Happiness is indeed a finished quilt. Finally......the last stitch of my of my quilt-as-you-go, scrappy hexagon quilt has been stitched; so excited!! I know, I know, it doesn't take much to excite this gal.
I started this quilt two years ago. You have probably seen one too many posts of me waxing lyrical about this pretty; sorry about that. I prattled on about this pretty
here and
here, where Esmeralda and her sweet, sweet family took up residence in our Forget-me-nots and then the Hydrangeas, in their cute as cute, little teapot.
Remember the tale.....Doris fashioned some hexagons and donated them to the cause. Alas, they up-sticks a little while later and I haven't seen or heard of them since; more's the pity, as Doris' help with the stitching of the hexies was invaluable. =)
That magical tale just got curioser and curioser!
But back to my scrappy hexie. I started stitching this pretty during a very dark period in both my husband's and my life. My husband had just been diagnosed with cancer and we didn't really know what walking down that difficult, scary and shadowy path would entail. I found the slow, hand stitching of my hexie during my husband's weeks and weeks of horrible radiation therapy, undergoing major surgery and a long convalescence, helped to calm my soul and to some degree muffle my troubled spirit. Indeed the stitching of this pretty in some ways, helped prevent me from falling down that slippery slope of uncertainty and fear. The slow stitching of this pretty gave my fingers and mind something to focus on during those very long days and nights.
I know I have said it before, but I really love hand stitching. I love the slowness of it. I love the exactness of it, and, as you have probably cottoned onto by now, I love stitching QAYG hexie quilts. If I live to be 100 I will never, never tire of looking at or fashioning a hexie quilt.
Why I love scrappy quilts so much is the random abundance of fabrics. I love the pastiche of fabrics, the mishmosh nature of these quilts, so to speak. I love the fact that I can use any fabric from my stash, even little leftovers from projects dating back over 30 years. I love the fact that I don't have to be too fussy with the placement of each hexagon. In this hexie pretty there are remnants of fabric that I acquired many, many moons ago, and alas, are no more.
Aah....all those lovely fabrics sitting ever so prettily in my armoire. Such a pretty sight. What say you??
The front.
The back.
This QAYG hexie quilt is a queen bed size with the quilt draping generously over the sides and the bottom of the bed. There are 550 hexagons (which involved cutting out 1,100 individual hexagons) which were individually machine stitched around the frame of each one and then hand stitched together with tiny stitches on the back. I stitched strips of fabric, covering every seam on the back, which in essence really gives me two quilts. This of course meant a lot of work, but I always think the covering of the back seams gives the quilt added beauty and charm.
So, another finished quilt to grace the bed in the boudoir. This pretty hexie is not one for the colour-phobe! Indeed it glows with bright and happy chromaticity and each individual hexagon sings with gorgeous pattern and vibrancy.
The sides of my hexie pretty.
The bottom of my hexie pretty.
Sometimes early in the mornings; on those now-and-then lazy, sunny mornings I laze in bed with my morning cuppa (in a teacup with a pretty hexagon pattern, of course.......who would've thought) and sit and gaze at the multifarious fabrics. They look pretty playing ever so nicely with each other. Each one of them truly do sing in unison, combining in the most delightful of songs. Actually, I am here on this bright and sunny Sunday morning with my quilt wrapped around me typing this post. This quilt really does bring a smile to my dial. I cannot but be joyful at the sight of it. Love, love, love this quilt! Love, love, love the bright, happy and colourful essence of it.
For now I will put my hexie templates away for a little while, but I have no doubt, given my penchant for a hexie quilt or two, they will make another appearance sometime down my yellow brick road of stitching. This hexie pretty has travelled with me on many trips in our jalopy, whilst meandering around the countryside, over hill and dale. Indeed, so many times I have been buried under this pretty, slowly stitching many a stitch while enjoying the surrounding vistas which enveloped me.
Yes indeedy, each happy, smidgen of fabric, each individual hexagon and the slow hand stitching really did get me through some very dark days. The stitching of this quilt has nourished my soul, throughout many, many an hour during the last couple of years. So many memories are wrapped around this quilt. So many stitches were stitched whilst walking down that path towards my husband's wellness. So many prayers whispered to my Heavenly Father, and loving thoughts are stitched into this quilt.
So.......another finished quilt to add to that pile of scrappy happiness in my bedside cupboard. Can one ever have too many scrappy quilts?? This gal thinks most definitely not!
What can I say, except to say that happiness is a finished quilt; especially if that quilt oozes oodles and oodles of scrappy loveliness. Until the next time.......
Small evidences that Spring is not far off are happening in this little neck of the woods. The garden has been rather dismal and devoid of colour these past months, but ever so slowly, the Spring bulbs are just beginning to awaken from their deep, wintry sleep and pop up their pretty, little heads to herald that Spring is a-comin.
