Joining the Hexagon Craze
When I was a little girl I remember seeing a grandmothers flower garden quilt on someone’s bed, or maybe it was just a picture of one, but I remember thinking I wanted to make one someday. Then I found out that they are done completely by hand. Oi. (I found this out when I was 12 or something, not when I read that post, but it has some great pics of a beautiful flower garden quilt.) I shoved that idea to far reaches of my brain for a really long time. And then last year I saw Leigh’s work in progress hexagon quilt. And Amy Smart has been talking about hexies on her blog for forever. And then at the beginning of this summer I got an idea and started my first hexie project. It is at a standstill. (Because I seriously SUCK at embroidery, which is not really related, but related. You know? It’s complicated. We are taking a break right now. Seeing other… stitches.) But whatever. I’ll finish it one day. And in the meantime, I did something else.
A few weeks ago Leigh taught a class at a SLC Modern Quilt Guild meeting about English paper piecing, which is how you make and sew hexagons together. And I got so excited about it I ordered some tiny hexagon papers and started stitching. And in one very sick day on the couch I had made these 6 hexies. All together this ring of six is just a hair over 6″ across. These are 1/2″ hexagons and they are tiny. I also ordered 1/4″ hexies. Tinier. (FYI: Hexagons are measured by the length of each side.)
A few weeks before that I had seen this floral fabric at JoAnn that reminded me so much of a Liberty of London print. And when I think of Liberty of London I think of Amy Smart. We met through blogland a few years ago and are now real life friends. She is such a wonderful down to earth person, who is also fabric crazy. A perfect combo in a friend. (In June when we got this news Amy was the one who let me stand on her driveway and sob like a crazy person and she gave me a hug and I didn’t feel stupid. That alone should get her some serious points in that place they keep track of all the points.) Anyway, I saw the fabric, it said Amy Smart all over it and I knew I was going to make her a little zipper pouch for projects. She always has handwork with her, I wish I was so organized… And then the hexagon inspiration came, and then Anna’s big wide zipper pouch tutorial. Throw in a little gray linen I was test driving for myself, an interior pocket and a bit of rainbow hand quilting and I had a game plan.
These hexagons on the back are 1″-ers. Much easier to work with, but you know how things that are tiny are just cuter? Yes. They are. I added the handle using this tutorial from my friend Colleen. It is the next best thing to having a big wide zipper bag. Truly, I’ll never make this bag for myself without it again. Or without a pocket inside. Important stuff here.
Before I stitched the bag together I quilted straight lines on the gray linen and then stitched each hexagon in place by hand. And then I decided to hand quilt around the edges in a rainbow. And in the end this bag turned out to be probably my most favorite thing I have ever made. It was almost hard to give it away. But in the end I knew that I could never look at it without thinking of my sweet friend Amy. Also this project magically came together much better than I ever could have dreamed. And you don’t mess with that kind of good sewing karma. No, you don’t ever mess with good sewing karma.
I gave this to Amy a few weeks ago. The best part about it is that she has been using it. For it’s exact intended purpose: to hold her latest hexagon project. And that makes my heart happy.
I have some more things to share. I am almost into a new routine with our new fall schedule. (Which I am telling you from my computer at 3am… clearly not part of the fall schedule). It still kicks my butt most days (even when I go to bed at a normal time) and then I feel totally justified in making brownies and a side of quesadilla with chicken nuggets for dinner. Or breakfast at 1:00 pm. It’s been a rough transition. We are taking baby steps here friends. Baby steps. Be back soon.
pinksuedeshoe 
I saw this bag on Amy’s blog today. This is seriously the cutest bag I’ve ever seen. I have some wild hexies just sitting around waiting to find a home to sit on. I never thought to stick them on a bag. Thanks for the inspiration. Love your blog. You have a new follower.
You’ve out done your self with this post. Love the bag. Love your creative spirit. Thanks for including all the helpful links.
Love it! Thanks for the great idea! I need a place to store all my hexies in progress!
Oh my goodness, LOVE it! There you go again, creating super cool stuff! Thanks for letting me admire your awesomeness. 🙂
That pouch is wonderful! You are so right about sewing karma 🙂
I love hexies. I have bought the papers 1″ but haven’t started anything yet! Probably because i have a 2 yo and a 1 month old. Love your bag for Amy!
Pink,
That is seriously the cutest little bag I’ve ever seen! I love, love, love those pretty rainbow hexies. And tiny is just cuter. I know exactly what you mean. Beautiful job and what a sweet gift for a really sweet person.
xo -E
Lovely…all of it…the post, the story, the friendship and the Hexies pouch. You had some seriously good sewing Karma that day. Thanks so much for sharing.
I love it! So very, very pretty. I didn’t understand the beauty of hexies until a few years ago, but now I have this itch to create something with them… I would never have thought to put them on a bag, but I love this.
P.S. Every time I’m at JoAnn’s I’m tempted to get that floral print, but I have so many others already in my stash I can’t justify it. Seeing it in your bag makes me think I might just need to go back and get it anyway. 🙂
I have some of that Joann’s floral print to sew up some knitting needle cases for my Etsy shop! I love it!
Thanks for the great idea! I have the 3/4″ hexies. Do you think those will end up too big? Which size zippered bag did you use? Is it the large size?
Thanks again!
I cut my bag sides at 12×13″. And I did a smaller boxed corner so the bottom isn’t as big as the pattern calls for. You can just lay out your hexagon papers in the ring pattern and then measure it to see how big it will be before you make them. I’m guessing it will be about 7.5-8″ across. The large size might work, it would just fill up the front of your bag a little more. Good luck!
e.
this is just absolutely beautiful! and thoughtful. amy’s lucky to have you as a friend. : )
LOVE your bag! I am making myself one… not giving it away at all!!
very cool and under the intimidating “knitting & crochet” category for me. Looks amazing!
Wow! I saw this bag on Amy’s blog and just had to come over here to tell you how awesome it is. Great work!
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