When I baste, I don't knot at the end of stitching. I simply cut a long--maybe 2 inches--piece of thread and remove it when I'm finished sewing the hexies together. Also I do not baste through the paper templates since I reuse them. I have a bunch of hexies made but only a few sewn together. I think I have too many irons in the fire, and have a hard time finishing anything. I usually save the hexies for a road trip to keep my hands busy.
Sue