Wednesday, November 18, 2015

My Trunk Full of Hexagon Quilts

Soma, who has the most beautiful blog, Whims and Fancies has come up with an inspired idea. She is hosting a virtual 'Trunk Full of Quilts' inviting quilters to showcase some of their quilts that their creative imaginations have lovingly whipped up. So I decided I would join in the fun.


As some of you know, I am rather enamoured with hexagon quilts. Oh all right.....I confess, I am besotted with hexagon quilts. I love the hexagon shape. I love how the shape is repeated over and over again, the juxtaposition of each shape forming a beautiful tessellated pattern which fits neatly into each other without any overlapping. I love the myriad mosaic patterns which are conjured up. I never tire of gazing upon these hexagon beauties.

So........I decided to showcase my trunk overspilling with some of my completely hand stitched hexagon quilts that I have stitched over the last few years.


My skipping along the yellow brick road of hexagon quilts began when I happened upon a wonderful method for sewing hexagon quilts a few years ago. Individual hexagons are sewn with the top fabric, the batting and the backing fabric all at once and then a little of the backing fabric is brought to the front to form a narrow border. Then the finished hexagons are whippd stitched together at the back to form the quilt.

My first 'hexie' was made from hundreds of scraps of fabric and I must admit it is one of my favourites. It is an oft-used quilt and I love how it has faded with age and has become wonderfully squashy. Indeed, this quilt is like an old friend!.



The back of  these hexies are almost as pretty as the front, which means you have two quilts in one.




A bright and fun hexie quilt I made as a present for a little boy.


The seams on the back of this quilt are covered by lengths of fabric binding which adds to the scrappy look and gives a more visually pleasing finish.


Brightly coloured, scrappy hexagons flying in the breeze.



This hexie was fashioned from gorgeous Chinese brocades my daughter bought as a gift for me whilst on a trip to China.

The front........


The back is rainbow-filled with gorgeous satins.



Aaah yes.....a vibrantly, coloured hexie quilt always adds a little something.....a little pizzazz to the landscape!


To use up some of the gorgeous vintage fabrics.....brocades, silks, velvets, satins....and the pretty vintage laces, gloves, jewellery, ribbons, doilies, buttons and all those other pretties I have hoarded gathered over the years, I decided it would be wonderful to incorporate a lot of these pretties into some sumptuous, hexagon quilts. Yes indeedy, I am a gal whose heart swoons over vintage lovelies, but as a result of my addiction, my plethora of vintage lovelies more often than not, escape their rather confined environs, weaving their way throughout our humble abode. They seem to tangle anyone and anything that crosses their path; thus the eventual compulsion for them to be whipped up into gorgeous quilts and embellish my hexies to within an inch of their lives.

I wanted to incorporate a sense of those crazy patchwork quilts from a bygone era into my hexagon quilts.  I love how there is no rhyme or reason to these crazy patchwork quilts. I love how these quilts are filled with glorious embroideries, swirls upon swirls of pretty ribbons dancing across the sumptuous fabrics, pretty buttons, vintage jewellery, opalescent beads........I love how crazy quilts are filled with treasures from a stitcher's Aladdin's Cave.

This 'Rhapsody in Blue' hexie was fashioned for a dear friend's 50th Birthday.


An overspilling abundance of sumptuous extravagance.


My luscious, vibrantly coloured, hexagon quilt celebrating a bohemian spirit. I wanted this quilt to be awash with glorious colour, breaking a few 'so called' colour rules along the way....oh.....and embellishing with the odd pretty or two.





My pastel lovelies.



This one sits prettily atop our bed, in our boudoir.





I love the random craziness of the hexagon quilts that I fashion. There is never a grand plan. I just adore seeing what exciting journey the fabrics and all those 'to-die-for embellishments take me on, experimenting with colour and texture; and playing with design. I love to twirl all the gloriously vibrant colours round and round in a merry dance! 

It has been a delight to show you a few of my hexagon lovelies. All these hexagon quilts have all been lovingly stitched by hand. Yes indeedy, there is no machine stitching to be seen here.

