Hexie Block a Month Challenge

The other day I decided to have a browse around on Pinterest. A dangerous thing to do as a quick couple of minutes on the craft boards inevitably turns into a much longer time! However, I came across an idea for a Block a Month challenge using hexagon patchwork. Julia from The HEXIE Blog is going to post a Block a Month throughout the year.

I have to confess that I quite enjoy the process of making paper pieced hexagons – although I know that there are quicker methods. I already had a small stash of hexagons that I had been making whenever I had a minute with the idea that I’d sew them all together at some point. So the idea of being given a block to complete each month seemed ideal. It would actually make me sit down and sew some of them together and I’d have 12 completed blocks by the end of 2014! As each block is supposed to measure around 15” square that’s a lot of finished patchwork!

Hexie stash

 The materials I had already been using to make hexagons are a selection of fat quarter pieces that we had picked up on various visits to the local material shop. I’ve already started the January block which Julia calls a Snowflake block and she uses a few shades of blue materials. 

January's Snowflake block - Julia at The HEXIE Blog

Mine may look a little more summery than a snowflake but I still like the idea of leaving some gaps in the hexagon pattern. The only thing I need to decide now is what colour material to use as the backing square. Oh and finish sewing the hexagons together obviously!

January: My 'Snowflake' block - work in progress

Project 2014

So welcome to our new blog. We've been talking about starting one for a while but have never got around to it. Too much talking about how to do it, what to write about, what it should look like. Well 2014 is a new year and our only resolution was to just get on with things and give them a go without just talking about them.

You may have seen an idea that seems to be all over the web this year: keep a jar and throughout the year you write things that happen on bits of paper and pop them in the jar. Next New Year you open the jar and look back at all the lovely things you've done.

The 'Good Things' Jar from Louise at Decoding Happiness

Well me and mum have decided to roll the two things together. We thought it lent itself to a craft slant. We will be writing about and taking pictures of all of the different craft things we complete this year. It's very easy to feel like all the other 'crafters' you know seem to have twice as many hours in their weeks and make far more things than you. So we've decided to keep a record and see just what we do do with our time!