Tutorial - Quilt As You Go Hexagons

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Since I posted my picture a few weeks ago of my Quilt As You Go Hexagons, I've had a couple of people ask me for a tutorial. 

So of course, I obliged.  I'm very good that way. 

Now, this is the way I did it.  It's probably not The. Correct. Way. to do it but it's my way.  And it worked for me.

Go here and download the template.  If you don't want to, you need to draw a hexagon - any size will do but remember the smaller you do it, the more fiddly the end result will be.  Once you've drawn a hexagon, you need to draw another hexagon all the way around it that is ONE inch bigger all the way around.  Seriously, it's just easier to download the template.

Print out two copies.  Glue to a piece of firmer cardboard or paper.  From one piece, cut the larger hexagon.  From the other piece, cut the smaller one.  You want to have two hexagons, both backed with cardboard when you are finished.

Collect from your stash two complementary fabrics, one that will be big enough for the larger hexie, the other that will be big enough for the smaller.  Also collect some wadding scraps.  Or Batting.  Same stuff, different word. 

Using your larger template, cut out a hexie from the larger piece of fabric.

Using the smaller template, cut out a hexie from the smaller piece of fabric.  Also, cut a hexie from the wadding.

Now, this step may help you - or you may leave it out if you've got a good 'quilting eye' - or in other words if you can guess a seam allowance okay.  I can't, which is why every single one of my hexies was a different size and needed to be persuaded to fit together.  Totally up to you what you do.

I have drawn a line one inch in on the wrong side of my largest hexagon.  I've done it in fat biro so that you can see it.  Don't do yours in fat biro.  Do yours in pencil.  Trust me.

Lay the wadding hexie over this one, so that the lines are covered and you've got an inch of fabric all the way around.

Lay the smaller hexie with right side up over the wadding hexie.

 

Turn on your iron.

Fold one side of the outer hexagon half way so that the raw edge lines up with the raw edge of the smaller hexie.  Pin as I have done.  Press if you wish, or you may wait until the other steps are completed.  Doesn't matter.

 

Skip the next straight line, and fold the second one over like in my photo. 

Again, skip the next straight line and do the final one.

Now, starting at the top, fold the edges over again, so that they lay folded over onto the smaller hexagon and your raw edges are all enclosed.  It's a bit hard to understand, so I hope my photos suffice in that regard.

Skip a side, then do the same on the next edge.

Again, skip the next side and do the final one.

Fold all remaining sides over and pin well. 



Now with needle and thread, baste around your shape so that it is nice and secure.

All that remains is for you to stitch the seams down, and I used a blind stitch for my hexies.  I haven't done this on this tutorial because it seems to be long enough for now! 

You can also quilt them and to do that I used a slightly heavier thread (handquilting thread) will do.  You stitch in about 1/4 inch from the inner seam.  Again, I haven't shown you that though I am happy to do a future tutorial to cover that part.

Press well, and any boofy bits should just press out. 

And there you go!  I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and it is clear enough.  Please email me if you have any questions - I'd be more than happy to try and help.

All the best,

Suzie

A finish to show you

I've finished my hexagon quilt as you go quilt/table centre/don't know what.

The front:

The back:

A close up of the back:

And the 'I'm trying an arty shot' one:

It's a gloriously sunny day today, which makes the picture a little glary but I can't wait till it's later in the afternoon because - well, I have no patience!

I've been asked to provide a tutorial for the hexies and I'm happy to do this - there are lots of ones out there but what the hey, I don't mind doing another one!  But I know my limitations and it won't be this year.  So keep checking and maybe earlier next year I can give it a go.

I'm thinking a lot about this blog - what I can do to make it a good place to visit, what I can offer you.  I know there are a million quilting blogs out there, I'm so pleased that you choose to visit mine.  I know what I don't like when I visit blogs - and it's giving me lots of pause for thought right now. 

Another things blogs are good for - they get your brain working!  I'm always thinking of blog stuff, blog pictures, blog content.  If you don't have one, I so encourage you to start yourself one.  It's great fun!.

I'm off to pick up DD from school now, it's her last day and next year she'll be in a whole new class.  And it means I will have two little people at home with me all summer.  They play beautifully together at the moment and the baby misses her big sister at the moment, so it'll be lovely.  I hope.  I hope they get on and don't drive me nuts.  I have my fingers crossed.

Till another day

Suzie







Trying to keep up

I lead a busy life, and I overly complicate it by starting too many things, buying too much stuff, saying yes too often instead of no sometimes, not finishing what I start.  I don't think I'm alone in that.  I'm one step away from being shown on Hoarders.

We've had a few medical upheavals of late and it always reminds me that we leave behind all our stuff if we disappear for others to deal with.  If I were to suddenly not be here, I'd leave such a mess for my family to deal with.  It's something that really does trouble me and I'm trying to take baby steps to rectify the situation.

I've surfed a lot lately about being organised and I really think that my year for that will be 2012.  It sure has heck hasn't been 2011!  One of my organising ideas is to make a plan for this blog and stick to it.  We'll see how that goes.

I've been blessed with visitors this week that entertained the little people a lot, and so I spent a bit more time in the sewing room than I usually do.  

Part of my problem is that I see a technique, I decide I absolutely must do it, and then when I get a little into it, it bores me rigid and I don't want to finish.  Or it's too hard or it's not working or a million other reasons.  This box of hexagons is one of those techniques.

They do look quite nice put together, but not one single one turned out the same size and the whole thing was a lot harder than I thought it would be.  I guess I could unpick them and start over, but doing that would require more work than just finishing the jolly things, so that is what I will do.  Finish it and see how it looks then.

I've also added a couple of rows to my apple core quilt.  Needs a good press, it does.  I've got about four rows to go.

And my lovely Joseph's Coat will look a lot like this when finished.  I think I have my head around how it's done, the finishing I mean.  

I'm finding making my points difficult.  Some I ace:

Some, I don't. 

But whilst I'm trying my very best to do it beautifully, I'm also remembering the mantra 'Finished is better than perfect!'.

So that's what I've been up to the last couple of days.  Hope you've had a productive time of it.

All the best, 

Suzie