Hexagons Machine Sewed
 

Hexes have always intrigued me. I don't mind setting in but when wants to make a charm quilt with tiny hexes, one doesn't want to do that lol. I did some research and found that some techniques, cut the hex in half. This forms a little boat like patch. The patches are then machine sewed in rows and then the rows are joined and it goes very fast. I don't want to do that either.

Then there is the English paper piecing by hand and that's not going to happen. And so I did this. I did two things. The first one was to cut some 1.5 strips from my decorator line of fabrics to test the pattern. I made a strata and cut an equilateral triangle angle. Just put the ruler on your 60 d mark, cut, turn. Line the ruler up with the point of the tri and the 60 d at the bottom and cut your first tri, then alternate and keep cutting tri's. Sew 3 tri's together and that is half of the Hex.

Now you sew these together in a row and then join the rows and you have a nice hex scrappy and I don't mind this type of hex cut in half. The next post will show the other way.

Little Hex Scrap or Charm
 

When I first started to quilt, I took some classes from Sharon Hultgren. She was an excellent teacher. I bought all her books at the time, as they were learning books and all her rulers, as I was very impressed at what they could do. Instead of templates, you could cut diamonds, Hexes and all sorts of shapes with her rulers and her books all had tutorials on how to use them.

So out came the book and the ruler to cut hexes. I had decided to do 1.5 hexes. You use the ruler to cut the strips for that size. (You can't use a regular ruler for this.) I had some strips left over from my last three quilts so to practice, I pulled these out.

first you place the ruler on the 1.5 mark and cut that angle and then turn and cut the size listed and then turn twice and cut the points off and there you have perfect hexes.

I started to sew the hexes together in a row (no set in) edge to edge and back tack. Then I lined up two rows to make sure the placement is right. Now the sewing is very important at this stage. Sew from the beginning of the first side and just before you get to the seam line, back stitch. In other words, do not sew over the seam. Now, line the other side of the hex up and sew from the seam line to the end and so on.

Now finger press all the seam in direction they want to go and the press the back and the front.

This works so well and doesn't take any time at all, well with lots of little hexes lol. I will do these here and there as I gather up more scraps to cut from. This was just a quickie.

I have seen them sewn like that. If you can't use a regular ruler to cut these I guess they would have to be cut by templates? Doubt I will ever get around to trying this. Too many quilts I want to make. Doubt I would have enough patience for this.
Someone would love to try this. Thanks for posting. It will be a beautiful quilt.

Wow what fun. I spent the day off and on looking at peoples hexies on the web. Yours are great. thanks for the small tutorial using the machine to sew them together.

You're very good at teaching. Still not sure I want to try this one, but you've gotten my attention. Like what you're doing with that first one a lot.

Rosy, love your tutes, keep up the good work!!!

thanks for the great tutorial... hexes are on my bucket list

Thanks ladies, last year, hexes were all the rage on the web and I didn't have time to think about them. Usually I fall back on my sewing/seamstress experience. I figured, it's just like a pivot point, or skipping the seams, in this case, just sew up to the seam and leave the seam free. I have done this with lot of things, especially when designing a doll or animal pattern.

With a doll face, where the seam is down the middle of the face, if you sew across the seam, you will have pocket on the front. So either you sew up to the seam or cut the seam way down at an angle. It helps to remember these little shortcuts.

That is a big block and will go fast and easy to sew and will take a of lots of scraps. I have these large decorator sample pieces, so I just cut the strips from those on the straight of grain. This will be a heavy duty quilt as that fabric is a bit heavier.

I will work on the big strip blocks some more as it won't take that many to make a nice size throw etc. I will mix the tri's up so different fabrics will be together as I don't want to match fabrics in the same unit.

Yes, you would have to have a template, unless you could figure it out but it would be too much work to cut it with a regular ruler.

Thank you for posting this tutorial!

great tut and information. thanks for taking the time

Wow...looks great..Thanks for sharing...

How like you this?
 

I like that little saying. I heard it in the "Tudors". Gosh, I have written an entire post and IE said it stopped working and I lost my entire post. This is a fairly new computer with windows 8. It does this quite often and it's just aggravating. I noticed as I was typing that at the bottom it says, Auto save. Does that mean my post is saved somewhere and I can retrieve it? Anybody know?

Anyway, I played around with my hexes yesterday and decided that some “Inner City” blocks would look different in this quilt. I put a few in and really like it. I then cut some cat face and like the, “I Spy” and I love it. I will search my stash for more cute stuff to put in. So far it’s all on the board not sewed yet except for the two top rows.

To make the Inner City blocks, you have to sew one of each of these two strips together of light/dark; medium/light; medium/dark, the size of this strip must be the size of the original strip that you made the first hexes with. For instance. If the size strip was two inches for the hexes, the strips for the I C block will be one inch each strip plus your seam allowance, to end up being 2 inches.

