Thanks to everyone who read my blog-hop post and offered suggestions on what to do with my hexagons. I now have a plan! I have basted some more hexagons, using my fat-quarter bundle, and will make them into a cushion front. It will not be a fancy or complicated pattern. I will just let the pretty Bonnie and Camille fabrics speak for themselves.
I started thinking of hexagons as I will need a travel project to take with me when I visit my Canadian in-laws in a few months. My current knitting project is far too bulky.
Then, I remembered the cute ‘English Paper-Piecing Travel Kit’, a free pattern by The Zen of Making, which I had pinned on Pinterest. In fact, I had pinned it three times. I liked the idea that much. It must be time to make it.
I added some linen to break up the red and busyness of the pretty Lecien fabric.
For the centre hexagons, I fussy cut my initials from the Lecien fabric.
The only change I made to the pattern is in the way I sewed the hexagon to the flap, sandwiching it around the flap instead of sewing it onto the front.
The tins in the front pocket contain needles, small scissors and thread, and the two large pockets have heaps of space for hexagons.
The red, spotted fabric is left over from my redwork quilt and the Lecien red-and-white fabric is one I was given by my sewing group a year and a half ago. Instead of including it in the scrappy triangle quilt with all the other fabrics the group gave me, I set it aside. It was one of my favourites and I wanted to save it for something special.
The pattern came together without a hitch. It does require a bit of hand sewing, but then people are unlikely to make an English paper-piecing project if they are not fans of hand sewing.
Haley of The Zen of Making describes herself as a gal in granny glasses. So am I! Disappointingly, none of my granny glasses has diamantés as hers do.
Once again I prove that I could happily sew sewing accessories all day, every day.
Granny Mauds Girl 
Gorgeous. I want one. Now.
Unfortunately it’s not quite large enough to hold my Steampunk pieces…
Yes, you would need to scale the pattern up quite a bit!
You do such lovely work : )
Thanks, Carla. I am rather pleased with my hand sewing – not too many visible stitches.
Lovely little travel case! I made one as my first hexie project, but it’s only really big enough for needles and paperclips (I use them to help baste). Don’t you just love it when you accidentally pin something multiple times… makes it so much easier to decide what you REALLY want to make!
When I realised how often I had pinned it, I deleted at least one of the extras and started choosing fabrics.
Carla, thanks so much for writing about this project. I had never seen it and it will be the absolutely perfect gift for someone I know (hope she doesn’t read your blog!). I never would have found it otherwise. It is just lovely.
The chances of her stumbling across my little corner of the Internet are slim. I think you are safe!
So glad you liked my project and pattern! (Thanks so much for the kind words!) Your travel kit looks wonderful–I always love the combination of red and neutrals. *high fives from one gal in glasses to another*
Red is my favourite colour, which is why my glasses are red too!
Thanks for sharing your pattern.
Really cute. It would make a great present for a quilter! Just the thing I need to saw thank you to someone! Thanks for the link!
Watch out! You might want to make two so you can keep one for yourself.
Yay, that is so pretty! Really stinkin cute!
The Lecien fabric gives it an old-fashioned charm, I think, don’t you?
OMG, that is so friggin’ adorable!! I’ve never been a fan of hand sewing, in fact I avoid it whenever possible but the hexie projects I see, the closer I get to trying it. I need to pin that tutorial as well. Thanks for sharing!
I find hand sewing relaxing, and I can do it while watching TV or hanging out with the family.
a very pretty and handy pouch ^^
Thanks, Claire. I don’t follow my farming father’s logic that ‘practical’ has to mean ‘ugly’.
I’ve just started some hexagons (and annoyingly I bought a hexagon hole punch from Spotlight and this week they are on sale pffffft). I saw that tutorial for the pouch when I was looking for EPP tutorials. I’m not that into hand sewing yet to make one so a regular old pouch will have to do for now 😀
do you have any tips on sewing the hexagons together so the thread isn’t as noticeable? Only advice I’ve really been given about it is to use matching thread, but then I would be changing threads for every hexagon and I’d have to carry around my whole thread collection which kind of defeats the purpose of portable sewing… I’ve only made one practice flower so far and I did get better at the further I went, but still; I want to be good at it already! 😉
Fine needle and small stitches. I just used cotton to sew this, but I have also found silk thread lovely to sew hexagons with. Some people swear by the fine polyester stuff. I’ll probably use just one neutral/light-coloured thread for all of my Bonnie and Camille hexies.
Curse those after-the-fact sales!
yli silk thread is 100# and melts right in. Get one light neutral and one darker, and the stitches don’t show.
This is so cute (yes, I said cute)! If I ever take up English paper piecing or any type of hand sewing I’ll have you make me one 😉
I am a greedy-guts and might keep it for myself!
I love this case! I’ve pinned the same tutorial so I can remember it. I can’t wait to make one for my hexie project. I’m just trying to decide which fabric to use… thanks for sharing!
This was one project where I didn’t agonise over fabric choices for ages as I usually do. I hope you too can decide easily.
This is cuteness defined! My mum has just started her first hexie project, and her birthday is just around the corner … hmm.
Check which size hexies she is sewing before you start. The pattern suits 1-inch hexies or smaller, but you could scale it up for larger ones.
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This looks wonderful. Awesome fabric combo. Thanks for blogging about it – love how you sandwiched the front hexie on the front panel!