Monday, August 19, 2013

Be a Hexie Queen!

 
Hexagons are currently making a revival, and not just in the sewing world.  Recently I bought some scrapbooking paper that was printed hexagons!  But I digress...
  
Welcome to the first day of a nine-day adventure showcasing hexagons (AKA hexies) of all shapes and sizes! 

 
My love of hexies goes back to when I first learned to quilt, back in the day of the dinosaurs and rotary trimmers were just a gleam in someone's eye!  As the queen of UFOs, one of my first projects was quilt-as-you-go hexagons which got packed in one of my many moves and I think it may have gotten lost.  I think I'm going to try another one, using the new Moda Honeycombs, once I finish my current one.   They are so big compared to what I am used to.


Do you hexie big or small? 
 
Right now I work on hexie flowers as a long-term project.  My current one is done in '30s reproductions and I'm about a third of the way to a twin-size quilt top.  They are 3/4" on each side. 


The smallest ones I've done are 3/8" on each side.

 
I needed a needle keep to put in my project bag, so I came up with this. 
 
 
Of course, it had to be a Hexie!
 
 
I've been making them as gifts - my latest incarnation includes a scissor pocket in the back!


 I'm not going to re-invent the wheel by telling you how I make hexies - instead I'm going to direct you to the Queen of Scrappy Quilts, Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.com, who does it best in my opinion!
 
Link to Bonnie Hunter's tutorial

Want to try bigger hexagons?  Check out Debby Kratovil's shop for great templates and patterns. She is also the host of this wonderful blog hop.

Have you ever made selvedge fabric?  I love it for small projects, but now I want to make a bigger piece to recover my sewing chair, so I thought I would show you how I do it.

It's really easy - all you need is a piece of leftover batting (for small projects, I like to use a fusible fleece) and selvedges. 

I like to cut mine about 1/4" in to the "good" stuff, so I have a nice overlap to work with.  Some people like to cut a 1/2" in, so they can incorporate some of the colour as well but I'm too frugal.
 
 
I picked out one that I didn't care about to start with, as most of it will be hidden in the seam allowance.  I placed in as straight as I could on the batting and didn't worry about a lining for the back.  I'll cover that later if I use it in a different project.

 
I place the second piece over the first, just to the edge of where the selvedge stops and the good fabric begins.  I set my sewing machine on the standard zig-zag (on my machine, the width is 5 and the length is 3.0) and started sewing.

 
And that's how easy it is! 
 
 Manufacturers are printing such pretty designs on selvedges now, it's a shame to waste them!
 
 
Now, go Hexie on!  Here are a bunch of fun blogs joining the hop today and be sure to follow the button every day this week for more! 






 
 


  

 
Thanks for visiting,
 

Terri in BC

88 comments:

  1. Very cute use of selvedge edges. Love it!

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  2. Very pretty! I have a huge stash of selvedges... so I definitely need to give this project a whirl. Thanks for the inspiration, Terri!

    You are a Hexie Queen!

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  3. What a great idea for a needle case!

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  4. Nice! I like that selvage look.

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  5. Seeing that nice stack of hexies, my fingers are really itchy..... Thank you for the tutorial, I will have to check it out soon.... I love your idea for the needle keep. Beautiful!

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  6. Great hexies, and I love your needle book!
    I'm saving selvedges but it's slow going!!! I think I'll have enough to make a little hexie needle book though!
    Thanks for sharing!

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  7. Love your pretty selvedge needle keep!

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  8. Very cute needle keeper. I am just beginning my first selvedge project. So far, so good! Thanks for sharing today.

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  9. So cute the needle keeper. Thanks for sharing

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  10. Terri. Love that little needle case with selvedges and thanks for showing how to put those strips together. Makes sense now! I thought they were supposed to join with 1/4" seams, so I never did it (would lose all the fabric!) Your hexies are lovely - I even have some of that fabric!

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  11. Thanks for sharing your projects & the link to Bonnie's how-to.

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  12. Your needle book is great! And I'm sure your flower quilt will be beautiful when done.

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  13. Okay, I'm bad...never saved any selvedges, but in my defense I've really only been bitten by the quilting bug for the past month or so...thanks so much ladies LOL! I am now a reformed selvedge waster, you've made working with them so easy. More projects in queue...just what I needed ;) Cute little needle keeper. Great gift giving project.

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  14. Such a great needle keep. Really have to start to collect these selvedges...
    And your bunch of flowers looks already lovely. Hexie on!

