After making patchwork for more than 20 years, I have accumulated a few fabric scraps, – in fact, I think they are breeding like rabbits even as I write. As throwing out fabric is more or less a mortal sin, I have to find ways to use those scraps.
Making paper pieced hexagons is one way of dealing with them, but it is not a very speedy technique, so I will have to look out for something faster as well. However, hexagons are great for taking everywhere, and is what I have been doing while soaking up the sunshine at the end of this summer.
I did some basting last autumn, and brought out the project again and did some more a few weeks back. Then I made lots of hexagon flowers, – well, – some anyway.
I plan on joining the flowers with one row of hexagons in between each one. I want the connecting hexagons to be all in the same colour, – or very similar, – so they will act like a background to the flowers. I plan on starting with the hexagon flowers I have made so far, then add more if I feel like it.
So I have been auditioning fabrics for the background. Here I have spaced the flowers at the approximate distance they will have in the quilt. I think the flowers really pop on a black background.
However, I doubt if I will be up to sewing so many hexagons in black, – I fear that it will be very hard on the eyes, and I might be discouraged and not finish the project. So even if I like the look of the black background, I may settle for a light one in the end. If so, I think I will have to keep the other light fabrics in the centre of the flowers so they do not blend too much into the background.
I have two and a half yards of this fabric, but think maybe I should use several light fabrics from the beginning in case I will be short. There is no telling at this stage how large I may want the quilt to be.
One of my goals is to find a way to join the hexagon flowers without having to fold the pieces with the paper templates still inside. I do not know if it is possible at all, but I will try 
Eldrid
Kameleonquilt
your hexagons & flowers are just lovely.
Thank you, Stacey
Already your wonderful eye for color shows in the stack of hexagons! I started one once, but lacked the patience for all that prep.
Maybe that is why I have since made four postage stamp quilts? Two inch (or smaller if you want) squares of fabric stitch up faster than you expect. I have done the random look, but the one (#5!) in progress now is color sorted.
Do take a look at my last completed one, using 4,096 two inch squares of fabric! Find it at:
http://thecuriousquilter.wordpress.com/2010/09/19/another-big-hug-finishing-feels-great/
I still enjoy looking at teh marvelous creations you encountered on your trip to Russia. Thank you so much for sharing! – Mary, The Curious Quilter
Thank you, Mary. I think lots of colours works very well with this technique. Now, four postage stamp quilts is quite an achievement. Maybe I will try my hands on something similar to clean out some more of those small fabric pieces
Hello
To use scraps in hexagons is an old tradition to Réunion island (french island) where it is called make a carpet of the beggar. Look at this blog I like very well http://decoranath.canalblog.com/archives/2008/07/24/10027731.html and look how she makes a “rosace”(name for this hexagon)
http://decoranath.canalblog.com/archives/2006/07/14/2294814.html
For your work I also think the flowers really pop on a black background.
Thank you very much for the links, Marie-Thérèse. It was interesting to see how the rosace hexagon was made, – have not seen it made this way before.
I guess most patchwork quilts started out as a way to utilize every remnant when fabric was scarce. I did not know till now that making patchwork also was a strong tradition on the Réunion island. Do you live on this island?