I haven't worked with hexies that small, but when I hand piece GFG I just do the usual running stitch. I tried whip stitching and it was very slow for me (and showed a lot -- apparently I do not have the skill level of the European sewist!). Jinny Beyer does all hand piecing, and she's the one who won that big contest years ago with a hexagon quilt. I borrowed a video from the library that had her showing her hand piecing techniques, and it helped me a lot. I believe it's on DVD now. Maybe not worth the purchase price, but check your library.