Today when I cut and sew a few more I will demonstrate it.

this is something I would like to try. Please keep your tutorials coming. If you have some Hexagons already cut could you make the pattern you have on design wall with them or do you have to have that sp ruler I really like the look. Thanks Juanita

You could use the cut Hex for a template Juanita but I just like using the ruler.

Thanks so much Rosy for your tutorials! I love your last recent combo post with the inner city blocks! Love them together!

I am going to work on my hexes today. I was detained with other boring stuff hahahahah....anyway, I will keep you posted. ...soon.

A little story. At the moment as I am typing, there is a little dog inside my shirt lol. I am wearing a t- top with a scoop neck. The little dog is Milly and she is 1 year old. Every now and then, when I am at the computer, she asks to be picked up and crawls into my shirt and goes to sleep.

She does this because, she was a very sick puppy when I got her, weighing only 1 pound and the Vet didn't expect her to live. I would have her in my shirt or in a scarf tied around my neck morning to night and I think she found the will to live and with the Vet and mother's lover, she made it.

She now weighs 5 pounds and is as healthy as an ox lol. She is very dear to me.

I just love your story. My little granddog just went to the vet, she jumped playing and tore a tendon. Now she is in a large bed and has to be down for 2 weeks, no running or playing. And another 4 under close supervision. Our Son has her , but we love her too.

I love all your tutorials..keep them coming...and Thank-you!

thanks! those dreaded Y seams. I can do them but I dont' like them.

My little Molly who is 13 now, did the same thing. She didn't tear anything, just really hurt her side and leg. This is the second time she has done it. We had to block certain things so she can't jump up and down anymore.

Just got a hex die for my go baby and have not used it....certainly will do so now. Thanks for the images. Love those rulers with mutiple apps choices.

Hi Rosyhf: I absolutely love your Inner City Blocks! I have the hex die for my Go but just haven't found the courage to start anything with them because of the difficulty to sew them. Yours is even more challenging! I am studying your tute to see if I could do the hex work. Thanks or a wonderful study!!

QJ, did you notice the pics on how to sew them together? no y seams or set-ins. I am still cutting as I want lots to choose from and the inner city buildings will change also. I will totally revamp what I have on the board and will post more pic.

Yes, I did see the sewing together but still some trepidation about beginning! I will continue to follow your tutorial for inspiration...

Inner City Blocks
 

I played some more with the hexes today, after cutting a bunch of them last night. I think I still have to cut more but I'll see.

To make the I C blocks, first you sew sets of strips together of: light/dark; medium/light and medium/dark. These have to be half of the hex patch, plus 1/4 ins. seam allowance.

Then you cut the hexes from those strips and separate them as stated above. I took a large cardboard and separated my hexes also so I could choose.

Then you start to build your city. Following, you will see a light/medium hex patch on the left and a medium/dark patch on the right and the last patch at the bottom of these two, is a light/dark patch and that is one building. Now you continue to build and fill in with just plain hexes as you like and so on.

If you look to the top left, there is a pic of Lincoln. I used lots of clocks and cats and a frog here and there.

I did some more and it's growing lol....what a wild looking mess lol.....

Oops I missed posting these. Place a med/light patch next to a med/dark patch and a light/dark patch to the bottom of those two.

I really like the it coming together. Keep it coming !

Very clever....very cool....thanks for sharing with us.

I am going to give your instructions a try. Thanks for the tute and inspiration.

Ok, I have 98 percent of it on the board. I say this because I have a few patches left and so far the quilt will be about 52x62 with the patches as it stands now. I would like a bit bigger and the few I have left will make it at least 60x60.So far there are 525 patches on the board. It was getting real old putting all those patches up lol.

I got a little disheartened when I started to sew an area together last night. The two rows that I had done some days ago went so easy. I went to bed. This morning I went to my Gym class, had lunch and then changed machines. I was sewing on my Bernina Record. I switched to my brother which has an automatic scissor in it and I don't know if that made the difference but it started to go along very nicely and I am happy again lol.

It is real easy to make a mistake because of the different positions of the buildings. I had to rip twice and I hope no more lol. I took down six across and six down and I think that is a safe amount because you can see the design easier with a few. This quilt will take a lot of patience and time and thank God, I have both lol.

Here is the quilt with all the patches so far and some isolated close up of the buildings, notice Lincoln? He looks good in this quilt. On the top left is the section I sew together.

I know that hexes are very popular with the English piecing crowd. I have also seen a bunch on Pinterest and all hand pieced. I can't imagine doing that in my wildest dreams lol. Ok, back to sew some more.

Love it. Got Hexagons cut.
Know I've got to cut med/dark light/med. I'm trying to use my go die cuter But I don't know if it going to work. I'll let you know if it works.