HAPPY HEXIES

Put a fun twist on English Paper Piecing and use Foundation Paper Piecing techniques to stitch up a sweet fabric 'hextravaganza'!

2021-08-04 - BY SUSI BELLINGHAM

Put a fun twist on English Paper Piecing and use Foundation Paper Piecing techniques to stitch up a sweet fabric ‘hextravaganza’!

YOU WILL NEED To make all eighteen hexies

■ Fabric scraps from your stash

■ Background fabrics: ½yd total

■ Embroidery thread (optional)

■ One (1) copy each of the eighteen

(18) FPP templates

■ Eighteen (18) copies of the 1in

Hexagon template

NOTES

■ Seam allowances are ¼in throughout,

unless otherwise noted.

■ Templates include a #/ 8in seam allowance

around the outer edge only.

■ Press fabrics well before cutting.

■ Press seams to the side throughout,

unless otherwise instructed.

■ Label cut pieces for easy assembly.

■ For Foundation Paper Piecing, reduce

your stitch length to 1.5mm.

■ RS = right side.

■ WS = wrong side.

■ RST = right sides together.

■ FPP = Foundation Paper Piecing.

■ EPP = English Paper Piecing.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

This hexie set includes two different types of hexies; one piece hexies that are sewn in one go, and multi piece hexies that are made up of two pieces sewn separately and then joined. 2

For FPP, you will sew on the printed side of the template, with the fabric on the unprinted side. The finished hexie will be a reverse image of the printed paper template. The light grey inner hexagon is a guide for placing your EPP pieces, the red dashed lines are for separating the multi piece hexies and the red solid lines show Susi’s optional embroidery details.

CUTTING OUT

All fabric pieces should be cut larger that the section of the template that they will cover. You will need at least ¼in seam allowance on all sides (you can always trim it down later). As these hexies are small, you may want to cut pieces as you go rather than cutting out in bulk.

For beginners, Susi recommends making a copy of the templates to use as cutting guides for your fabric scraps. This way, you can make sure that when you cut out your fabric pieces, they’re big enough to cover the numbered sections.

MAKING THE ONE PIECE HEXIES

Place the fabric for Section 1 on the unprinted side of the template with the wrong side against the paper. Hold it

THIS IS THE PERFECT PROJECT TO USE UP THOSE TINY PRINTS YOU'VE SAVED IN YOUR STASH

against a window or other light source, and make sure the fabric covers all of Section 1 plus at least ¼in all the way around. Secure with a dot of washable glue, or pin in place.

Again using a light source, position the fabric for Section 2. Place the fabric RST with the Section 1 piece, so it overlaps the seam line between Section 1 and 2 by ¼in. Check that once sewn and pressed open, it will cover Section 2 with a ¼in seam allowance all the way around. Pin in place. 7

Turn the template so the printed side is up. Sew along the line between Section 1 and 2, backstitching at the beginning and end to secure the stitches.

Open out the fabrics, and check that the fabric covers the section plus the seam allowance. If you’re happy with the seam, fold the paper along the seam and trim the seam allowance to "/ 8in. Take care not to cut into the seam or paper as you trim. Unfold the paper and open out the fabric. Press.

Repeat steps 5– 8 to add the remaining sections to your hexie, working in numerical order.

Once you’ve added all the sections, give your hexie a final press and trim to size along the outer dashed line. Remove the paper pieces by tearing along the seam lines.

Stitch any embroidered details, referring to the red marks on the template and the photography.

MAKING THE MULTI PIECE HEXIES

Cut your multi-piece hexie along the dashed red line to separate parts A and B.

FPP part A and then part B, as outlined in steps 5– 6. Take care to leave a seam allowance extending at least ¼in beyond the template edge where the two parts were separated.

Place part A and B RST, aligning the trimmed edge of the template. Baste in place, making sure to match seams where necessary to complete the design. Check that you’re happy with the seam, then sew on your machine. Remove any basting stitches.

Trim the seam allowance between part A and B to in and press open. Then finish as in steps 10–11.

BASTING AND EPP

Once you’ve pieced your hexies, you can use EPP to sew them together. Secure a 1in hexagon template to the centre of the fabric, then make the first fold and secure using a pin or binding clip.

Fold the next side down and then make a double stitch through the fabric folded at the corner.

Move to the next corner and repeat (Fig 1), until all corners are tacked in place. Knot the thread back at the first corner, then press.

To piece EPP hexagons, place the first two RST. Whipstitch the two hexies together along the first edge to be joined. Your stitches should go through only one or two threads of each hexie along the folded edge, and not through the paper behind the fabric (Fig 2).

Secure the thread with a few stitches, then open out the joined hexies. Stitch the next hexie to the next side (Fig 3). Fold the previously sewn hexagon in half to bring the next two edge RST, and continue stitching (Fig 4).

Repeat step 20 to continue adding hexies into your desired shape. Once all hexies have been joined, press the piece, then carefully remove the papers from the back. Press again to complete your hexie panel.