I decided a few months back that I still really love casting plastic, like a lot! I have started setting up custom listing in my Etsy shop so when I do cast, I’m only casting what customer like, not just what I feel like making in hopes other will like it all.
So, if you have ever wanted a custom Hexagon or Quilt Block Necklace, or maybe a set of charms that spell out something awesome or ridiculous, then now is the time. I’m casting all week!!!
About 10 months ago I wrote a post talking about this new obsession I had with english paper pieced hexagons. I talked about making 1″ hexies and hand stitching them all together for a lap quilt.
Well, I’m only about 1/14th of the way there! This is turning into my forever project. That project that you just keep working on until the day you die. Seriously though, If I keep going at this speed, I wont be finished for at least 5 years. YEARS! I’m ok with that though. Since it’s mostly made from my own scraps, with a few donated by friends, I will be able to look back at each hexagon and think of the project I made or the friend that gave me the fabric. It’s basically my quilting scrapbook! Maybe I should rename it?!?
I have been trying to keep this project under control by making 18″ blocks first and then piecing them all together in the end. As you can see above, I’ve finished one block and have three almost there. Each of the semi finished blocks is from a different level of the house or a different bag. I have project bags or boxes everywhere so I am never short of hexies to piece. That one on the bottom right for example, I pieced all of that in the airport this past weekend and a little on the plane. I did it in three sections to keep it manageable (and to not bring attention to myself) and then pieced the sections together at home.
This system really seems to be working for me.
Above you can see one of the storage systems I have been using. Nicole over at Modern Handcraft originally posted about these a few months back on InstaGram. They are Sterilite divided bins from Target and they can only be found in store. The little bins inside come out so you don’t have to have this huge bin on top of your table or wherever you are working. This seems to work best for me when I’m sitting on the couch actually. For any other situation I have little zipper pouches.
I’m leaving for ANOTHER trip very soon and I’m thinking a pouch or two will be stashed away in my backpack, just in case I have free time, because I would love to finish this faster. It’s going to look so neat!!!!!
Keep an eye out in the next few months for yet another update on this thing (hopefully), and in the meantime I have some other Hexagon projects in the works that I’m also excited to share with everyone!
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QuiltCon is tomorrow, woohoo! I’m both excited and a little freaked out. I’m not use to traveling alone anymore and the weather isn’t the greatest in Maryland right now (winter hit us late!). For the first time ever I’m done all my projects and packed early. Who am I?!? I even properly photographed it all. What!?! Don’t get to use to this though, who knows how long this will last. Anyway…
There is this fun little tradition at QuiltCon I learned about, where people get 1″ buttons made with their name/business name/etc on them and they go around swapping with other people. They show them off on handmade lanyards or bags the whole trip. It’s a fun way of networking and helps break the ice when your meeting internet friends in real life for the first time. Absolutely brilliant!
I wanted to partake, and was about to go searching for my 1″ button machine, when the little light bulb over my head went off. Why not cast some pins? I had been trying to give myself some excuses to pour plastic again, because I really missed it. Perfect. I ordered some plastic and silicone and started making mock up designs. This was in early January.
I settled on a simple 1″ hexagon (because I REALLY love sewing hexagons) that I would just attach to my already designed business cards. I made a bunch of duplicate molds so I could cast a bunch of colors quickly. This was about the time that I also decided to make the quilty necklaces and soot sprites, because “why not? I already have the supplies”. If I had a quarter for every time I thought that…
I made around 200 of them, and will be bringing 150 with me to QuiltCon. The rest with be held on to for the shop and for myself. So if you’re not attending, keep an eye on this here blog for a shop update announcement.
I decided that it would be fun to make a little hashtag to go along with this project. So if you’re on Instagram or twitter, check out #askmeaboutmyhexies to see the process behind these pieces. Of course I had to go one step further and make myself a pin to go on my bags (shown above), and then one more step and start a contest…
For anyone going to QuiltCon who gets one of these pins: Take a photo of you, your bag, your pet, your friend or anyone else wearing one of these glittery hexies and tag me @jessee_artschooldropout with the hashtag #showmeyourglitterhexies for a chance to win a matching set of hexagon hairpins, necklace and ring! (I’ll have photos of the prize when I get home) I will take entries until the end of March, just to give everyone a chance.
I’m really hoping this helps me be more social. Sometimes I get super anxious around a lot of people, and I really want to make the most of my trip. So if you see me walking around, please come say hi and “Ask Me About My Hexies”, no need to have pins to swap, saying hello is enough!
Last week I talked about the quilt I received in the Schnitzel & Boo Mini Quilt Swap Round 3. This week I’ll share the quilt I made!
My partner, who was also named Jessica, received her package this past weekend and by the comments she left on my instagram account, it seemed like she LOVED it! It was completely out of my comfort zone since her favorite fabrics and colors are not something I normally buy. I didn’t mind that though, since it forced me to step out my comfort zone. How else am I to grow creatively if I just keep making the same thing over and over again?
I had the flu and then pneumonia during the time I was supposed to be working on this, so I decided to go the hand sewn route as much as I could so I could rest AND work at the same time.
