Happy New Year to one and all. I do hope your Christmas was lovely. We had a very, very quiet and quite slothful time for which we are all feeling the benefit.
I’ve a couple of things still unshared but I thought I’d start the year with a bang and show you the finished hexie quilt.
This shows half of the quilt as it’s draped over the garden gate. I had to grab some quick pictures in-between downpours because the quilt was destined to become Ma & Pa SIL’s Christmas gift.
The long-arm quilting was done by The Quilt Cabin at Hebden Bridge and she’s done a marvellous job of it, as you can see here.
Sadly, Elaine has had her shop devastated by the Christmas floods in Hebden Bridge, as have many, many other stores. She’s currently only trading online whilst the cleanup continues. I do hope she and her fellow shopkeepers are open for business again soon. We’ll definitely be supporting them!
This was my first experience of having a quilt professionally quilted, and whilst it wasn’t cheap, it was money well spent. So much so that when the shop is open again I’m getting Elaine to redo my Double Wedding Ring quilt which needs re-backing.
The backing for this quilt is a plain cream cotton…a slightly tea stained colour that complements the multiple colours of the front perfectly and highlights the quilting stitches even more. Taking advice from Elaine, we colour matched the quilting thread to the backing. I think it was a great choice.
Whilst this isn’t the most glamorous shot ever it gives you a better view of the whole of the quilt (albeit draped over an overgrown hedge and blowing in the wind, 3 minutes before the rain returned!). It’s what I would class as a good sized sofa quilt…perfect for wrapping round shoulders on a chilly evening, or a small child who’s feeling a little under the weather, or draping over a grandpa having an afternoon nap. I’m also pretty sure it will be used by one child or the other for dragging a sibling up and down Nana’s hallway whilst shrieking like banshees!
I’d be lying if I said that we didn’t contemplate keeping this quilt. It took an age to sew all those 1″ hexies and the finished result is better than I’d ever hoped for. It’s deliciously cosy and I couldn’t be more pleased with how it’s turned out. Not bad for a first attempt at English Paper Piecing!
But…it’s gone to a very good home.
And I can always start another one for us to keep………..
Beautiful quilt Evie, it has a gorgeous ‘antique’ look to it.
I live near Hebden Bridge myself, it’s an area I know very well since I worked there for 16 years. Our local haberdashery & yarn shop, Ribbon Circus, on the main street of HB, was also devastated by the recent floods.
Thank you…the antique look was very much what I was aiming for!
I do hope you escaped the floods. We watched it on the TV in horror. I saw that a JustGiving page has been set up for Ribbon Circus…I was glad to support them. It’s a lovely shop.
https://www.justgiving.com/4w350m3/pledge/9fa7e7fd-a71b-40d7-93d5-1d26c9cb8741#MessageAndAmount
Thank you! I did a quick blog post about the just giving page, but I don’t blog often, so don’t get much traffic. Hopefully this will help.
Yes, we’re on high ground, so safe, thanks, but we are absolutely horrified by what happened to so many of our friends.
Glad you’re safe. It’s so, so awful.
What a beaut. I does have a lovely antique look to it, all those lovely muted tones. It looks so nice hanging up and the quilting looks wonderfully done. I am sure the recipients were over the moon. Very sorry to hear about the shops. The floods have been awful. Scotland has been very badly hit in the North East and one main road even washed away completely. The snow has started tonight just to top it off. So sad to think that this might be the start of similar weather every year. Hopefully, the Government might invest in some better flood defences or those poor people will be having a very miserable time. I want to cry when I see all the little stranded farm animals. Xx
Thank you for the kind comments about the quilt.
As you’ll see from the comment below, they are very happy with it.
I do think the government will have to rethink it’s approach to defending our town and farms from the encroaching waters. It can’t be beyond the wit of man to find a solution. I’ve been flooded. It’s heartbreaking.
That is a treasure and is sure to become a family heirloom, well done. I do hope all those businesses are able to survive and get back up on their feet, it has been devastating couple of months for them all
Thanks Jane.
One of our local villages, Croston, was also terribly flooded and at least on business has said they probably won’t reopen. Its so sad.
That is one gorgeous quilt. Love the way the colours work so well together. I’d never be able to part with it if I had made it, so generous of you to gift it.
Thank you. It’s gone to a very good home and I get to visit on a regular basis! 😉
This is beautiful, well done! I’ve sewed with 1″ hexies and they are lovely but very time consuming. Can’t believe you made a whole quilt with them! Do you know the blog Posie gets Cosy? I thought this was one of hers when it popped up on my reader.
*Blush*
I do know Posie get Cosy and thats a fabulous compliment. Thank you so much!
It’s gorgeous! I have just the bed for it 🙂
Haha! I’m sure you do! 😀 But my money would be on Ma SIL winning the tug of war on that one. She’s been eyeing it up for a long time!
That is absolutely stunning! You made a fantastic job of it and the quilting is gorgeous too. The first quilt I ever made was paper pieced and now you’ve got me thinking….. 🙂
Thank you. You do know I’m a terrible influence! EPP is such a relaxing thing to do. I’m browsing quilt fabric to find just the right collection for another one. I may be faintly addicted.
I can understand just how difficult it must have been to give that beautiful quilt away. Kudos to you Evie, you made an heirloom.
Thank you. I do hope it lasts long enough for the kids to wrap their kids in it. That would be lovely.
You are a gem to make an EPP quilt and then give it away! (And here I was, feeling pangs of regret for giving away a stuffed shark–this is a whole new level of dedication!) It turned out beautifully, and I’m sure it will be well-loved. And as you said, you can always make another to keep! =)
Thank you so much. It was worth it to see the smiles on Christmas morning. I’m not completely selfless.
We absolutely love our wonderful Christmas gift Evie
will cherish it always, I don’t know about wee small people dragging it on the floor though?
Love Beth [msil]
You’re so very welcome. I’m glad you’re happy with it and expect Grandad to have many glorious afternoon naps under it.
And you can let them slide on it! It’ll stand up to the wee terrors. xx
Absolutely gorgeous!
Thank you. 😀
Oh my, that is gorgeous!