When I started this blog it was meant as a place to showcase my cross stitches, but over the last year and a half it’s really evolved. I feel like my tagline “modern cross stitcheries” has become out of date because I have been doing so much more. I have been doing a lot of embroidery and this year I started my enormous, ongoing English paper pieced hexagon quilt.
Jen from Lovely Messes asked me to take part in her Creativity Expressed blog series and talk about my hexagons. It’s been an interesting process for me. I have always wanted to make a quilt but I don’t have a permanent place for my sewing machine. Having to take it out every time I want to sew severely limits my work time. So I was extremely interested in the idea of English paper piecing, or EPP. For EPP, fabric is attached around a piece of paper to hold the shape. The different pieces are then attached together and the paper is removed. There are tons of shape possibilities, but I’ve been drawn to hexagons.
My favorite thing about EPP is the portability. I keep a pouch full of hexagons that need to be basted so I can work on it in the car or any spare moment I have. It’s a slow process but very meditative to work on. It’s repetitive and easy to get into a groove of working without having to think too much.
I had this vision in my head of a rainbow quilt with a ton of various patterned fabrics that transitioned from pink all the way through to purple. I started this project with the hope that it would work out, though I wasn’t entirely certain it would. I am using such a wide range of prints and shades of colors, I really worried it would look too busy or crazy and wouldn’t have the desired effect.
However, I did a smaller version of the idea as a pouch for a swap I did and I was able to see it on a smaller scale and I stopped worrying so much.
The two most valuable resources for me have been Diane from CraftyPod and Haley from the Zen of Making. They both have written so many fantastic tutorials about English paper piecing and I wouldn’t have been able to figure it out if it weren’t for them.
I’ve been experimenting with doing more than just making quilts with hexagons. This bracelet was for a hexagon blog hop that Diane from CraftyPod organized where each project used 12 or less hexagons. It was fun to challenge myself to do more with less.
This bag was one of my first adventures into doing something different with hexagons and while there are a ton of mistakes I made, I still love it. The stitches are messy and I used too much glue, but I learned a lot and that’s really the most important part!
This post is a part of the Creativity Expressed Blog Series hosted by Jen at Lovely Messes. Nine creative women are sharing the secrets behind their creative process, don’t miss a single bit of inspiration!
I love it Rebecca! That bag is awesome and your quilt is going to be amazing when it’s finished. I need to start working on hexagons again and split them up into colors like you did. They all mesh together so well!
Thanks so much for inviting me to take part in the series! And I love that you started making hexies, I can’t wait to see where you go with them!
Cute! Love the cuff!
Thanks so much! EPP has made me hexie crazy and I love having it on accessories!
I love all of the colors you are using! I am not a quilter, but my mother-in-law is and we are the recipients of many pieces of work from her. They’re all over my house and I love them. Can’t wait to see your finished product.
My great-grandmother made a bunch of quilts but I don’t have any of them in my possession. Seeing how much work this is, if someone got one as a gift it would mean I love them very, very much!
YEOW! That’s some beautiful work — love it so!
Thanks so much!
Oh my word…this is amazing! I’ve never heard of it before, but I’m so interested now. Fantastic work!
It was all new to me and I’m so glad I discovered it! Even if you think you can’t sew, you can definitely do english paper piecing! The paper makes it so easy!
OH, your hexagons are awesome…I LOVE the colors and when you make your quilt it will be breath-taking.
Thanks so much! I am so anxious to get it finished but it is definitely a slow project!
I love this post – fun to see all the different ways you used hexies and to hear about your learning process. I am going to have to try EPP one of these days!
You should! I’m on a crusade to get everyone to give EPP a try!
Your hexies are fabulous – that ginormous box of them is simply awe-inspiring! I love how your blog has evolved, too! Chrissie x
Thanks Chrissie! I think I might need to consider a new tagline!
Thank you for sharing your process, that’s always fascinating to me. I love the idea of taking up paper piecing because it’s hard to get to your sewing machine! I have the same issue – by the time I dig out the machine, I don’t feel like sewing anymore.
Yes! And the other thing I forgot about using a sewing machine, since the pieces are usually bigger, there’s usually ironing required. I hate ironing!
You are very creative.
Oh my… You already have so many!! I would love to make an hexagon quilt but I think I won’t be patient enough for such a a great endeavour… 🙂 But those are just so beautiful!