I’ll NEVER Do This Again…

Yeah, yeah, I know I say that a lot, but this time I really mean it!

I’ve finally finished piecing 165 super tiny hexagons to form the face for the pieced version of Express Your Love. These are 1/4″ hexies, which means they are smaller than my big thumb nail.

I feel two sides on this project. On the one hand, I love this texture from so many tiny pieces fused together in such a beautiful mosaic arrangement. I wanted something beautiful and unique, and I certainly got it!

But I also got a super time consuming hand work project that spanned 2 solid months and distracted me from other projects I was wanting to play with in my spare time. Like my beaded / embroidered version of Express:

She’s been collecting dust all summer, despite the fact that I love the way the beads are looking on the surface of this piece.

I’ve also had to shelve my rebel cardi from the Craftsy class Beyond Basics Broomstick Lace:

This is the first knitted garment I’ve gotten to this point and it’s so cool because it’s actually going to FIT properly! I’m really looking forward to getting back to it and hopefully finish it in September.

I certainly don’t regret taking the time to piece 165 quarter inch hexies, I just wish I had more time to work on it and everything else too without feeling like one project was taking precedence over another.

This summer has been all about figuring out schedule and routines. I realize that the absolute worst thing I can do is start the day with a long to-do list because that inevitably means I’m overwhelmed before I even sit down at my sewing machine.

Instead, I break my day down into hours, and no, there are not enough hours in a day. I’m not risking burnout by staying up late and working all night, but trying to use the time I have each day most efficiently.

So yes, I probably WILL piece ridiculously tiny hexagons again, but I’ll never again jump into hand piecing unless I have no other handwork projects in progress!

Let’s go quilt,

Leah Day