How can you “bling” a sewing tin?

 Who  has seen Eat, Pray, Love? I have not seen the movie but I have read the book. It is not in my life’s plan right now to run off and find myself. But what is in my life’s plan is to  EAT, SLEEP, SEW. (Not in that particular order!) I had to make this sewing tin that Laurie Simpson had made and posted the
instruction’s HERE. It did make me start thinking about what if?  What if the next big Hollywood blockbuster was EAT, SLEEP, SEW? Who would play the Julie Roberts role?  Heidi Klum could star. She certainly could fit it in after Project Runway. Maybe one of the REAL housewives from New Jersey? A reality show of quilters? How about a bunch of quilters in the same room with only 1 spool of thread? They could have cat fights over jelly rolls? I am so sorry, I must have dozed off into some crazed dream. Market is coming is my only excuse. Back on topic!

 I just love love love this tin. What quilter, sewer, crafter wouldn’t? Using Laurie’s instructions I made my own version in 15 minutes. I then gathered all my hexagon’s and supplies and proudly put them in my new organizational tin. I also added a magnetic strip to the inside which will come in handy. How would you “Bling” a sewing tin? What would you add? What notion can you not live without?
You may remember my blog post about hexagons. I blogged about them HERE. I was sewing them together by machine because I thought I would be bored doing so much handwork. I quickly had all my hex’s sewn together and had to make more. Then,  I got stumped when it came time to turn the corner and actually  had to create the horizontal and vertical rows. The rows would not meet until…..
PICTURE ABOVE: Machine embroidery the hexagons into rows
HALF HEX’S
This is how to make a half hexagon. Sew 2 fabrics together. Press open the seams and trim away excess bulk in the seam allowances. Lay the paper hexagon making sure to line up the seam with the point of the hexagon.
Baste the fabric in place and magically you have a half hexagon

I show you this for a couple of reasons.
I am getting closer to finishing my borders. I just have to make about 300 half hexs.
I am so inspired by all the hexagon bloggers out there that I am dying to start another colorway.
Jaybird is doing it.
I am dying to make some of these from Sew Mama Sew.
You could make a charm hexagon quilt where no two fabrics are the same. Read about it HERE.
I use English Paper Pieces for my hexagons. They have all kinds of info on their website.
Paper Pieces are available at all the quilt stores. Remember when buying the size you want to measure 1 side of the hexagon to determine the size. They range in size from 1/4″ papers to 3″ papers.
You can cut a moda charm pack into 4ths and have tons of fabric ready to baste in place.
I am obsessed by all the possibilities of such a simple shape. I would like to give Laurie credit because now I have a new tin to fill full of hexagons.  Maybe I will rent Eat, Pray & Love when it comes out on DVD, invite Laurie over and sit and make hexagons!
 Let me know if you are hexagon-ing?

12 comments

  1. Jody says:

    Off for some hexagon love. Great idea as usual! I've been super busy lately with my "real" work lately and haven't had any quilting time and I've missed it so much. Then bing, there you were in my mailbox. Perfect!

    Thanks!
    Eat, sew, eat, sew, sleep long & deeply

  2. Sherri says:

    I am hooked on hexagons too…have several different projects going…love using the Moda 2 1/2" precuts too…they're already the right size! Also…Eat,Sleep, Sew…I'm in!

  3. Belinda says:

    Beats the heck out of my lidded plastic tub that I used for my "traveling" hexagon kit 🙂
    Are any of those precut hexagon papers made out of freezer paper?

  4. Lisa says:

    Yes, I am gonner for hexagons. It's so convenient to sew by hand because I can sew on the go. I've been working on a 30's GFG quilt with one inchers for a couple of years now (off and on) and a few other English paper pieced quilts, a sampler and a star quilt too. Hexagons are so versatile, I want to do a zig zag and a diamond quilt too. The paper pieces site is wonderful, just print the design sheets and start coloring! Yes, I am hooked for sure.

  5. happy zombie says:

    I think I have about 5 hexie projects going on inside my sewing box at the moment! Tonight when I'm working on one of them – I'll be day dreaming (night dreaming?) I'm stitching with you (guns a blazing), Heidi, Tim Gunn, RHNJ Caroline and RHNJ Teresa. I think I'd like Andy Cohen in the mix too. Maybe I should ask RHNYC Bethany to come and ask her to cater my little day dream stitchery soiree. Oh, and gotta have Zoila there too!

  6. Camille says:

    I started some more hex's for the babies room. Forgot about it until I read your post. I would love to finish at least ONE hex project in my lifetime!

    Umm… I'm extra covetous of your blingy tin with the red polka dots inside. Don't be surprised it if turns up missing one of these days… I'm sneaky!

    See you SOON!

  7. I am not hexagoning–yet. I love handwork. But, I am resisting! I have two many irons in the fire.

    Maybe after I win a die-cut machine to cut hexies, I'll be ready to join the hexie bandwagon!

  8. Charm packs are GREAT for hex's, but Jelly Rolls work fantastic too- especially if you need LOTS! I made a quilt using Folklorique a couple years ago with hex's and used both a charm pack and a JElly Roll and I pieced it by HAND. next time I'm definately following your lead and using my machine! :o)

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