This is intended to be a long-range, multi-year project, so I don't mind poking along with it.
As nearly as I can tell from looking at my inspiration picture, I'll be making hexie diamonds, joining four of them into a larger diamond unit, then running a row of hexies all around it for a border. Then four of those diamonds are joined together, with another border around that. Then repeat until it's big enough or I'm bored with it, whichever comes first. Or until I run out of fabric, I suppose. (Yeah, right.)
I've figured out that I can fit a hexie paper into a 1 1/2" x 1 3/8" rectangle, so I've been cutting stacks of pieces that size out of 1.5" strips. Then I stack the rectangles with a hexie paper on top and cut them roughly into hexagons with scissors.
I've been cutting my hexie 'papers' out of those annoying subscription cards that they stuff into magazines. I experimented and found that cardstock was too heavy, but regular paper wasn't heavy enough. My hexies are so small that it was a real puzzler - until I found those cards hit that sweet spot between those two paper weights. (I keep running out, though, since we don't get that many magazines.) (My relatives that do take a lot of magazines will be hearing from me soon.)
If you take a close look at those papers in the upper right corner of that photo, you can see the telltale postage-paid marks!
As for the tiny size of my hexies, it's purely arbitrary. I ordered one of these squeezy tools
online for cutting out papers (Easy and lazy! Double win!), and assumed that when they said 3/4", they were referring to the side measurement. Turns out that quilters and papercrafters measure hexagons differently - that three-quarter inch was the diameter of the hexie, not the side. The side measures 1/2", so I'm making half inch hexies. Tada! (I could have returned the squeezy tool, but a)that's a lot of bother and b)hey, look, a challenge!) (Which explains a lot about my life, I realize...)
So, I'm slowly stitching away at these little
Linking to Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework (because oh my yes with the scrappy), and with Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts (because oh my yes with the slow).
I like where this is going! Soon I will have a pile of hexie templates once I finish up the rosettes - just might reuse them for this wonder with my every growing pile of Civil War scraps.
ReplyDeleteI quite like the front cover of magazines for appliqué, I use the free supermarket magazine:) this is probably thinner than what you're using though
ReplyDeleteThese are super cute!!
ReplyDeleteThis would have appealed to my mother (The Mama); me, not so much! My hands hurt so much even using the machine; not sure I could work at this scale.
ReplyDeleteSo cute... and so tiny!
ReplyDeleteLittle, long term and luscious...all requirements of a lovely quilt.
ReplyDeleteOh My! Running out of fabric? What a nightmare! Me and the friendly, ever so generous, quilting bloggers would never let you in such a dire situation!! No, no, no! :^D On the other hand, at the size of these hexies, it would probably take you one or two hundred thousand quilts before running out of fabric, right? lol. I like to use cards for the templates. Christmas cards from businesses or people you don't like anymore (lol). Thrift stores usually sell a bunch of cards for a few quarters. Anywho, just saying. I think you are doing great on your hexi project. That reminds of something ... hmmm ... hexi project ... hmmm ... nope, can't remember. lol ;^)
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun project. 1/2 inch hexies are small!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful use for all of those annoying magazine inserts and such a quick way of making the hexies. If I wasn't in the middle of a similar project (i.e. exactly the same layout but with very different fabric) with 3/4" hexies I'd shamelessly copy your method.
Oh my Gayle, I think you might be right on the edge of crazy. Those are some tiny hexies! Thanks for linking up with Oh Scrap! My 1.5" hexies look enormous!
ReplyDeleteYup... it's official... you're INSANE!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteLove the ways that might determine the end of the project!!
ENjoy!
Teeny tiny but very sweet. Lots of happy stitching in your prolonged future, lol
ReplyDeleteA lovely long range project! :) I have used freezer paper for hexies in the past but since I want to use the templates over and over again I usually double or triple the paper to make a thicker template. I do that with leaves and things that I'll use over and over again for awhile as well.
ReplyDeleteLove your hexie project. It will take some time, but it's going to be gorgeous when it's all done.
ReplyDeleteLove the hexie idea! It is a long-term project, kinda like the knitters' sock yarn blankie...but crazier. I would be happy to send you all the blow cards from the magazines we get, just send me your address. I think we only get three or four mags, but dayum! those blow cards add up.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how I missed your post last Sunday! I love your project. I'm not into the hexie craze but I do enjoy EPP. Lately, I've been tempted to start a EPP quilt called Mischief, but I'm trying to restrain myself!
ReplyDeleteObviously I'm going to have to raid our recycle bin of papers so I can send you a few magazine inserts to work with! You're going to find yourself with plenty of stock to use up your fabric in hexies (hehehe).
ReplyDelete