For those of you whose eyes have looked upon all of these pretties before.....I humbly apologise for this virtual 'Trunk Full of Hexagon Pretties'. I am so, so sorry you have had to plough through these pretties yet again! I promise, with my hand on my heart, to finish those works in progress, of which there are many, and showcase them next year, if indeed Soma should host this fun show again. Thank you, Soma, for hosting this enjoyable 'Trunk Full of Quilt' show....it has been the best fun. It also has been a delight to visit others' lovely blogs and to have a bo peep at their gorgeous quilts. Oh my goodness, there are some wonderfully clever quilters out there!!

 But for now, it's toodles from me.





63 comments:

  1. WOW, they are all so pretty. I can't tell which one I like the best since I like them all.

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  2. This certainly is a trunk show of pretties. I too love hexagons so this trunk show has me drooling! Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Oh Kim! Just breathtaking! Every single one! I can only imagine what a labour of love each and every quilt must be. I cannot, simply cannot, choose a favourite. Gorgeous. Love Mimi xxx

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    1. Aaah yes.....these quilts, it seems, take an age to stitch, hence why there are only a few stashed in my 'trunk'...BUT...I have the most delightful of times, playing with all those gorgeous, sumptuous fabrics and all the pretties it takes to embellish the quilts. You are very sweet, Mimi, in your lovely comments. I too, cannot choose a favourite. Kim xx

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  4. WoW Kim .... I read this post with my face about 2 inches from the screen hoping to absorb all that hexie loveliness. I got to the blue one you did for your friend & I was thinking "I simply cannot choose a favourite" until I got to the one on your bed in your boudoir. Oh MY ... I just gasped ... sooooo beautiful & gorgeous & words fail me. I could just visualise 4 little ginger feet tiptoeing across that beautiful quilt !!!!!!!!! A beautiful post filled with your lovely hexie quilts .... makes me feel like getting out my long forgotten hexie pile again. x x x x

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  5. All I can say is WOW WOW oh my gosh I totally love your vintage style and softness of some of your quilts yet you are not afraid of colour. Just a gorgeous display of amazing work.
    Bunny

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  6. Oh my those quilts are just luscious! Would love to know your method for constructing these. So very glad to hear such wonderful news about your husband. Enjoy your time together by the pond in the midst of those gorgeous flowers.

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  7. Hello Angie, 'tis lovely to have you visit! I wrote about making my friend's 'Rhapsody in Blue' here sarahlizzies.blogspot.com/.../begin-at-beginthe-making-of-hexagon.html where I wrote a tutorial on how to make a hexagon quilt using the 'quilt-as-you-go' method. Have a look and see if it helps. Thank you for your lovely comments. Both my husband and I have spent a lot of time over these last couple of weeks enjoying all those gorgeous Spring flowers! I hope all is well with you. Kim xx

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  8. {{{sigh}}} Your pretty quilts made me swoon, sweet friend. My oh my, you are so talented! Everything you create is incredibly beautiful and I can tell it's made with sweet love and care.

    It is ever so good to pop in for a visit. I have missed you so! I hope you are well, dear friend. Sending love and hugs your way!

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  9. I am amazed at all of the handwork here...every single one of these is absolutely gorgeous!

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    1. Why thank you, Deb, you are very sweet! Thank you for visiting my li'l hexie corner of the world. Kim xx

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  10. Wow so many wonderful stitches in your gorgeous hexagon quilts! Thanks for opening your trunk.

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  11. Gorgeous hexagon quilts! I love the combination of patchwork and embroidery

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  12. From the first to the last, I just adored seeing and reading about each of your hexi quilts! They are absolutely gorgeous!! What a delight it must be to sleep under the beauty on your bed!! Stunning!!

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  13. I Love, Love Love your hexie quilts but you already know that. Thanks for sharing them. I have been showing off some of my quilty things of late as you also know since you have been there to visit. You are my inspiration YOU KNOW.

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  14. What an interesting take on making hexie quilts. They are all positively luscious and so soft and inviting. Thank you for sharing.

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  15. Your hand-stitched hexagon quilts are an inspiration to me! I love the variety in fabrics, the embroidery, everything about them! I've just started taking a crazy quilting class, and love it to far. I'm coming back to your blog later to look at what else you've made.

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  16. Your trunk runneth over with beautiful hexie quilts, thank you for sharing them with us!

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  17. love the hexies!! the one on your bed is so delicate looking I just love it

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  18. My gosh I love seeing your quilts over and over and OVER!! You have such fun with the creation of these and it's so evident in all the happiness that spills from them Kim. You are amazing! Please never stop gathering all your lace and brocades and never stop creating :)
    And just as an aside, "Andrew" and my son share the same birthday (although not the same year)!! Take care,
    Wendy

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  19. Wow--what a wonderful showing of hexagon quilts--my favorite is Rhapsody in Blue, but they are all beautiful!

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  20. I never new hexagons could be presented in so many and imaginative ways! Your quilts are beautiful and full of life and texture!! Makes me want to start sewing lace on to some of my quilts! Thanks for the great trunk show! cheers!

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    1. Aaah yes....a little sprinkling of lace can be a wonderful thing! Thank you so much for your sweet comments, Claire. It has been lovely to meet you! Kim xx

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  21. These are just stunning, and I love that the the back is just as amazing as the front. x

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    1. I remember being in school (when the dinosaurs roamed the earth) and sometimes being frowned upon if the back wasn't as good as the front. Thank goodness those days are long past. Though, I suppose it is always a good thing if one has two quilts in one. Thank you for your lovely comments, Kay, you are very sweet. Kim xx

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  22. My sweetest Kim,
    I'm amazed by all these creations of yours, you're truly so very talented, and your trunk is so precious filled with all these quilts in so many different styles, congrats on your artistic attitude, my darling friend !

    Have a lovely remainder of your week and thank you for this gorgeous post,
    sending love to you
    Dany

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  23. rich hexie heaven! What an amazing display! LeeAnna at not afraid of color

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    1. Stitching hexies and playing with all the pretty embellishments, is rather akin to being in heaven. Thank you for your lovely comments, LeeAnna. Kim xx

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  24. Your quilts are so gorgeous. I have never seen this method of putting hexies together. Thank you so much for sharing...amazing for sure!

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  25. Such a gorgeous variety of hexie quilts. You have been very creative in your use of hexagons and your additions make them truly one of a kind! Bravo!!!

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    1. Thank you, Marsha. I am addicted to the humble hexie. There are a gazillion pretties to add to make each one sing their own pretty song. Thank you so much for visiting my little corner of the world. Kim xx

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  26. I always enjoy seeing your hexagon quilts growing and it's been lovely to see them all shown together. I hadn't realised you'd made quite so many. You really have transformed the hexagon quilt into an art form :)

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  27. Lovely trunk show! Your crazy hexagon quilt is just amazing! I have yet to try a complete quilt with hexagons. Thanks for sharing.

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  28. What a beautiful and inspiring post! I can't even imagine all of the stitching in your hexie works of art!! I am especially loving your very first one in all of those fabrics!
    Susie

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  29. Even tho the humble hexagon is such a simple shape, your lovely quilts prove the possibilities are endless. What a show stopping display! Love me some hexies any size or colour ; )
    Just got home from a road trip with hubby. I may have indulged in some pretties of the yarn variety ; )

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  30. Oh Kim! I love your hexie quilts, and seeing them all together here was a delicious and comforting feast for my eyes. So many beauties. I love that you shared your "old friend". The quilt draped over the chair looks so elegant. Love the show. I am so glad you shared :)

    -Soma xx

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  31. Hi Kim, Oh, how I have enjoyed your lovely and unique quilts. Your photographs display them in such splendor - truly a treat for my eyes this morn.
    God bless you two as you go through your day.

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  32. Love all the hexies! Thanks so much for sharing these, they are stunning!

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  33. Wow, what a showcase of quilts!! I enjoyed seeing the progression of your designs -- lovely embellishment!!

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  34. Love all the amazing, beautiful hexagon quilts, so much work and they are all exceptionally beautiful ! And the back with the rainbow colors from satin; stunning !!!!!

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    1. Awww....you are very sweet, Loes....thank you. Kim xx

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  35. How many different ways are there to say 'wow'?? I fell head over heels with the blue one (of course it's my favourite colour so of COURSE I would love it!!).

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  36. Kim, I am drooling over all your beautiful hexagon quilts. Simply magnificent! Thank you for sharing with us. Have a lovely evening!

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  37. Beautiful just doesn't describe these wonderful pieces of art work. I have never seen anything so gorgeous. I am totally amazed by these hexagon quilts...each and everyone is so unique. What a talent you possess, my friend. Thank you for sharing them!

