Fox and hens in the orchard hexie case; or, I should have been working

Following last night's unbounded optimism, and superfluity of good things, I was determined that today of all days would be distinctly free of sludge.

So after a morning spent poring over very squinty figures, I decided that this afternoon would be fun, fun, fun, and although a rush proofreading job came in over the wires after lunch (a Good Thing for the bank balance), somehow I found myself drawn towards my sewing machine. Those enticing pieces of fabric that I had cut out whilst burning the candle at both ends were calling me, calling me - and vainly I attempted to resist their siren sound (not such a good thing for the coffers, but good for the soul).

So Slack Alice I became, I abandoned the remunerative work, and headed for the fun stuff. (I fear that I will never be a Captain of Industry at this rate.)

A pesky squirrel in the undergrowth

And so I had a wonderful time a-trimming and a-piecing, and the result is a lovely Hexie Case made from the pattern I bought from my clever friend Amy.

An upside down hexie case

Please do admire how I managed to get the directional fabrics the right way up (thanks to a handy hint in the pattern at the crucial moment) and even managed a zip (thanks to the very clear instructions and helpful photos), all quite unusual for me.

Hens in the orchard

And please do notice how in a bizarre form of transference I have managed to encapsulate my life in the cottage in hexagonal form: the hens and the orchard and the flowers and the doggy footprints and the predatory foxes creeping along the edge and even the pesky squirrels and rabbits lurking amongst the trees in the distance.

Foxes creeping along the edge

Such flights of imagination were facilitated by the lovely Anika organic fabric which I bought from Kate at M is for Make - she does a fat 16th bundle of the range for only £4.50 which I think is a perfect way to buy some coordinating bits for small projects such as this. The orchard print is Nature Walk by Cloud 9, another organic fabric, and also from M is for Make. I originally bought a range of naturalistic prints in small amounts for my Farmer's Wife quilt - as a record of my life, I particularly liked the idea of including some foxes and hens and trees in that, and I have enough left of the fat 16ths after making the Hexie Case to provide plenty of pieces for the quilt. For the lining I used a fat quarter given to me by the lovely Sarah at Red Gingham a little while ago - it coordinates rather well, has a nice gardeny feel, and not being directional was really quite relaxing.

Flowers in the garden

If you would like to make your own Hexie Case, you can find Amy's pattern here, and some really pretty examples made by her here - as she says, I think they would be perfect school pencil cases, as they are generously sized, although I think I might use mine as a sock knitting bag as it will comfortably accommodate some DPNs, yarn, and an orphan sock awaiting a sibling. Perfect presents, too, but this one I am keeping for myself, I am afraid.

Have a good weekend - may it be full of making and creating!