Jacque. Sorry to be late in answering your question. If my mind serves me correctly, I think they stitched around each hexagon; however, you do it so there is only one row where the flowers join. In other words, you would not have to go around each hexagon all the time. Are your finished hexagons 1-1/8 inches? My hexagons are 1 inch and I plan to do the stitching as I described above. It sounds overwhelming but then I have been working on it so long--what is another year or so :D .