all the bite marks on the lenses.



Totally DESTROYED! The quilter texted her husband, "Maybe we need to find a new home for Cooper."

"No, we love him too much," he replied. "Order a new pair of glasses."

What to do? Well, the quilter had a very busy summer. She was preparing to teach several classes at the AQS Show in Chattanooga. And she was starting a magazine. And she was a bit embarrassed to call Craftoptics to tell them her story.

September rolled around. The quilter taught her classes at the Chattanooga show, telling her students stories of her life, her dogs, etc., while they worked. On the last day, she finally had a chance to walk around the show, looking at the quilts, and shopping with the vendors.

Then in front of her stood the Craftoptics booth! She immediately bowed her head in embarrassment and said to the person in the booth, "I need to talk to you."


Kate (yes, we're now on a first name basis) looked at my name tag and immediately said, "Your lab chewed up your glasses!"

"How did you know!" the quilter asked. Kate even knew his breed!

"You told the story in your classes. Many of your students have been by to tell me! Thanks for sending my way!"

WOW! The story ends very happily. Kate is sending the me a NEW pair of Craftoptics at no charge. My new Craftoptics will arrive in a couple of weeks. And I will be keeping them closed up in a cabinet when not in use.

More from Chattanooga tomorrow...


Monday, September 15, 2014

Painterly Little Art Quilts


One of the classes I taught in Chattanooga was Painterly Little Art quilts. We use snippets and chunks of fabric for our paint. Yes, I had a Star Student who came with her fabric snips and organized in ice cube trays! I'm going to steal this idea…


One of my students worked on a portrait of her husband, whom she lost just 3 months ago. Her little quilt progressed well during our time - when class was over, we all marveled at how she had captured him. She didn't know she was an artist!


And this little landscape - oh, so nice! She didn't lack much when class was over.


This little project came along nicely - some carrots in the ground - very sweet.

Tomorrow I'll share the fabulous quilts from one of the special exhibits.

Quilt Like an Egyptian!


I was thrilled to be able to see the work of the Egyptian quilters at the AQS Show in Chattanooga. This gentleman sat and appliquéd during the show. I was amazed at how fast he worked - his needle was FLYING!

Below are a couple of my favorite Egyptian quilts at the show. Yes, they were for sale - look at the tags for the prices - VERY low prices for such intricate quilts!





So many pictures to share from my week - more to come later today.

One of my students asked me how I go about unpacking after a big trip like this. Here's my stuff ready to be loaded in my car as I was leaving Chattanooga -


She really wanted to know! So here's the way I do it:

1. Unload car completely and put everything in one spot - our dining room. The dining room table is a great spot to sort it all.

2. Collect my dirty laundry and get the washing machine fired up!

3. Find the money that I have made (I stash this in a few places during my trip - don't want it all together). I put all the cash and checks in an envelope and put it aside. Hubby will take it to the bank and make the deposit.

4. Gather all the business cards I collected during the trips. These are very important to me - they represent people I've met. Many of them I'll be e-mailing this week.

5.  Sort all teaching supplies and quilts. I have a pile of stuff now at the bottom of the stairs ready to put away in my studio - that's one of my goals today!

6. Hang any clothes that are clean (those I didn't wear on the trip). I alway overpack in case I spill coffee down my shirt or have some other clothing catastrophe.

7. Put away suitcases and rolling carts.

8. By now the washing machine cycle has ended and I can put in another load.

Whew! Glad that's all done!


Friday, September 12, 2014

Chattanooga Report


Today was my full day class on HexieMania! What fun we had! This quilt is going to be gorgeous!


And I love this student's striped effect - pretty colors, no?


I had a mother/daughter team in class today. They worked together to make one quilt using fabulous Kaffe Fassett prints. They had matching dachshund tattoos - LOVE!


Did you know there was a baby squirrel at the Chattanooga show today?  Don't worry, it wasn't on the loose! It was nicely tucked away in a box in a tote bag on someone's arm. Who does this belong to? I'll never tell!

I enjoyed being part of the Author's Roundtable this evening. I met other AQS authors - always fun! The moral of the presentation: if you've got an idea for a quilty book, SUBMIT it! You never know….

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Hello From Chattanooga!

I'm too tired to upload photos tonight, but I'm having a great time! I've taught Painterly Little Art Quilts (6 hour class) and Wonky and Wonderful (3 hour class). I've given a lecture: "Let's Hexie!" I also participated in the All Star Review in which several of the teachers did a 10 minute demo in front of an audience. Afterward the attendees can buy our products - for me, that's the book, Quick and Easy Hexie Quilts that I wrote with Peggy Rhodes.

Dozens (it seems) of my Birmingham Quilt Guild friends are here - so nice to see old friends! In fact, two of them were in my class today.

Tomorrow I'll be teaching HexieMania (6 hour class). Then I'll participate in an Author's Roundtable for quilters who think they have a book idea.

Saturday I'll have the morning free. I plan to visit some of the bigger vendors to give them information about advertising in HexieLove. In the afternoon I'll be doing a circle-to-hexie demo for AQS. And if it's not too late, I'll load up the car and head home!

