Slow Hexie Stitching!

Let me re-introduce everyone - including myself - to Lake Effect. Yes, I have taken this little gem out of storage and have been making some progress on it this past weekend.

A few days ago I checked my 2024 goals and one was to have this quilt finished to the flimsy stage. Yikes! I need to get in gear!

From the very beginning, I knew this quilt would take me a long time to make, thus I frequently refer to it as 'my 10-year project.' Lake Effect is a Minick and Simpson pattern which I saw way back in 2017. I immediately began collecting suitable fabrics for making it. Thinking I could just "figure it out" (like I often do), I soon gave up that idea and bought the pattern. That is when I discovered that I'd prepared about 500 elongated hexies in the wrong size. *good grief*

Since then, it has spent more time in storage than being worked on. Compound the fact that it is all hand-stitched and it contained applique, with the newly discovered sizing error I made, I lost my verve for it.

So, back to what I've been doing to address my goal of completing this quilt top. First, I spread it out to see what still needed to be done. Last I recall is my dithering over how to turn the corners on the applique border. I will continue to think on this while I get down to the business of completing the hexie border.

My verve has returned. Thankfully! I spent several hours over the weekend finishing the right-side border. Overall, I am rather surprised to see how much more I need to add. I had estimated that the borders were closer to completion than they are. You can see below in my little box that I have plenty prepared for completing the border.

 

My next step is to give it all a good pressing and remove cardboard templates along the top and right. I will then lightly mark a stitching line and get down to the business of attaching the hexie section to the applique section. 

 

Once the top and right are finished, I'll move on to completing the bottom and left. By then, perhaps I will have had a brainstorm about handling the appliqued corners. (I'm thinking several artfully-placed leaves might just be the simplest approach. Or perhaps add another bird.)

I am linking up with Kathy's Quilts and her weekly Slow Sunday Stitching party. She's been actively stitching while watching Olympic coverage. According to her awards system, I believe I have earned a Silver medal for working on two projects. You'll hear about the second project in an upcoming post.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne