Hemisphere QAL

When you don't feel like working on any of your current quilting WIPs, the only thing to do is to start a new quilt! I have been trying to challenge myself to try more of the modern machine pieced patterns that I keep seeing, and have really enjoyed working with brighter colours on my last few quilts.

One of my quilting friends told me about the free QAL being hosted by New Zealand Quilter Shelia Christensen.  She is very generously providing a free pattern and video instruction for a different pieced hexagon block each week.  

There are two options a lap size or queen size, I think I will make the smaller quilt.

You need to sign up to her newsletter to have the patterns emailed to you, you can find the details here:

Sheila Christenson Hemisphere QAL

I would like to use as much stash as possible, so I have pulled two largish pieces of Jen Kingwell fabrics that I bought ages ago with no real plan (in my defence it was a really good sale lol!)

The print at the back should be enough for backing and the black strip for binding, the front print would work for borders I think.

I then pulled some FQs in the main colours from my stash

I need to add some more neutrals to calm it all down, and maybe some soilds, there are some tiny pieces in these blocks! 

Is it just me or do these colours remind you of Liquorice Allsorts?!?

I am really enjoying working on this quilt, and am slowly catching up,  Sheila is providing video instruction with lots of how to tips ,and I really think my machine piecing skills are improving! I have decided to use solids for the piecing sections, I rarely work with solids, so I have ordered a couple of FQs to pad out my meagre stash.  I will use a print for each large triangle and repeat the solid white in each block to hopefully tie everything together.

This is certainly a challenge as I rarely use white and these pieces are small!  The blocks measure 8" top to bottom. We need to leave them as 1/2 hexagons for now as there will be sashing between. I think I will remake the first block and replace the cream patterned fabric with white, but for now I am enjoying sewing again :)