For those of you that have done projects w lots so hexis
 

Do you have a way you find easier or faster than other ways. Seems even epp has variations.

Yes, it does seem to be a slow process. I am working on a grandmothers flower garden with hexies. I am doing single flowers ( one hexi surrounded by 6 hexies) I am alternating colored flowers with cream flowers with colored centers.

I am epp and basting around the edges thru the paper, I tried just doing the corners and not piercing the paper but they dont seem to stay together as well. I find that if one day I just baste and another day I stitch together hexies and another day I stitch together flowers I get more done and allows me to see some progress.

I am calling this my "someday project" as in "Someday I will get this finished"

I know that inklingo is supposed to be faster as you are not using papers and glueing the papers works as well but I have not tried those... interested to hear tips as well.

I'm not sure if I have any tips to make EPP easier or faster. I print my hexies out and cut them by hand. Sounds time concuming, but it does go pretty fast. When I baste to the papers, I take one fairly large stitch thru the fabric and paper on each "side" and just catch the "corners" but not thru the paper. When I take the papers out, I just clip that one stitch from the front, turn it over and pop the paper out. I don't remove the basting stitch. When you take the paper out, it pulls the thread ends to the back. If I don't do this, I end up having papers fall out, and I also think it stablizes the fabric. Not fun trying to put papers back in if they fall out!! I just sew the hexies together when ever. I'll spend maybe an evening doing the EPP, then perhaps stitch them together the next evening. I don't have a set method. Just what ever strikes my fancy. I am working on filling in the corners of a quilt top now. Two down, and two to go. Not sure how I'll finish it up. I tend to make it up as I go. This is my third hexie quilt, so I have done a hundreds of hexagons. Number 4 is in my head. I have been following a blog where the lady does some really lovely paper pieced hexagons. Her quilts a very nice. I want to do something like that. Oh my. Didn't mean to ramble on so. Have fun doing your hexies.

EVerything has variations ... and you will find what works for you.

For me ... I wouldn't want to do all the sewing at once ... kind of like the easy work of making the hexies as a break in between. So I try to sew them together, as I go, rather than one onerous task later. Though sometimes ... if I am not in the mood, then yes, I make hexies up in advance, then sit and sew later.

For cutting ... I have plexi templates for the papers and fabric. Stack the fabric and cut several with the rotary cutter. For the papers, I have been using old greeting cards, and cut around with the rotary cutter too. Pretty quick and slick work for both. Matched sets of papers and fabric are put into ziplock baggies, with a label as to #s and/or placement in the project ... or whatever details are pertinent.

For a sewing kit ... I have an old CD holder that I have everything I need in ... papers, fabric, needles. A length of gros grain ribbon is tied onto the zipper pull, with the spool of thread on the ribbon, and trimming scissors tied at the end, so the thread does not come off. All zips into the case, with the thread on the outside. Makes for a handy take-a-long kit!

As before ... what works for me ... may not work for you! :D

I do lots of epp- hex's and other shapes too- I do not stitch through my papers- and with years of practice am fairly fast (hand stitching gets faster with time) when I first started binding quilts it took *forever* to hand stitch a queen binding- now it's just a couple hours- :thumbup: my ^newest^ hex project the designer included a *tip sheet* with a couple different techniques- prep work is always somewhat time consuming- but she gave a couple different ways to prep your hex's---one is to use your iron...put starch in a lid or small dish- fold the fabric over the template, *paint* with starch & press in place til dry---the starch holds the hex shape. another is to use glue basting.

Susan, I love making things with hexagons. I buy plastic templates from "Brandy" and gather the fabric around them. (even those tiny,tiny hexagons are easy with the pastic) Do lots at a time, then spray starch and press. Snip a thread and remove the template for reuse. I also make the entire flower, then press and remove the template. You'll only have to remove the center one as you sew the others around it and it's a nice crisp edge for whipping them together. Great travel project, great for watching TV...about anytime because it's such a small take along project.

I cut my hexes from freezer paper, and the fabric hexagon 1/4 inch (approximately) larger than the paper. Lay the freezer paper dull side down on the WRONG side of the fabric hexagon and press the seam allowances on all sides. The seam allowances will stick to the freezer paper It seems even to help when hand stitching the hexes together to have that freezer paper in there to guide the needle very close to the edge. The papers can be used many times again, so you don't have to cut enough for the entire quilt. This is so much faster than basting around each one, then having to remove the basting.

This site won't make doing hexies easier or faster, but I found it interesting, if you would like to calculate how many hexies in a quilt.



http://www.cddesigns.com/PaperPiecing/number.html

I'm trying to do 1/2" hexies by EPP. I printed the hexies on freezer paper, cut them out, ironed them on fabric (note: use pressing cloth to avoid having hexies stuck to iron). That size isn't sticking too well to the fabric. Instead of whipstitching, I'm finding it easier to use the edge of the paper as a sewing line and doing little stitches, being sure to catch one at the corner. I only have a couple of flowers completed at this point. I like the idea of a single stitch to hold the paper to the fabric. I may try that. I'm making a doll house quilt so I don't have that many flowers to make.

I was taught to handsew the hexes using 1/4 seam. I start with fabric cut in hex shape, no paper, no basting. Put two hexes RST and sew 1/4 inch seam. Keep adding hexes to make the pattern as big as you want. No whip stitching so stitches do not show.

It would be worth getting the Go Baby and hex die for one quilt using my method.