Class - Dec 2 2007 - Machine Stitched Hexagons
 

Here are the first three photos [NOTE: the edited chat transcript is available on Page 2 of this thread.]

1. first, clip the corners of your first flower petal. you don't need to clip the center.

2. lay your first petal face down on the center, making sure it all lines up.

3. sew your first seam. make sure to stay between the clip lines.

backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam

it's very important to not go past the corners. you'll see why as you go along.

if you do go past, get your seam ripper out and clip the extra stitches.

see the picture

ok, press the petal open and lay the next petal face down on the center, lining up 5 of the six sides.

see photo

sew from the outer end in toward the other petal.

when sewing hexagon flowers, or to create y-seams, it's best to sew toward the inner join whenever possible.

next step is to press the second petal open, then lay the third petal face down, lined up on the center. just as you did the first and second

as i hope you can see from the next set of photos, you'll go all the way around the flower that way. always center the petal face down on the center, then sew from the outer edge in toward the previous petal

use straight-pins to anchor the petals and to make sure you don't sew past the corners.

if you do sew past the corners, you really need to pick away the extra stitches using your seam ripper

as you go around the flower, clip the petals in the corners. be very careful to not clip past the line.

hopefully, this photo will illustrate the way the little clips help each new petal tuck into the previous petal.

now that we have all six petals sewn to the center, it's time to sew the petals to each other. as before, we want to sew from the outer edge in toward the center. AND we do NOT want to sew too far. we want to stop at the corner. backstitch both ends of the seam.

ok ... ready for steps 5 and beyond

i want you to note the extra clipping at the corners in the center. you don't have to notch them, but the petals lay flatter if you do.

as usual, the photos came up out of order. in step 7, the flower is all pressed. notice, please, how i pressed everything to the side, going in the same direction around the flower. that's the best way to keep it flat if you aren't pressing the seams open.

heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's the flower!

notice how it lays flat ... that's because we took the time to make sure we didn't sew too far in toward the center; because we clipped carefully; and pressed neatly.

all of this is going to make the next round of patches go on very easily.

now we're ready for the contrasting ring around the flower.

once you have the hex where you want it, clip the center corner, flip it face down, pin into place, then sew from the outer edged into the v
kep in mind that these photos are out of order.

in 0613.jpg, i've already sewn the first half of the "Y" and have lined up and pinned for the second half

next photo shows a ring hex positioned face up.