Diamonds to Hexagons

Let me take you back to a day early in May, 2007.  I was in the store, Patchwork on Central Park (Melbourne, not New York)  where I am always inspired by their range of fabric and by their quilts hanging on the walls.  I can't remember why I was there.  Does one need a reason?  I think not.  I was probably just mooching around, probably had a piece or two of fabric in my hand, when I spied a quilt on the wall that quite literally took my breath away.  It was love at first sight.  Lust even.  I needed to own it and the only way that was going to happen was if I made one myself.

Using fingers, knuckles and outstretched hands I tried to calculate everything about this quilt, and the next day I started making it.  Lots of diamonds, stitched together to make hexagons.  The following month I saw that the maker of this quilt was giving a class.  I was there.  I learned all the tricks needed, especially how to cut fabric to create illusions.  I mastered the art of fussy cutting here.

 

I made the first 12 hexagons in 36 days, I recorded every piece of fabric I used and where I had got it from, I scanned into the computer each and every hexagon I made (hmmm, perhaps it would be finished had I not needed to record it all to the extent I did?!!)  The next 12 hexagons were made in 26 days, the next took 6 months.  Hexagons numbered 73 - 84 took a year and a half, then nothing for two years.  You can see my gusto got up and left me, can't you?

I stopped recording and I made the decision to make a single bed sized quilt rather than my initial idea of a double bed size, which means I need 18 more hexagons to finish (rather than the daunting task of 97 more), and this is where I need your help.  At regular intervals I just want you to say the word "hexagon" to get me moving on this project again, or "cattle prod" could also do the trick.

... because it will all be worth it in the end.

Okay, hexagon/cattle prod, you got it?
Trudy