Lacelady

I recently took a two day workshop on how to make a hexagonal etui, or fabric covered needlework box. The original was designed by Dilys Fronks, UK box designer, amongst other things. I believe some of her box designs are available as kits, but in this instance, we cut out our own card shapes. You need reasonably strong card, similar to the card used as mats to frame watercolours etc., but I would recommend you choose the palest colour available, to avoid any colour bleed through your choice of fabric.

For an 8in hexagonal box, you will need card, half a yard of main fabric, and a fat quarter of lining fabric. Batting (I used poly, which is perfectly adequate), One yard of .25in elastic. A stick type of card/paper glue (these are usually washable, here in Ireland, the most popular make is Pritt), small quantity of PVA glue, and usual sewing items such as needle, matching thread, scissors, rotary cutting equipment (use an old blade for the card), pins, and some laundry pegs come in useful.

The first shape you need to cut is the hexagon for the lid. One piece of card, cut from an 8in diameter circle, to yield a hexagon with 4in straight sides. Two other hexagons are needed, (box base, and base lining) cut from a circle, 7.5 in diameter, with 3.75in straight sides.

That's the hard part over. Other card shapes are as follows. 6 of 4in x 3.75in, box sides outer; 6 of 3.75in x 3.5in box sides lining; 6 of 4in x 1in lid brim.