Saturday 9 November 2013

Hexagons: Not Your Grandma's Garden

I would to welcome everyone visiting from Splish Splash Stash's In Hand EPP Link Party (and everyone else who may be reading this). Because I haven't posted anything for the party before I am going to do a complete summary of my English Paper Piecing project.

Once upon a time I was sewing away on my Grandma's 57 year old Elna. It was a fantastic machine until I broke a gear under the bobbin. I was lost. No sewing to be had. I searched the internet for ideas and found some English Paper Piecing tutorials (can't remember where). I figured it was worth a shot...
I started with a jelly roll of batiks, and found some easy to print/cut out papers from Texas Freckles. 1 inch hexagons started to be formed very very slowing from 2.5 inch squares cut from the jelly roll. Some days only 3 or 4 would get basted. Let's just say between February and June I managed to basted roughly 300 hexies in assorted colors from the jelly roll. 

Then in june I started making flowers. Also a slow process to start with. I have sped up alot since the first couple. So here is the recap in photos (way more fun than reading what I might have to say)






52 flowers complete and on the design wall ~ August
Once I had all the flowers done it was time for decisions. Would I applique the flowers onto a background or keep going doing EPP. I have a bit of a 'Go Big or Go Home' attitude so basting ~1500 white-on-white hexies seemed like a good idea. I basted and basted and basted. Then I went away for a weekend and had no papers cut and ready to go, so I decided it was time to start stitching some together. I made strips of 10, then joined them into rows. When I got back I was having so much fun that I kept going and put the first 3 rows together. Inserting the first flower along the way.

End of September

Then it was time to fix what I had thought was a problem with the design on wall for 2 months. When I pictured the layout, I pictured the flowers falling towards the lower left corner, and with the original layout they would have been falling to the lower right. (Silly right, but I had to fix it, it was driving me crazy). 



Since I was happy with the layout on the design wall, I thought I should probably finish basting the white hexies. I am using so many different white prints that I didn't think it would be wise to get too eager sewing them together before I had enough and risk having a whole section with the same 2 or 3 prints when I reach the end of the supply. 


So this is where I am at now. 2 trays of white on white hexies basted for a total of 1034. Add in the 364 colored ones, brings it is nice big total of 1398. I think I need 1850 plus some ~100 half hexies.  All of the these numbers seem totally attainable, and not in the far far away future. Thanks for stopping in.

GeoMama

24 comments:

  1. That's looking pretty sweat. I love how the projects that are really worth doing take a lot of time, planning and attention.

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    1. Thanks. Its like your tiny little beads with tons of colors. So awesome.

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  2. Those millions of white hexies are amazing! It's looking so cool. Thanks for linking up to In Hand. :)

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  3. That awsome quilt! I do love the assymetric look!

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  4. Oh my gosh that is a lot of white hexies!!!!! And wow your quilt is beautiful. I have never been a fan of grandmother garden and when I saw your title I though ok, cool, then I saw the next pictures and thought well this looks like GMG, then I got to the next picture and though WOW, this looks beautiful!! Have you thought about how you will quilt it. Visiting from In Hand linky party. Happy sewing!

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    1. Thanks, I love the idea of hexies flowers, but traditional arrangements of them don't suit my taste at all.
      As for quilting I want to get some time on a longarm and do around each flower and then echo outward. Maybe some butterflies and dragonflies in the white background. I am a ways from that point though.

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  5. you made a gazilion of white hexies. It will worthwhile.

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  6. This is a beautiful design! Holy white hexies!!! I love non tradition designs for hexies, and yours is definitely a favorite. My mind is spinning with ideas! Thanks so much for the inspiration and good luck with all the stitching! Just take it one row at a time and you'll get there!!!

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    1. Glad I could give provide some inspiration. Right now I am just working on basting one fat quarter into hexies at a time. Then I will think 1 row at a time.

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  7. This is amazingly beautiful....makes me want to learn how to EPP!

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    1. EPPing is easy, and very very portable. I do it while my kids snack or watch cartoons.

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  8. this is amazing - so many hexies!

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  9. WOW! You're more insane than I am!! What a ton of white hexies. I love your layout for your flowers.

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    1. Thank you. You might call it insane, but for my own sanity I am calling it persistent.

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  10. OMGoodness, you have your work cut out for you, but it will be beautiful!

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    1. Thank you. It has been alot, but it is enjoyable.

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  11. What a great project! I love your go big or go home attitude. Those white hexies are awesome.

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  12. It will be so beautiful! My hexie project is much smaller (around 1200 maybe?) but I am enjoying the whole process.

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    1. 1200 is still a big project. It takes dedication to keep going.

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  13. Could I borrow a cup of sugar ... or a cup of white hexies...looking good. New quilter from Oklahoma, USA. Glad to meet our Canadian Quilting Neighbors. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com

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    1. Oo, that is a good idea, maybe when I have enough white hexies I will pass some along for someone else to enjoy

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  14. Wow ...don't think I've ever seen so many hexies...great work.

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