Quilt as You Go Hexies - In Progress

I am beginning to think that I may not be cut out for hexies - even the large ones. I made some more this week after ignoring my little pile for months.  Threw them all on a table and realized I am not even close to a small quilt ... oh dear!   Anyway, here are some recent pictures and refresher tips.  

The template and tutorial are from the Missouri Star Quilt Co. under Quilt As You Go.  I also have information from an earlier blog post in 2019 HERE.

Of course, cut out your fabric and batting ahead of time.  Trace the inside of the template with a pencil or fabric pen in the shape of the smaller hexie.  Glue a piece of batting in that outline and press with an iron.  Glue a smaller fabric hexie and place it on same sized batting and iron as well.  (see pics below)

** I use a can of fabric basting spray or a fabric glue stick for this part and ALWAYS use the glue on the fabric - not the BATTING.  You don't need much spray baste - just enough to make it tacky in the center before you stick and iron.

Next, put some glue on the back hexie - not right up to the batting, just a little under.  Finger press a seam with a little room between batting - and then fold up again.  Press with a hot iron.

Work your way around the hexie going one direction, ironing at every stage to keep things flat.  When you get to the end - your hexie should look like the picture above.

Fold over that last seam, iron - and then sew on the machine with a stitch length you like (I use a 2.40) all the way around.   Back tac at the beginning and the end, just to make sure everything is tight and not going to come apart.  

The glue I use is Roxanne Glue Baste It (temporary basting glue) with a small metal tip.  Here is blog post from Suzy Quilts that answers any glue questions, including using washable white school glue. 

Final thought - I thought this was going to be my forever quilt - not take me forever!

Materials:

Quailt As You Go Hexagon Template from Missouri Star Quilt Co. 

Amy Butler - everything

Aurifil Thread #50 wt. #2024 white

Warm & White batting scraps

Roxanne Glue Baste Glue & Collins Fabric Glue Stick

May 2021

Quilt as You Go Hexies with Amy Butler

With a ton of things to do before the end of the year I got distracted yet again! I saw the "Quilt as you go Hexagon" tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt Co. (here) and realized that this was my kind of hexie! Paper piecing and little hexies scare me - but this bigger, faster and easy version seemed like a whole lot of fun.

You don't have to buy a template; there are lots of tutorials and videos that show you the same technique using cardboard and different sized units.  I did get the one sold by MSQC on their daily deal and am loving it.

I got a "Scrap Pack" of fabric from Hawthorne Supply Co. in Amy Butler fabric to expand my own Amy stash.   

This may not be the traditional way to do this but here is my process. Cut your larger hexie and then with a pencil trace the image of where the batting and smaller hexie will go.

Position your batting on your pencil lines and stick the batting down with the help of a little glue stick.

Pin the smaller hexie onto the batting.  Put a little glue on the bottom edge of the larger hexie.

Make the first fold and press.  Then dab a little more glue onto the hexie, fold and press with the iron. Apply glue and press one side at a time.

The MSQC tutorial shows Jenny using "Magic Pins" - pins that have a silicone tip that can be ironed and not melt.  I don't have those and figured applique glue would work, which it does just fine.  

Lastly, straight stitch around the unit and that's it. Will experiment in the final joining of all the hexies with a thicker #28 weight Aurifil thread using a zig zag so that stitching shows up even more.  

This is a long term project but it's easy to pick up for a quick sewing fix when one gets tired of bigger projects and you 'just want to sew something!'   So, for good instructions and lots of ideas of what to make with these hexies - check out the MSQC video here.

Materials:
Quilt As You Go Hexagon Template from Missouri Star Quilt Co. 
Amy Butler everything :)
Hawthorne Supply Co.  
Aurifil Thread #50 weight (#2024-white)
Warm & White batting scraps
Roxanne Glue Baste Glue & Collins Fabric Glue Stick
December 2019