I went with a simple hexagon cluster using 2″ hexies (that means one side is 2″) and hand stitched them all together. The fabric I used was the line Miss Kate by my partner’s favorite designer Bonnie and Camille (for Moda Fabrics). Then I went through my fabric stash and picked out all the white and light beige neutrals I could find to piece together the background. I could have just used a fat quarter, but I thought it needed more texture than that.
I used an invisible thread to applique the hexagon cluster to the background and then straight line stitched the entire thing with beige thread.
It’s funny to say, but my absolute favorite part of this project was the binding. I loved how a random scrap piece I threw in just happened to end up right at the corner! A happy little accident.
As with every swap I do, I added in a few little handmade extras. This time I included all of the leftover scraps from the Miss Kate fabric, plus some coordinating pieces. Then I made a marine grade vinyl pouch with a cute little hexagon flower appliqued on. Lastly I added some handmade quilt inspired jewelry and accessories.
It all went over very well, and as Ive said before these swaps just make me want to sign up for a whole bunch more!
Luckily I’m not too crazy and I’ve only signed up for three due in the next four months. I have some trips coming up, plus projects for Silhouette (and some other companies), and a few other obligations. So I knew my limit. Keep an eye out here if your interested in seeing what I make!!!
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Apparently hand sewing hexagons has become a bit of an obsession with me. I love it, and it really calms me every night before bed. I know I haven’t shown more progress with my first EPP quilt and I probably look crazy for starting ANOTHER one, but trust me, it makes sense. Black, White & Gray fabrics are hard to come by and add on to that I’m super picky, so that quilt will be a long term project and will only progress when I buy more fabric.
In the meantime I started the project above. It’s a much smaller hexagon and enables me to use up the enormous amount of scraps I have accumulated over the years. Plus I can trade for more scraps because a lot of people hoard them too.
When I first started this project my plan was to just make a pillow, I nice 18″ square pillow. Though once I reached that size I just didn’t want to stop, plus I had a lot of hexies leftover. So I decided to keep going and make either a twin size quilt, or a 90″ square lap quilt. So just like the first hexie quilt, this will be a long term project and can only progress when I find more scraps or buy small amounts of fabric. Which I’m fine with.
The best part about the random nature of this quilt is any fabric goes. It can be super simple, super weird or just plain solid color. It all goes together!
I also love how I can be a little silly in where I place certain pieces too! I’ve been enjoying combining phrases with illustrations of people and animals. Like the examples above! I’ve been holding onto that “I’m With Stupid” fabric for many years and never knew what to do with it. I also have this awesome food truck fabric with a bunch of word bubbles that I use throughout.
I’ll need to make over 3,000 hexagons so I get loads of chances to mix this little easter eggs in.
Yet again though, since this is a long term project I still need to keep my hands busy while watching tv at night, which means there is a THIRD & FOURTH hexie project I will be sharing with you all soon. I just have to quilt them both, which means they are mostly DONE! (Yes, I am a crazy lady)
Have any of you started one of these projects because you saw my progress on here or on Instagram? If so, please share!!!
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Ever since I got into quilting, I have dreamed of making a hexagon quilt. I thought it took some fancy machine work with impossible Y shaped seams. I was half right. You CAN do it that way, or you can hand sew them all together.
There’s a process called English Paper Piecing, EPP or Foundation Piecing (it gos by any of these names), where you take the pattern you want to make and have the pieces cut out of paper. You then cut out fabric larger than each piece, pin the paper to it, fold over the fabric and baste stitch (like my orange stitches shown in all of these photos). When you have enough pieces for your project or block, you then whip stitch them all together and take out the paper pieces. After all of this tedious work, you have yourself a quilt top.
There are loads of proper tutorials all over the internet. Heidi posted a tutorial and template for mini hexies this past week, and there’s a bunch on Pinterest. Plus if you search YouTube, I bet you’ll find some great instructions. Also, if you just want to start small but have an even bigger impact you could try something like Rebecca’s patchwork tote bag! (her IG feed totally made me want to start this project!)
This type of project is perfect for downtime, like watching TV, waiting at the DMV or when being a passenger on a road trip. I myself started it because I am being forced to rest a bit more. Plus it’s a quilt that I don’t have to sit at a sewing machine all day to make. My poor back needs a break from that.
I will admit now, I am NOT a strong hand sewer, and I am seriously not looking forward to whip stitching all of these together. For now I try not to think about it and just dream of what the finished quilt will look like… If I ever finish it!
I want to make a 70″ square lap quilt, and by my calculations, it is going to take 800+ hexagons to make. That’s a lot! I am able to finish around 30 a night, so if I work on it every night then it will take me a month. That’s a scary number to me btw, so I may just call it quits at 400 because I am also dreaming up a quilt that is just half hexies and the rest is solid colored gray. I guess I’ll decided when I get to the halfway point.
I’m happy I went with the 3″ size too! Because if I had done the normal 1″ size, it would have taken 2500+ hexies to finish a quilt. SCARY!!
Have any of you made one of these? Or are making one? Any helpful hints?
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