I have read the book and read CuteBuns' tute 'til I'm blue in the face and I STILL can't figure out how to sew this OBW together. Is there anyone out there who can help me here? I'm a visual person - I guess just reading the instructions isn't penatrating

You sew half hexagons, 3 pieces together. Lay them out as a whole block on a design wall, bed, floor, etc...

Sew 2 more halves together and place them next to the first one. You need to place the second one upside down to get the sides to match up.

Keep going until all of the blocks are sewn and switch the blocks around til you are happy with how they look.

Once you are happy with the layout, then you will sew the halves into strips vertically, and then all of the strips together :D:D:D

Oh, I don't think you are dumb at all. You're here aren't you? And you are asking an intelligent question. Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you. I need visuals myself! I'll be watching this thread because I want to know.

Can you find a class in your area? Hopefully the experts on here will see this and lend a hand. Once you figure it out you will realize it wasn't that hard, it is just different that sewing squares.

Amma - including a picture of the layout - now - do I sew from the pointed end down or from the square end across? I did 2 rows from the square end and that just didn't work right so ripped it out. Figured I'd better ask before I sew anymore ............

it looks like you sewed thw whole hex together, you don't do that, only 1/2 the sew 1/2 of the next one onto the end, so you have a long row of halves, then when you make the next row of halves, you sew the two rows togwther, that makes the block complete

It's very pretty

Thanks for your explanation Kathy. Like Suzi, I was struggling to understand. Now it all makes sense. I can picture it in my mind now. :thumbup:

LOL - no, the hexes aren't sewn together - they are in halves of 3 triangles each. My brain is simply boggled is all - maybe I should lay them out so that the (proposed) seam is running the opposite way? Can't see where that would make a difference though

Think of it like sewing trapezoids together....one up, one down. You will always be sewing on the angled sides to make a row. Then you will attach all the rows together...

saf - I'm sure glad you get it because I can't! I'm down on the floor with the halves in my hands putting them together and still not seeing it. Oh Lordy - and I graduated with Honors for Heaven's sake!!!

take the first halfs off the first row and set them aside then separate the next row in the middle of the block look at it I think you'll see how it sew in row then

Suzi, let me see if I can explain this. You need to change your layout so that the first half hex in the first row is pointing the other direction than the first half hex in the second row. To get a square quilt, you end up loosing some half hexagons.
Check out my OBW here.http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-111130-1.htm
I left some hexs to fall out if the border, but notice how on top I have one half hex short side to the left the one next to it and underneath it to the right and so one. Just alternate the orientation of the short side on touching half hexs. Hope I didn't confuse you.

I'm confused - so I think I shall go shovel out the dog kennels (that always relaxes my brain 'cause it's a totally no-brainer thing to do) and maybe when I return I'll have an "AHA" moment ......... think???

When I'm laying out a design I always seem to end up on the floor too. Maybe while you're down there you could try a quick prayer.... :idea:

Suzi, another verbal explaination:

you take the bottom half of the first hex and sew it to the top half of the next hex (don't start on the top or bottom row). and keep doing this all the way across your quilt

Next 'row' up sew the top half of the first hex that matches the first hex of your previous sewn row and sew it to the bottom half of a different hex. repeat across quilt

Next 'row' up you pick a new hex bottom and sew it to the matching top hex of the previous row. repeat across quilt.

Does that help at all?

Go away and sleep on it......this works too (hugs!)

you sew halves together in straight rows. nothing easier. you just have to watch and match the next row before sewing together. then they will look like whole hex's sewn at one time.
if you make some, lay out half of them in rows, alternating placements of the halves seam, top, bottom, you will see how to do them.

Suzi, YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! Lets see if we can get that lightbulb to turn on, I'm gonna try. Ok, looking at your pic, focusing on bottom right hand corner. Visually remove the 1/2 hexs that are hanging out space(just the half in space now) When you do that, do you see the "row" that is created with "1/2 of a full, then the leftover 1/2 of one you took away, then 1/2 of a full, then the leftover 1/2 of one you took away, etc". I think if you can see that "row" you are on your way. All of your rows will be 1/2 of one hex facing one way, and then next portion is 1/2 of the next hex facing the other way. Hope that didnt muddy the waters even more.