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  15. The pocket for scissors on the needle case is genius! What a great way to join the selvage strips- thank you sharing!

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  16. Missy( bike) and I just returned from a tour, now coffee in hand and my oh my look what I see...lot's of hexies staring back at me... HI Terri, are you not sooooo clever to make a hexie needle case...it is perfect....you are sooooooo good and yes a queen too today...

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  17. I love what you have done with those selvages. Thanks for sharing. You are truly creative

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  18. love your tutorial on the salvage edges and hexies. Do you always EPP or do you use Inklingo and have your lines printed on to the fabric - I do it that way most of the time and not use the papers.
    Love your little hexies. I had not thought to make them for little mug rugs or coasters.

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  19. Your tiny little hexie is amazing and that needlecase is so cute! Thanks for sharing!

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  20. Love your needle case and how you used selvedges- that is wonderful!

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  21. I saw an amazing dress a couple of years ago made totally of selvages. It was stunning and I thought - I should really try to use my selvages. Now you have shown me a much more real way I could actually do it. Thanks

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  22. Bonnie Hunter is the person that got me really hooked on hexies. I love your needle holder.

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  23. What a cute idea for the needle case and how appropriate to carry with a hexie project. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  24. Love your needle keep! I am making a quilt using selvages but I like to see the fabric - some of them I cut quite wide so I can remember a fav fabric.

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  25. I love your needle keeper, especially the pocket for the scissors. Thanks for sharing.

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  26. I really need to make a needle keeper, thanks for the inspiration! Your project ideas are very alluring, I have been wanting to do a selvage project for a while, but am still collecting!

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  27. Beautiful projects! I can't believe how tiny that hexie flower is (3/4" on the side...). Thanks for joining the blog hop!

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  28. What a cute, useful project. Good luck with recovering your chair.

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  29. so cute and fun! I am saving selvedges and cant wait to find a project for them as well!

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  30. Love your needlecase. The fact you used selvages, perfect!

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  31. Your hexie flowers are so pretty! The needle case is awesome! Thanks for taking the time to show us how you make the selvedge fabric! Thanks also for participating and inspiring us today!

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  32. I love the picture of the stacked up hexies - I just love photos like that. Also your need case is too cute. I save selvedges too.
    xo jan@sewandsowfarm

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  33. fun projects. Thanks for sharing in the fun hop.

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  34. Love your needle case!!!
    Your picture is amazing of the stacked finished hexie flowers:)

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  35. Love your needle cases they are so cute , I have never made a hexie because I am afraid they are addicting.
    I have the die for the hexie on my Go machine so I had better get busy . I will look at Bonnie's blog because she is one of my favourites . Thanks for sharing.

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  36. What a great idea - I love your projects and thanks for the tutorial too :)

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  37. Love the needle case! Thank you for sharing.

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  38. Love this! makes me wish I kept more of my scraps :)

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  39. What a lovely needle keep! Great use of a hexie!

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  40. Your needle case is really cute and functional.

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  41. I adore your hexies...and I love the salvage one. I am also covering an old sewing chair with salvages....

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  42. Love, love, love the needle case. You have some great ideas. Thanks for sharing.

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  43. Cute projects! Thanks for sharing them and for the tutorial. My to do list is growing by leaps and bounds!

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  44. I love your selvedge hexie case!!! I just finished a selvedge box project and couldn't be happier with it! I've "pinned" your project to my Pinterest page for a future project - hopefully not too far in the future :*)

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  45. Cute needlebook. I have a ton of selvages: seeing how cute your needlebook is I have to make one for myself.

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  46. Love your hexie needle case. Think I'll have to make one for El using selvages from her lines. Too cool. Thanks for a wonderful idea!!

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  47. I'm working on hexie flowers as a long-term project too, since several years *lol*
    Lovely little needlecase, you've made me want to try to sew something from my selvage edges too.
    Thanks for sharing.

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  48. lovely work. thanks for sharing the selvage idea too

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  49. I think that your hexies are really lovely. The 30's are my favorites.
    I do love that needlecase. Great gift idea.
    Thanks for sharing,
    cheers
    maggie

    maggiemine42@gmail.com

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  51. Thanks so much for the tutorial, I haven't done any selvage fabric yet but I want to. Now I know how :) What a cute little hexie case.

