29/01/2011: Updated site appearance... what do you think?
Hexagon Storage
Since I made things easier to access I've been getting a little done each week on my hexagon project. This little box generally sits on the couch, kitchen table or computer desk where I can pop it open and make a couple of triangles or sew a few pieces together. I've also started numbering my current set of 9 so that I know how I was going to put together the diamond if I want to pack it all in the box and throw the whole lot in my bag.
The container is old tupperware that I found in the second hand sewing cabinet I bought in 2010 (so long ago?!) It was empty and sitting on a shelf of my desk and I'd been considering buying a small fishing tackle box for the hexegons, but then I realised this box is perfect... and free! It has a total of 7 areas with the tray only covering the bottom 3 compartments so the side one is taller and fits my small scissors.
I've made 4 diamond blocks of 9 joined hexagons each now. You can see the 5th laid out and ready to go here. Slow going, but this is going to look amazing when it is bigger!!
Kindle Cover
In addition to playing around with my blog layout to freshen things up for 2012 I've also completed a couple of small projects. I got a Kindle for Christmas and I absolutely love it. When the case I bought took weeks to arrive I ended up making myself one and decided I like the one I made better anyway.
The Kindle case is a little pouch with quilt batting to make it nicely padded. I made a second one for my Mum when she bought herself a Kindle soon after seeing mine. They're quite simple with a little half circle closure that fastens with velcro. If you'd like to know what I did to make one let me know in the comments!
I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year. (I should update more frequently!)
Hexagons... where are they now?
My poor neglected little blog!! I have been sewing, but it is slow going and I haven't had regular time to spend.
So this is my hexagon progress up to now... The first of these was finished in November, the last was finished this week. I decided to make my hexagons into "blocks" of 3x3. I think the longest part is that I need to baste all those little triangles as I go and I'm stitching it together by hand. I think it will be worth it though.
As I sew I select 9 hexagons that are reasonably complimentary and pleasing. I'm hoping that from that I can then match them together as blocks to form a larger quilt top that will be "random" and yet have enough organisation of colours to be pleasing. The black triangles are my crazy idea to let each colour have room to speak for itself. Look at the little stars that are starting to appear in the centre of the triangle!! I love it!
I haven't seen anyone do anything with little triangles on a hexagon quilt. Please share a link if you've seen something like this before.
Making Diamonds from Hexagons
As I'm making tiny triangles I am sewing 2 to each hexagon on opposite ends. This should hopefully speed up the joining process as I should be able to start joining them in rows.
My plan at the moment is to make 3x3 diamonds and then join those together and fill in the edges. The pattern will be selectively random, but as you can hopefully see, the black is setting off the colour so each hexagon will stand on its own merit and not fade into the other fabrics.
Those triangles are so tiny! Only just bigger than my thumb nail. I've found that I have to be more accurate on the triangles, but sewing them together does leave a little wiggle room and pulls it all back together again if I'm a tiny amount off. Hopefully I can maintain a good level of accuracy.
A big bowl of colourful hexagons! I've made 150 of these at last count. There are a couple of very light tan hexagons that I might not use now that I'm starting to sew them together though.
Hexagons... Meet Triangles
I've basted 150 hexagons now and as I've been sewing I've been putting a lot of thought into what I'm going to do with them. One thing I've been disappointed in is that I don't like how they look when they're laid out next to each other. The colours start to run into each other and it becomes harder to pick out the individual fabrics.
I may have found a pleasing solution which is even more insane than creating 1 inch hexagons.... and that is creating 1 inch triangles.
Those tiny things are 1 inch tirangles. They are created in the same method as the hexagons - by basting around a paper base. I can't fold the corners in as I have seen instructions show as the pieces become too bulky to achieve sharp corners. However folding in each side and basting seems to be working well and I am achieving the result I am after, even though they are a lot harder to make as they are so small.
I'll take a photo of a few pieces sewn together soon so you can see how my idea is panning out.