A couple of finishes

This doesn't count as a FAL as reading about the Finish Along 2016 I should have listed my projects to finish in this quarter that has just ended earlier on.  One of these are 6 hand quilted printed blockscalled Dolly Dress Up last year and were left as squares with added borders around but I finished one of them as a cushion.  

This is one of 6 printed panels that I bought at Sandown Exhibition a few years back intending to make a quilt, joining by quilt as you go. I had fun hand quilting these but it was thinking of a suitable arrangement. Maybe I will make a quilt of the other 5 with making up four blocks to contrast to make a 9 patch quilt. Still thinking about that one. 

For this panel I decided on the spur of the moment to make a cushion cover and I already had a 14" square pad. The block was 13.5" square and I added 1.5" orange frame around it, one of the fabrics I bought at the last Sandown show from Sew and Quilt.

This is the back

I used the remaining bit of the orange fabric for the back with a splash of red fabric to make an edging for the envelope back. He prints may be busy but they go well together.

Another finish this week is a little English paper piecing (EPP) kit to make a Christmas wreath.  Very simple and I was going to take this away on holiday next week, but I ended up sewing while watching the television and it was soon finished.  This was from Ashmead Designs In Devon, who supply patchwork pieces in what they call "Hexiforms" die cut patchwork shapes with fabric on one side and slightly wadded the other, so that the shapes aren't removed, unlike papers. I quite liked these so may get some more in the future.

It may look big in the photo but it is only a few inches across! The sides of the hexagons are 3/4" (wish I could type fractions!). I had bought another kit which I am taking on holiday instead here

Hexies tacked, ironed and ready to sew together.

 

And to really prove I've got the Hexie bug at the moment here's a block from the Spendid Sampler that I finished last week

42 little 3/8" hexagons fitted onto a 6.5" square. Madness! Here's a pic of the little hexies under construction

Gathered together on the chair by my sewing machine. I tacked them together in clusters going from one to another so they wouldn't get lost until sewn into their units, which I did in last Saturday's sewing afternoon.

So I do manage to get stuff done, though not always quickly. The coming week's holiday will be in the Lake District which we are really looking forward to. Though not satisfied with that we've just booked a cruise which we are going on in September. Nice to have holidays to look forward to.