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Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Hexies' Link up....

Once again I'm linking up with Sarah's blog where each month she invites other bloggers to 'show and tell' their paper piecing projects, which includes EPP hexies of course!
Regular readers would know that I started a decluttering challenge where I've been discovering kits and patterns that have been sitting idle.
The other day though, I thought of something which I knew was in the built in wardrobe in bedroom#2. I hadn't given this item a thought for a few years now...and I also thought that this item would be something I could write about for this link up. Especially since my long hexie Christmas runner and my Liberty print hexagon cushion have not progressed very much in this last month. :-(
So without further ado...the item...


Not very interesting, just a cardboard box...so what's inside?


Yes some hexies! Now I did not make these...no cutting out of fabric and paper, no stitching over the card/paper, none of that! About 5 years ago I saw this lot on Ebay; the description by the seller suggested that there were 900 hexagons in this lot. On the spur of the moment, I placed a bid...and in a few days, those hexies were mine. They arrived in an old shirt box which sort of fell to pieces...so I found another box for them. I did try to count them a few times but stopped after about 500... :-/
This had obviously been a long term project for someone...a real labour of love perhaps as they were so neatly stitched over light card ??The card pieces are a real piece of history too...

I recognised cigarette cartons (in the 50s and 60s my dad used to buy his ciggies by the carton!) and biscuit packets, Bic biros carton and lots of other packaging from those decades...
The fabrics are varied...probably a lot of dress fabrics as patchwork cottons were hard to come by in Australia for many years. There are however, a lot of lovely pure cottons including some homespuns, as well as the expected poly cottons.

A closer look in the box...
Now that I've rediscovered these, I'm quite excited about how I can use them...shame I don't have any grandchildren as it would be a great sorting activity for them putting the hexies into groups. I think I did start that a while ago and found that of each different fabric there were plenty of the same to make 'flowers' for a Grandma's Garden design. Or maybe a diamond shaped motif...or a star...or just a random mosaic???
Oh and most importantly...this box of hexies is staying here at my place...no decluttering purge for them! lol

7 comments:

Vireya said...

Wow, how amazing! Hope you find something interesting to do with them.

Turid said...

How fun. You can keep them in jars to look at the beautiful colours.

Anonymous said...

Hi Maria. You have found some buried treasure! I can hardly imagine the hours of work that went into the making of these hexies.
I am still in the throes of de-cluttering, and I've been donating to our local OpShop, and putting stuff on the kerb outside and as I live in a busy street it doesn't sit there for long.
But the other day I went to a talk at Carindale library about how to use Gumtree and EBay as a help with de-cluttering and yesterday I took a deep breath, and put six things on Gumtree. A bit different to the old Trading Post, but hopefully it will move a few more things. Cheers.

Anonymous said...

What treasures - both as hexagons and the cardboards inside them. What wonderful things you can make! Thanks for your comments on Hexagon Alley, too. My community blog.

Sarah said...

What a fab e-bay purchase!!! I do hope you'll be able to come up with a design for them. Gosh there are only a million options with rosettes and diamonds and all the different combos. I know you'll enjoy sorting them and studying the cards. Can't wait to see your progress next month...

JeanN said...

Just wonderful to know that someone's hard work didn't just get thrown out. So pleased you saw them on ebay and purchased them, no doubt someone who is no longer with us will be looking down smiling in anticipation that her project will one day be finished. I'm sure you will make something spectacular with them all, and Maria, I can't wait to see the end result.

Soma @ inkTorrents.com said...

That is a fabulous collection, Maria! The cards are fascinating too. You should definitely keep them in a jar. That would look so pretty!!

-Soma