About 6 months ago Gail Chalker of Gatton, Queensland, Australia decided to see if she could organise an attempt to make the World's Biggest Hexagon Quilt. Gail is a partner in a Quilt Shop the small country town of Gatton, which is about 1 hour and 15 minutes west of Brisbane, Queensland's capital city. Using her network of friends, students and customers and her links to several yahoo quilt groups, Gail started to spread the word about her interest in attempting to set a world record for Hexagon Quilts. She researched the Guinness Book of Records requirements and decided that this was something which was worth trying to achieve.
So the attempt was on! Word quickly spread across the internet networks and the hexagons started to arrive. The goal was to make a quilt, entirely pieced by hand, that would be 2.5 metres wide and at least 15 metres long. It did not take long to realise that this was achievable. Hexagons started to arrive from all around the world. From Australia, New Zealand, China, Finland, England, Chile, South Africa, Canada and America.
Local quilt groups started to issue challenges to other local groups to see who could make the most hexagons. Individual quilters sent just a couple of rosettes. The numbers started to grow and the 15 metre goal was starting to look like a much longer quilt.
Sue, Coral and Gail piecing hexagon strips at the Queensland Quilter's Annual Show.
To date over 4 500 rosettes have been received. The quilt is being pieced in long strips which are then pieced together. A section of the quilt is on display at the Queensland Quilters show at the Brisbane Convention Centre until Sunday, October 25. Hexagons will be accepted until December 1, 2009.
Strips in progress.
Progress will be updated regularly on this blog along with photos as the quilt grows. The completed quilt will be displayed at the Gatton Quilt Show, which will be held in conjunction with the inaugural Australian School of Appliqué. The Quilt Show will be on from 11-16 May 2010.
Check in regularly for updates on progress with the Quilt.
Happy stitching
Christine MB
Wow It is just so wonderful to see the quilt growing. My friend was travelling through Qld when she heard of your challenge. Then she e-mailed me and now I am enjoying making some for you. Maria Dongara WA
ReplyDeleteYour display at the Quilt show last week made me feel so happy. I have made a link from my blog to yours to hopefully get other bloggers involved! My mum has made 2 rosettes this week already and my Aunty and I are definately going to make some too.
ReplyDeleteBree
I am very proud to be part of this challenge, by contributing a few rosettes. Well done to the ladies sewing them all together, I will look forward to folowing your progress! Kath in England
ReplyDeleteWhat must be the size of the hexagon?
ReplyDeleteWow - this is so great! I'm really proud to have been a small part of this effort - especially because one of my hexes (the one with puppies and kitties) is clearly shown in the second picture above!
ReplyDeleteTina in Oregon, USA
The progress pictures are great. I am happy to be doing my part for this challenge. I have 20 rosettes to send out either Tuesday or Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteWhy do we need to put our names on the rosettes?
Ruthey in Washington State, USA
I JUST LOVE THE LAYOUT DESIGN, I DO A LOT OF EPP; MY FREINDS AND I DID FLOWERS AND THOSE WHO QUILT HAVE SENT IN THEIR FLOWERS AND FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T QUILT; I HELD A WEB-A-NAR; WE HAD A FABRIC PICKING PARTY AND WE HAD 10 PARTICIPANTS AND WE HAD THE BEST TIME PICKING FABRICS; ESPECIALLY WATCHING MY 3 GRANDDAUGHTERS AGES 10, 12, AND 13. THE TASK TO PUT THEM TOGETHER WENT TO ME AND WE HAD ANOTHER FRIEND ADD HERS TO OUR PACKAGE SO WE SENT 14 ROSETTES. I AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROJECT. WE ALL HOPE THAT IT IS A HUGE SUCESS.
ReplyDeleteJANET DULANEY-SAUNDERS (CHANTILLY, VA, USA)
AND FAMILY AND FRIENDS (USA)
The quilt is looking beautiful! It's so fun to watch the progress and know we contibuted 10 rosette's to be a part of this challenge. we're hoping to spot one of ours in the picutres. Keep up the good work, too bad we're not in your country, we would have loved to join you on putting them all together.
ReplyDeleteAnnette Bannister & Cheryl Bard
(Battle Creek, MI USA)
Please, show us some pictures as of today. A few rosettes are on their way from Argentina and I know of 40 that are on their way from Uruguay. I tried to get to the post office today just to find it closed!!! Won´t be open until monday and it takes 12 days to get there, so please wait for me!!!!!! I am only sending two because I am not a quilter and I don´t want to send poor work, but I love the challenge!! Good luck and congratulations so far!!!
ReplyDeleteHey Guys, I miss you all heaps. The quilt is looking great. I wish I could be there to help and then come up in May and be there for the big day (we might be coming up over christmas or new years). Wishing you all the best, I love seeing the updates.
ReplyDeleteLove always
Marcelle
xxxxx
this is great! Would love to see it in person. I sent in one from my mom, friend and myself from Texas. Hoping to see maybe one of them in the pics but over 4500, wow!!! Great work and proud to be part of it!
ReplyDeleteKim, Jimmie and Kelly
Texas
Hi,
ReplyDeleteMy daughter, Jackie and I sent in from Arkansas and are proud to be part of this.
Sharry
I can't wait to see the completed quilt. The setting is fantastic! I think I try my own (much smaller) version.
ReplyDeleteDebbie C. in New York, USA
Wow, what a great acheivement, I have not done hexagons, but am inspired to have a go when I see your beautiful quilt. and to have so many from all over the world just wonderful.
ReplyDeleteLynne in Oxley Vic