Originally Posted by
tessagin
When I work on my hexies and baste with thread, I have a few needle and thread ready to go and same with connecting them. I prep about 6 needles and thread is about length of my arm. That way I can pick up where I left off. When I sew the hexies together, I do a ladder stitch. I also mark the size of my hexies on the template. I like to use freezer paper for templates, about 3 layers. You can get a lot of templates cut on 3 sheets of 18x18" paper.
On my first GFG I used freezer paper( from the roll at grocery store). I cut into strips a bit larger than hexie pattern, fan folded, drew on hexie,, then stapled in middle of hexie, cut out, removed staple and then ironed those to strips of fabric leaving enough room for seam allowances, pressed, then cut those with rotary and ruler......this one I am using a fiskar hexie punch for papers( old greeting cards, inserts from mags, etc) and an acrylic template for that size hexie ( PaperPieces.com ) and am gluing this one....
As far as attaching by sewing side to side...hard to explain, I just sort of hold in left hand and go across like a whip stitch just pinching the edge of the fabric on each , but the hexies are laying next to each other, as this piece is growing.....rosettes and path I am sort of laying it on a lap table and joining.....at first it was clumsy, but now it is becoming second nature...