Yes Suzi sometimes you need to get away from the project and clear your mind..I don't think cleaning dog kennels would be my 1st choice tho *LOL* I started a Not your Grandmother's Tumbling Block quilt for my son & Dil as a wedding gift..well here it is 6 1/2 years later and I am still stumped on it!! I started it in a class which the teacher didn't show up for? The shop refunded our money but didn't bother to reschedule the class...A young gal happened to come in the shop and she had taken the class before so she showed us all how to cut the fabric and got us started...but said she had 3 kids at home with her DH so couldn't stay any longer. That is all I got done...
Hope you figure it out..I am a visual learner too..I really need to get this project out and complete it.. every time my DS comes over and I am sewing he says "Oh geez that doesn't look like our wedding quilt Mom"
Happy Stitchin' Linda b.

Try sending k3n a PM she does beautiful OBW and she was a great help to me when I was starting one.

Here is a close up of my OBW

See how each individual hexagon unit is off set? They do not line up in a row, they kind of zig zag.

I hope this helps :D

Once you get them lined up in this manner, then you just sew each half straight across. Sewing half of one hex to half of another.

I sewed all the strips together this way, then started sewing these strips together, in sets of twos.

Then the twos into fours and so on. It made it easier to handle this way :D:D:D

Great advice there. I've seen that before, and it works fantastic!

Pardon the really bad picture, but maybe this will get the construction across. First sew together the red strip, then the blue strip, then sew the red strip to the blue strip.

The 'mating' hexagon halves are not sewn together until after the strips are sewn. Make sure when you lay out your hexagons, that all the open center seams (where the 2 halves meet) are all going in the same direction, in parallel rows.

AHA!! - EUREKA!! - SHAZAAM!! - BINGO!! I dwaddled around out at the kennels, hoping that one of these comments would click when I returned and reread. Trapezoids from RebeccaVLQ gave me a mental picture, amma's pic of her OBW let me see what I needed to see and then dunster put the cap on it. It turns out that my main problem was that I had laid out the hexes without regard to where the pinned centers were facing ...... some were right and most were wrong. Every one of you helped me and I'm forever grateful. This board is fantastic ----- I belong to a few forums covering several different subjects and none of them would have gotton me out of this jam so quickly and so well. Thank you, thank you, thank you ...........!!!

Yes!!!!

The light bulb came on for me too!! First with Amma's closeup--made it all make sense!!! And then Dunster's graphic turned up the light!!!
I think I might even try to do one now!!!
Thank you for the thread---you are all great!!

I was hoping someone would draw a diagram, because now I was really curious as to how those go together!...Now if I ever decide to make one, I won't have to suffer in silence...thanks for all the pics...visual works for me too.

Out of interest - are the dog kennels nice and clean? :lol: :lol: :lol:

I am happy to hear that you can continue on now :D:D:D

Yes, but you know this is an on-going chore - they get done morning, noon and evening. Not what you would call a fun thing, but it keeps me moving and reasonably agile ............

:XD:

Suzi....
I fully understand your dilema.
I had the very same problem with the Twister pattern and could not for the world understand what I was doing wrong...
Then one day the dawn came and Voila..
Sometimes I think I'm so concrete.
Good luck.

I have never made a OBW and I was following your (and others) bewilderment and agonizing with you! I was real happy with a big smile on my face when the lightbulb came on! Now, if I ever want to make one , I will know how to! Loved following your thread!

I love the blocks you have made, but the rows are half blocks - not blocks as in Stack and Whack.

After reading this. I am with Suzi - But I have never made one and have nothing to play with. I know I am a visual person!

Beautiful ! ... and can't wait to see it fully pieced.

Great explanations by all .... I feel like I am going to be well prepped when I go to my OBW course next week.


Suzi ... could you show us the original fabric too? I'm so intrigued with how these fabrics reinvent themselves. Thanks!!

Amma ... yours is beautiful ... could you please show us the original fabric? as well as a broader view of the piecing? So feminine!

I love this board - always someone happy to help!