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  38. Hopping the TRunk Show...i have never done a hexi...don't want to either..BUT... wow your's are beautiful... I think I should think about changing my mind! I love the one you said was on your bed...looks like satin. Very pretty!

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  39. I simply enjoyed seeing all your hexi's together in one post. They are beautiful, unique pieces of art. I kept scrolling back to pick a favorite but couldn't cause I like them all. :)

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  40. Wow! Absolutely gorgeous hexie quilts. Thank you so much for sharing your trunk full of quilts. I like both the simple and the more elaborate. Again you have some really wow! quilts.

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  41. Lost for words here, Kim. The quilts are so amazing I cannot even pick a favorite.
    Amalia
    xo

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  42. Whoa (my first impression is actually very speechless)---you are so talented...I wish I was. Thanks for visiting me...and you live where???????????? (giggles and once again, whoaaaaaaaaaa)

    Blessings

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  43. You are one amazing lady! I love your range of color palettes - the soft pastels and the lively brights! Each project fits perfectly with the colors. I'm also impressed with how you frame your hexies! Lots of work, but no comparison with the added depth when they're done! And your header! The absolute loveliest one out here!

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    1. Really?? You are very sweet J....thank you. I am delighted to have happened upon your lovely and fun blog. I look forward to visiting you often. Kim xx

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  44. You are the quilting queen! What beautiful designs and fun colors! Sweet hugs, Diane

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  45. Oh my these are just gorgeous, I have so enjoyed seeing all your Hexagon quilts, so glad you decided to share them. I am amazed by all your hand stitching, you do beautiful work. I have so many that I just love but the one on your bed has got to be my favorite, I so love the colors and all your sweet touches to it also. I have never seen hexie quilts with all the lovely embellishing on them and I just love that idea. Such wonderful inspiration here!!

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  46. Oh what a wonderful rainbow of colours & patterns! Your hexagon quilts are gorgeous!
    Thanks so much for you visit to my blog & I'm now following so that I can enjoy more of your creative work & vintage makes!
    Christine
    Www.preferablyprim.blogspot.com

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  47. i am in awe, really...and "no grand plan", they are works of art. i quilted many years ago and i still remember the joy of picking those fabrics, holding each piece in my hand, it's thrilling!!!

    each one so very pretty, but if i "had" to choose a favorite, it would be the one on your bed. i do love the softness of the colors!!!

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  48. Your talent leaves me speechless....the quilts are soo beautiful <3 <3 <3.Please send me your adress on FB so the madonna can be on the way.
    Feel hugged,
    Caroline

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  49. Oh my gosh Kim, you hexie quilts are all gorgeous! I love them too, but need more practice. In fact I have an unfinished quilt that is that way because I haven't completed the hexies. You are so talented and the way you make them sounds wonderful! I adore the first one you made and the one on your bed is gorgeous! Gosh, I just love them all!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  50. Kim, I would love to make one of these! Your hexie quilts are works of art, as are all your lovely creations. I like the idea of having the background fabric make the border for each hexie. Where did you find the directions to do this? I also love the idea of the big hexies which would make the quilt move along more quickly. Of course, your embellishments are exquisite! Thanks for sharing your creativity with us.

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  51. well I have just stumbled across your beautiful blog today... I have looked all through the post and I'm simply amazed by your works.. My mouth is on drool mode The lovely quilts and lamp shades and shower curtain.. love them all so happy that I found you.. your works are beautiful pieces of art.. Have a wonderful weekend with love Janice

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    1. How lovely to meet you Janice! Thank you for your lovely and gracious comments, you are very kind. I'm a little bit delighted myself for you happening upon my blog because that means I can now visit your lovely little corner of the world and drink in all your pretties. Kim xx

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  52. Hello dear Kim,

    I just wrote a comment and then accidentally clicked on another page and it was deleted before I posted it :(

    Well, I was just raving about how impressed I was with all you amazing quilts. I can only imagine how much patience it takes to make one of these beauties, especially one with such small hexagons as in your first quilt.

    It is too difficult to pick a favorite, but I am deeply intrigued with the textural detail in your 'Rhapsody in Blue'. I am also very drawn to that exquisite pastel quilt on the white iron bed.

    I wanted to thank you for visiting me at my blog this past Sunday.
    It is always pleasant to see you there.

    :) Hope

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