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  52. I really like your needle keep and your scissor pocket, you're very clever to sew a ribbon to stop the scissors from falling out. I have only been EPP one-inch hexagons. I haven't tried the larger sizes yet. In fact, I have the honeycomb precuts and I purchased the paper that fits it from paperpieces.com. So maybe I'll take that with me when I go on vacation. Thank you for sharing your projects.

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  53. So far that's the best use of selvages I've seen thus far! Thank you for sharing!
    ~Brandy

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  54. Such a pretty needle keep and a great way to use up the selvages. Great job!

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  55. What an adorable needle case. I am also working on a flower quilt...I just can't' seem to find time to work on it this summer.

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  56. What a lovely use for selvedges.

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  57. What a cute gift idea. Thanks for the tut. Your 30's prints will be beautiful done up in a quilt. Enjoy the process.

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  58. I love your needle case! Thanks for sharing with us!

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  59. I too love your needle keepers. Those would make very nice gifts, You've inspired me to get busy Terri !

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  60. Great hexie projects. All are really nice especially the needle case! Thanks for sharing!

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  61. Wonderful hexies. Loved seeing your stack of flowers - great photo. The selvage tut was super and easy to follow. Thanks.

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  62. Hi Terri~ I love your little needle keep for your project bag! I think I'd like to make one like yours. I've been saving selvedges for a while now! I am a fan of the Queen of Scrappy Quilts as well. I started quilting just last year and have been following Bonnie ever since then. Thanks for sharing!

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  63. Your hexie needle case is wonderful. How did you do the pages? Thank you for the link to wonderful Bonnie Hunter. I haven't tried small, small hexies. I'm working on a queen Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt from 1" finished hexies. Among my mother's things I found about 40 left over from two queen quilts she had made. Thanks for the tutorial on selvedges. I have several from a drawing when guild members swapped charm squares and we had to turn in our selvedges. I also save mine. So, now thanks to you I have an idea how to make the fabric. Thanks for participating and inspiring me. Great project.

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  64. Love your needle case. I have not used my selvedges yet. This is a good way to start small.

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  65. Love your pile of hexie flowers - they look perfect!! Your needle case is a perfect idea for using up those selvedges that I have been collecting!! Thanks for sharing in the hop!

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  66. Your projects are all just wonderful!

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  67. Love needle case! How big was the hexie on that? I really like that idea. I've seen it before but I love the selvage idea and the scissors pocket which I had not seen. Thanks for sharing. If you have time to respond on the size for the needle case, I'd appreciate it (bevwalks at aol dot com).

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  68. Fabulous needle case and so appropriate that it is a hexie. And thank you for the inspiration with the salvages. I am going to put that on my list...you know the one...the really, really, really long one. LOL Thank you for sharing!

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  69. Now that is just too darn fun with the selveges. I have a pile that I have been saving. I think I know what to do with them now! :-)

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  70. what wonderful projects you are sharing with us today. I love that stack of Grandmother's Flower Garden waiting for their paths. The needle case is adorable.

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  71. Very nice hexie projects. Aren't those selvages fun?

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  72. Love your needle book with scissor keeper! Your hexis are lovely!

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  73. Your Selvage Edge Hex is wonderful. I am going to have to try some of those. As for hexie size 1" to 2" are my favorite sizes but I have dabbled in smaller ones and have used larger ones as well. I just like EPP and hexies no matter what the size.

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  74. I love the needlebook. Mine is a flower of 1/2 hexies, but this is even cuter.

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  75. Your needlebook is so cute! Thanks for telling us how to make selvage fabric--what a great idea. Good luck on your flower garden quilt!

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  76. Needle book is sew cute. Good idea using the selvages.

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  77. Pretty hexies! That will be a very pretty quilt. I love your needle case! I have a TON of selvages. I think that needle case is right up my alley. Thanks for the tut!

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  78. Love that needle case! Great way to use the selvages...you've inspired me! Thanks!

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  79. Hiya Terri!!! What beautiful 30's hexie flowers. And everyone but me has a needle case. It's next on my to-do list. That's after 3 baby quilts, a crochet blanket, and some cross-stitch. Yours is lovely. Thanks for sharing. Blessed be, hugs!!! Pam

    pamspretties57 at gmail dot com

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  80. Oh I love your needle case! I'm off to check out my stash for selvages! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  81. What a great way to use selvages! I love your projects!

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  82. I love selvages also. I love your 30's hexies. I want to make one as well. I can only see the top flower, but are you using a solid center or just a contrasting piece?

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