Let's Start Piecing!!

Last week, I invited all of you to join me in making a scrappy hexagon quilt.

If you didn't see the first post, it's HERE.

Are you ready to do some piecing? 

Even if you don't have everything cut, you can still start piecing.

Take another look at Marti's template.  See the holes drilled in each of the six corners?

If this is your first y-seam piecing, I encourage you to set the template on the wrong sides of the hexagons and mark a dot through each of those holes.

A bit tedious?
Yes, but it will make your work easier and more accurate at the machine!
(I'm currently listening to knitting podcasts while I do this.)

One of the aspects of a hexagon quilt that can be puzzling is determining where to begin.

As a machine piecer, I like to start with a basic unit that I can repeat over and over again to maximize my efficiency.

Illustrated below are the three basic units and the quantities of each needed to get started. 

Begin by piecing seventy-one (71) pairs of hexagons.  Keep it random.  I don't pay attention to much except whether or not I like those two sitting next to each other.

I find that trying to manage value or color just leads to frustration as things progress so stay loose!! 

Layer two hexagons right sides together and stitch together along a straight grain edge. 

If you are following along with the Set-In Piecing Simplified PDF, focus on Steps 21 through 24 at the end of your print out.

Stitch into the dot at the left end of the straight edge,

pivot, stitch down the seam to the dot at the opposite end,

pivot again and stitch off that set of hexagons and onto the next set.

   Repeat, repeat, repeat.

 Don't press anything just yet -- I've learned that pressing this early makes seam control more difficult in the long run!

Set aside eleven (11) pairs of hexagons at this point -- six to be used for the two piece units and five for the three piece units (see the photo above). 

Now begin to assemble pairs of hexagons into units of four hexagons until you have thirty (30).  Try not to repeat a fabric in a set of four and again, just go with the flow!

The top and bottom edges of each of these hexagons as they are setting here is a straight grain edge and the four side edges are bias.  Try to maintain this orientation as it will make the quilting process go more smoothly (I call it "stretch-control".)

Don't make this mistake (photo below)!  

The unit on the right with the opposite orientation will mess you up so be sure all the four-hexagon units are positioned exactly the same.  

I took this one apart and fixed it!!

Assembling the four hexagon units will require three separate dot-to-dot seams.

First one.

Do the lower one second

leaving the center to last. 

because now you can fold the entire unit in half and do the third one in a snap! 

Because I'm chain piecing all the time, I do the first seam of several sets and then come back around and do the second seam of those sets and finish up with the third seam.

Once those are finished, use five (5) more of the hexagons pairs and five (5) of the remaining single hexagons to make the three piece units.

Keep working on assembling these three units and next week, we'll start to layout everything to begin assembly.  We'll also cut the partial hexagons to use along the edges so they are straight!

Now I have to get back to piecing!!

Here's the link again for a coupon for 25% OFF if you missed in the first post.
Click HERE to go to my Etsy Shop and purchase the downloadable PDF!
(If the link doesn't apply the discount automatically, use the EASYPIECING in the "coupon" box.)
Offer is good through the end of September, 2019.

If you have questions, leave them below in the comments section so everyone can benefit.  

If you are a "no-reply commentor", be sure to come back to the post to see my answer since I won't be able to e-mail you directly.

I've decided this is going to be a baby quilt gift -- there has been an explosion of pregnant couples in my circle this year!!

Mary

Linking U with Oh, Scrap HERE

and

Finished or Not Finished Friday HERE