Originally Posted by Suze9395 (Post 6080139)

This is my design. After awhile, I got tired of making the small flower units, but I had been putting them together and had created an odd shaped piece. I decided I wanted to integrate different shaped/sized units, so I drew it up on graph paper and finally came up with what you see. The left hand side and lower left hand corner of the first picture are done. When the rest is done, I haven't decided how to finish it. I am considering appliquéing it to a piece of white fabric and then appliquéing a flower/vine border. I have also considered finishing the edge in colored hexies instead of the plain white that it currently ends in. I would just add an additional row if I did that.
So, really instead of a quilt as you go, it is a design as you go! I have really enjoyed the progress.

What I have learned.
1.Use a fine needle, it is easier to slip through the fabric on the edge without piercing the template.
2. I have decided I like bottom line thread for the piecing, it hides very nicely. I am only using whited thread and I can't see it even on the dark fabrics.
3. I like using the heavier weight cotton hand quilting thread for basting. It seems to hold well, but it's easy to see and get ahold of to remove.
4. Thread Heaven is a must for the fine thread when piecing.
5. When basting, to pierce the template or not...doesn't matter, both work. But, you can reuse the pierced ones several times without issue and that method is easier to un-baste for template removal.
6. Hexies are mischievous and love to escape! When I have basted a bunch, I string them like beads. Before I string them, I sort them so all the pieces for a unit are together. The center, then the 6 for the next ring, 12 for the next and 18 for the next, then start over with the pieces for the next unit. That way as I am assembling a unit I am not digging thru a box of over a hundred hexies looking for the last 'green' one-this would equal a huge mess at my house.
7. Unsewing hexies is not fun, especially when using the fine thread. A normal seam ripper is almost useless. I have found the best tool is a super sharp knife with a pointy tip. I like my SpiderCo Honey Bee for this.

I'm sure there are other things, but that is all that is coming to me off the top of my head.

Originally Posted by Retired Fire Chief (Post 6080411)

I must add to my reply that I was shocked when I visited two paper template vendors at the show in Paducah. Both booths had tiny hexies assembled into small placemate sized rectangles. When I first looked at the finished side thought someone would have to be crazy to sew fabric on such tiny paper hexies but when I turned them over I was completely shocked. The tiny hexies and other assembled display pieces they were showing were glued! Instead of folding the fabric and basting the fabrics around the paper hexies like I have been doing they simply used basting glue and dabbed glue on the fabric when they folded it over the corners! I tried it with an Elmers school glue stick when I got home and it works, but I can't seem to force myself to do it, it seems like cheating after I have sewn so many already. Do you agree?