Sunday, July 29, 2012

My Lotta Hexies Olympic challenge

I am a sporting tragic. There. I said it. If a football game is on the TV - AFL or Rugby League - I will watch it. Basketball - I'm there. Tennis. Hello?

Olympics? Oh, now you're talking.

I took long service leave during the 2000 Sydney Olympics so I could go to the occasional event in Canberra and Sydney, and sit and watch the coverage on TV all the other times. I can't remember if I was sewing anything at the time - perhaps a redwork quilt, as I was very into stitchery at the time. But for the 2012 London Olympics I wanted to sew something to commemorate it.

Enter Lotta Jansdotter, and her superb range "Echo" which was released last October just a few days before I turned up Purl Soho in New York and purchased multiple half yard lengths of most of the range.

This is Purl Soho.

Purl Soho

And this is me outside Purl Soho, and I can't quite believe that someone who doesn't even pay attention to the selvedge of fabrics has just purchased a sizable amount of the ONE RANGE. This is not something I ever do, unless it's Kaffe.

Outside Purl Soho

Lotta (because I'm on first name terms with that part of my stash) sat around for a few months after we came home while I worked out what I wanted to do with it. The prints are quite large, so a big block was the way to go. One day I saw a photo of a quilt with gigantic hexagons and that gave me the idea of a big block hexagon and diamond quilt.

Preparing the grey diamonds

I'm using three inch papers. The grey fabric was already in my stash - I'd been busting to use it for ages but it was never suitable, but this time it is.

I started sewing on Day 1 of the Olympics, and by the end of the day I had this. I'm not a fast stitcher, but the gigantic shapes make everything so much quicker. I won't lie - it's satisfying.

End of Day 1 of Olympics

And by the end of day 2 I had this.

End of Day 2 of Olympics

I'm not sure how much progress I'm going to make over the next week - I'm at choir two nights and quilt group one. Then there's that pesky daytime job that gets in my way.

Lotta

I love the fabric so much. Possibly more than I love Kaffe fabrics. Lotta has a new range coming out in a couple of weeks called Bella, and I will definitely be getting some of this too. Apparently Bella matches well with Echo, so I'm hoping I'll have room in this quilt to incorporate them.

Are you making anything while you're watching the Olympics coverage?

10 comments:

  1. Great progress! Love the design of the hexies with the diamonds. Currently I am working on a cross stitch project, that is a belated birthday gift (which is on my blog). What will you be making out of your project, a quilt or something smaller? I am currently working on my own 3/4 inch hexie project, but not sure what exactly the finished project will be. I am thinking a table topper or something, but the English Paper Piecing is so addictive!

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  2. Very nice! I am so jealous that you have been to purl soho. That is like my dream. One day...

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  3. That's such a beautiful range in lovely colours. Perfect with the greys! I'm far too disorganised to have an olympics craft.

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  4. Gulp. A gold medal in the making, if ever there was one! That pesky all day/all night job is getting well in the way of my Olympic viewing too.

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  5. I love your hexes, and that you keep them in a tin! I'm knitting a shawl during the Olympics, but seeing all the hexes makes me think I chose the wrong craft...

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  6. Love this! The fabrics are so so good. I went to Purl Soho when they were in their old premises - SO MUCH CHOICE! Next time I go, I will have a much better purchasing plan!

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  7. I'm loving it and like others are jealous of your Purl Soho visit. I love the way you have mirrored the (yellow and grey) pieces. I am doing some lo-fi knitting in front of the tele when I get a chance and finding that totally addictive too.

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  8. Oh I do love that fabric, I may be able to do some piecing this week as I am home sick. I have had some hexies in a bag for years.....

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  9. Pesky daytime job!? LOL! Ha! But we do have to feed out passions( quilting, knitting, sewing etc). Love your work. You are tempting me to do some paper piecing and maybe do a grandmother's garden( been saying that for 20 years).

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  10. Oh i love Lotta, i started a hexagon quilt in those fabrics too in Summer, only i left it at my husband's Brisbane bachelor pad, so i'll get back to it next school holidays. I'm running a Craft Olympics to challenge yourself to cook, craft & photograph something you haven't tried or done for ages, so much fun. I'm still trying to master crochet!! Happy hexagoning, love Posie

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