Monday, September 8, 2014

Sew-vivor Hexies!

Are you familiar with the Sew-vivor Competition? The contestants are competing in a variety of competitions for BIG prizes. The current challenge is HEXIES!

Go here to see the hexie works of art and vote if you like.

Hexie love,
Julia

HexieLove COVER!


I worked on the magazine cover design over the weekend - this makes it seem real!

Yes, Geta Grama is the featured artist in the first issue! How about that for booking a hexie celebrity?! Her quilt makes the cover POP!

As you may know, most magazines have a large staff: an editor-in-chief, managing editors, photographers, stylists, accountants, ad sales persons, copy editors, layout specialists, subscription managers, the list goes on and on! So how many are on my staff, you ask?

I'm the entire staff! So yes, this is a lot of work, but it's fun work!

Better run - need to finish packing for Chattanooga…

Hexie love,
Julia

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Hexie Blessings


My heart is overflowing. In the last two days since I announced my big news of HexieLove - the magazine, my inbox has been filled with good wishes and offers to contribute to the magazine. When I hit the PUBLISH button on that blog entry, it was with trepidation. How will this be received? I wasn't sure. But I am now! I'm beyond thrilled!

Yesterday I took the day off - yes, it was game day! Luckily it was a night game so we enjoyed much cooler temperatures than the previous week. And we enjoyed a SPECTACULAR sunset during the first half.


Today I'm busy packing for Chattanooga. I'm gathering everything on my dining room table. Whew - glad I can drive there! I'm rooming with Catherine Redford - we met in Cleveland while we were filming for Quilting Arts TV last year. What fun we will have!


Look what is coming along with me - the final proofs for MORE Quick and Easy Hexie quilts. I received them on Friday. I have a week to review them, so guess what I'll be doing during my Chattanooga time off?


And Cooper is taking everything in stride. Loving his naps...

Friday, September 5, 2014

My EXCITING News: A Hexie Magazine!!!!!!!!!


I'm SO excited to announce that my "secret project" as of late is developing a new quilt magazine, one that caters to all of us HEXIE lovers!

It's been so much fun bringing HexieLove to life! Here are some things about HexieLove you might want to know:

HexieLove is NOT about hexies made from circles. It's about ALL KINDS of hexies, whether they are EPP, Hickory Nuts, Inklingo, Lucy Boston, stamped, pieced with Y-seams - any kind of hexagon is fair game!

HexieLove will be digital only. You'll be able to read it on your computer, iPad, E-reader, phone, etc.

HexieLove's first issue will be out in January, 2015.

HexieLove will be available for subscriptions in a matter of weeks.

HexieLove will have 6 issues per years.

HexieLove will include:

Featured Artists
The Modern Hexie
Technique Tips
Hexie Products
Put a Hexie on it! (Small projects such as pillows, bags, etc.)
Talk Hexie to me…(Tell me what you think of each issue."
On the Border (Ideas for hexie borders on non-hexie quilts.)
Book Reviews
Special on-going pattern (an amazing hexie quilt - there will be a pattern for a section of the quilt in    
each issue.)
Hexie Inspiration (from fabrics to tile floors)
And PATTERNS! Lots of hexie patterns!

Want to be a contributor? Send me an e-mail! I'm looking for all kinds of articles and patterns. Contributors will be paid!

IMPORTANT INFO!
Website: Hexielove.com
My hexie e-mail: julia@hexielove.com

I'll let you know when I'm ready to accept subscriptions! Hope you are all as excited about this as I am!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Designing with Hexagons in EQ7


I've gotten questions! How do you design with hexagons in EQ7? How about a little tutorial!

I'm very new to EQ, so I'm still on a learning curve. But here's what I've figured out so far….

1. Open EQ7 and create a new project/name.

2. Click the Layout tab (at bottom of screen).

3. Click (at top of screen) Quilt ---New Quilt---One Patch Quilt

4. A small window will pop up:
    Under Patch Style, select either Hexagon (H) or Hexagon (V).  The H and V orient the hexagon      
    with either an edge or a point aligned upward.
    Now you can adjust the edge length of the hexagon and the layout size.

5. Click Layer 1 (at bottom of screen).

6. Use the paintbrush tool (on right side of screen) to color in hexagons.

I really hope this helps! It took me days to get to this point, and now it seems so easy.

Monday, September 1, 2014

2014 Hexie BOM: September!


Put a bird on it! 

Looky, looky - I've figured out enough of EQ7 to do this!

Why a bird for September? Because it's back-to-school time around here. My favorite saying for raising kids is "Give them wings and let them fly." Raise your kids to be independent adults! So we're sending our little birdies off to school - well, many of us are. Yes, I still have one in school, but she's 24 and lives on her own.

Here's my version. I placed him at a bit of an angle. If you have any trouble fitting him on the background you could always leave off the legs and angle him a bit more.


Have fun with that eye! I fussy cut a flower for mine - can't wait to see what you all do!


And the beak: I pieced an orange triangle with some white (background color) to make mine. Again, be creative!

Hexie love,
Julia