March 4, 2020

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, part 3

In Dreams I Saw the Rift, Sue Reno, WIP Image 14
If you are following along, this project may be starting to look like a hodge-podge, but I assure you it all does come together in the end! Simultaneously to stitching the river and the bamboo, I was also working on sewing together hexagons with the English paper piecing method. This type of handwork is very relaxing and meditative, good for spare bits of time or late evenings.
In Dreams I Saw the Rift, Sue Reno, WIP Image 15
The hexagons are hand basted around a paper template, then arranged in "flowers" with a center and six sides, then the flowers are sewn together. I went a bit free form as it all came together.
In Dreams I Saw the Rift, Sue Reno, WIP Image 16
In its historic form, the hexagons have a narrow seam allowance, so that the resultant quilt top can be hand quilted inside the margins, avoiding the bulk. I find the narrow allowance to be too fussy to deal with, so I cut mine generously, and appreciate the extra stability it gives when I later machine quilt it. 
In Dreams I Saw the Rift, Sue Reno, WIP Image 17
Once all the hexagons are sewn together, it's extremely satisfying to pop the paper templates out and call it finished.

More to come, stay tuned!

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