Sunday, April 21, 2013

Learning to make Hexies



What do you do when you get sick and really don't feel well enough to sew up  a big project ?    You find some hand sewing to work on!

I looked up several tutorials on Hexies and decided to try sewing a few.  When I started out, I didn't have a specific project in mind.   Echinops and Aster  has quite a few projects and tutorials on making hexies. After reading her blog,  I sort of lost my fear of making a hexie, and decided to make a few and see where it led me.

I found some great free hexi patterns at Echinops and Aster, and decided to print out the   1 1/4 " size on computer paper .

My fabric pieces tended to be about 3 1/2 "  x 3 1/4 "  , to wrap around my little hexagon paper template.  I enjoyed basting them by hand , while watching tv.  They only took a few minutes to starch and press into shape.

After I made 8 hexies, I started playing around with them, to see what shape to put them in.  I ended up liking the straight line.  I realized that if I put three in a row, that would fit on the front of an eyeglasses case.

Last week, I made a simple  eyeglasses case , for little "A"....


Pouch set   including an eyeglasses case
I had attempted to make a more tapered pattern....  from a pattern found at About.com  Sewing.    But it had a part in the directions that I couldn't figure out  messed up... and so I ended up adapting this case...by making it 2- toned on the outer fabric, and straight across the open, top side.

I decided to try this glasses case again, and then decorate the front and back sections with a row of 3 hexies.

So, I whip stitched the hexies, 3 in a row.  I fused them on the back with HeatnBond.
I ironed them onto the front and back of the outer fabric, and stitched them along their outer edge to the fabric.  I then simply stitched the outline of the hexi string, a scant quarter of an inch from the outer edge.

I had some problems again, finishing the case, at  the junction  where the the lining  and outer meet  (step 5), and sewing up the lining-to-lining and cover-to- cover edges.  (step 6 in directions).  (the pivot area she refers to in the directions)
After several attempts at trying "something different", I finally figured out what I was doing wrong. I didn't look at the pictures in the instructions.  I used "common sense".
And it worked! 
So I WROTE IT down quickly, so I wouldn't forget what I did! And took a few pictures.
 I went to my computer and began to study the online tutorial. I  realized it was from the early 2000, and it was not as detailed  as we make our tutorials today.  I then found a "related" link below, and it mentioned "printer friendly" eyeglasses case.  It was actually the same directions, but had DIFFERENT PICTURES to show the steps, and was all on one page , for printing.  USE THIS ONE:    About.com Sewing  Make an eye glass case

If you make the pattern,   use this link  Make an eye glass case , and these pictures will make sense.  (And a more experienced sewer would probably know this already!)
The other directions showed sewing the 1 inch seam on the right sides of the fabrics in step 5.  I finally figured out that it needed to be wrong sides
Step 6    




My hexies glasses case  
I like this pattern, because the right corner (seen on left upper corner in my picture), is shorter and shows the lining peeking through. (This is the hard part I had in the pattern. )


The back side

Simple stitching along the outside

My "hex-cellent" eye glass case      (sorry for that one)

I want to make some more things with hexies now.

Have you made anything?  Any fun suggestions for me? Let me know!
I'm off to my sewing room!

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8 comments:

  1. Your "hex-cellent" eye glass case is great! Hope you are feeling better!

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  2. Lovely glasses case and excellent hexies.
    Hope you feel better real soon.

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  3. what fun little project thanks.

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  4. How cute! Great small project to work on.

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  5. Super cute glasses case.
    Amandak@whatthebobbin

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  6. Ha ha Hex-ellent!
    Esther

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  7. Hexies are fun to make and you turned yours into such cute projects!! Hope you are feeling better soon!

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