I am looking ahead to winter (just for a minute). I want to paper piece a Grandmothers Flower Garden as my winters project. I really feel compelled to do this. Maybe because years ago my Grammy said that back in the day, you weren't consindered a real quilter until you made one. Is there a way to cut all of those hexigons without tracing and cutting all of them individually? Also, what is the best size hexigon to use for this. I would like to have at least 12" blocks when I am done. It is going to be a queen sized quilt when I am finished (maybe 10 years from now :oops: ) Seriously, I do want to get it done this winter. That is why I am starting the prep work now. If anyone has any other suggestions, I would really appreciate any help I can get. Thanks so much :thumbup: Sorry admin, this should have been in main, but don't know how to move it.

The GFG that I got uncompleted form my grandma, the pieces of fabric for the hexies were cut in a circle. You’d still have to trace, but you could probably cut through 4 or 5 layers of fabric at a time and a circle would be quicker to cut then the hexie shape. Just make yourself a circle template by finding a glass that is bigger than your hexie template, you don’t want it too big as you don’t want a ton of bulk in the back, but not too small either so you have enough fabric to fold over. Here is some pics that shows the circles and kind of how they are folded over the hexie template:

[img] http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2781/...a60537c104.jpg[/img]

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2718/...38d404bcd1.jpg[/img]

Cheers!
Rachel

Since I"ve never done this, or cut out paper templets, don't knnow if this will work or not. But, if you have a rotery cutter, and an extra blade, couldn't you just layer a few sheets of paper and cut threm out that way? And I think there is a website where you can download a sheetful of hexs ready to cut. That could be your top layer!

Hi Honey.....(sounds like I'm talking to DD!) I have made a GFG and working on another one as we speak. I did English Paper Piecing......I printed 1 inch hex's from a site, but understand you can buy the hex's already die cut, in many sizes, or even the plastic ones. Sense I'm cheep, I just print and cut. Its amazing how quickly it goes. Usually while watching TV. The circle that Rachel posted looks interesting. I just cut 2.5 inch squares, pinned the hex to the sq. and trimed off the corners. I hope you enjoy making your GFG as much as I do.

Clem55. Now why didn't I think of that!!?? I'll have to try it for my next one. Thanks for the idea.

Humbird, you mean I actually had a good idea for once? I'm cheap too, have yet to buy a pattern , usually try to work out my own from a pattern I see and like.

Oooh good idea for the templates themselves, you can also buy a pack of pre-cut hexie templates, or you can use newspaper like my grandma did, they are thin enough that you can cut a lot of sheets with those, especially with the rotary cutter!

Rachel

I am currently working on one now. I purchased the hexagons on ebay in bags of 500 for cheap. I use double sided scotch tape to place them on the 2.5 inch squares and then can pull them out to reuse them over and over again once my flower is sewn together. I cut my fabric in 2.5 inch strips and then into the 2.5 inch squares and have the fabrics in ziploc bags by color in my sewing basket. Hope that helps, I am hooked it is my portable project :D

I use scrap paper, usually from junk mail that isn't printed on back side. It's surprising how good that paper is!

I always use squares to wrap around my paper hex's. Sometimes on e-bay you can find a good deal on precut squares. The circles are a nice idea, but seems like there would be a lot of "waste" (not that we ever throw even the smallest piece of fabric away, LOL). But it would be so much simpler to just cut strips then the strips into squares.

I wrap my squares around the template, baste, sew the hex's together, take out my basting and templates, then trim the excess to the 1/4 seam.