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
