Sewing Hexagons by Machine Without Marking

A couple of things to remember before starting to machine piece hexagons with this method:

*Cut your hexagons accurately. Perfectly cut hexagons will help you achieve the precision required for this method.

*Sew consistent 1/4" seam allowances. A 1/4" foot or patchwork foot is helpful. I'm able to place my needle 1/4" in by lining up the edge of the fabric with the edge of the presser foot.

*You may want to reduce your stitch length to 2.0.  Smaller stitches will help you hit your stop points more accurately.

*Don't press until all hexagons are sewn.  I know this seems counter intuitive, but I found that it's easier to sweep seams out of the way when they aren't pressed down.

*Be sure not to backstitch into the seam allowance.  Even one stitch will make a difference!  It's better to stop a tish in front of the stitching line rather than stitch too far.

*The KEY TO THIS METHOD is your stitching lines.  Instead of marking those 1/4" points, the stitching lines will tell you where to start and where to stop sewing.

*This method works sewing individual hexagons onto a column or sewing two columns together.  For the purpose of this tutorial, we'll sew one column and then add one hexagon at a time.

*Relax...this really does work.  It's going to feel odd at first, but you'll get the hang of it. Take a deep breath and grab some hexagons and let's get started.  I used black thread for the purpose of this tutorial, but you'll want to use matching thread.

Step 1 Sew a column
Start by sewing the hexagons together to make a column.

Sew from edge to edge as shown and backstitch at each end.  Don't press.  Repeat and make your column as long as you'd like.  For the pink quilt above I sewed 10 hexagons together to make my columns.

Step 2 - Sew Seam #1
Place a hexagon in the second column as shown.

Place the hexagons right sides together along seam #1 lining up edges and ends of the hexagons.  Notice how there is a stitching line on the left side and no stitching on the right.  (If you don't see a stitching line flip the entire piece over!) Make sure the seam on the left is swept away from the hexagon you are going to sew. Pin if desired.

Position the hexagon under the presser foot.  Drop the needle on the stitching line 1/4" from the edge.  Notice how the presser foot is lined up with the edge which will automatically place the needle 1/4" in.  I move the flywheel by hand to make sure the needle drops right on the stitching line.  Sew from this point a couple of stitches, backstitch the SAME number of stitches.  Continue sewing to the end and backstitch. You can sew to the end because there is no stitching line to stop you.

Step 3 - Sew the next adjacent seam (Seam #2)
Turn the hexagon right side up and the first seam is finished.  Time for seam 2!

Place the hexagons right sides together along seam #2 again lining up edges and ends of the hexagons.  Sweep any seams away from the hexagon so that the two hexagons lay flat and are aligned.  Pin if desired.  Notice again that there is stitching on one side and no stitching on the other side.  This time I decided to stitch from non stitching line side toward the stitching.

Start sewing at the end, sew forward a few stitches, backstitch and continue sewing until you reach the stitching line on the other side.  The stitching line means STOP!  The picture below also shows how the seams and the other hexagon is swept out of the way.

It is better to stop just in front of the stitching line rather than sew past it.  Notice how I stopped just before I reached the stitching.  Be sure to backstitch at this point.

This is how your intersection should look when sewn.

Step 4 Add a hexagon to column two
Place the next hexagon in sewing position in the second column.

Place this hexagon right sides together on the one above.  Notice in the picture below how no stitching lines are visible.  Don't be fooled.  There is a stitching line, but you need to flip the entire piece to see it.  Flip the piece over.  Feel for stitching lines...find them and make sure you can see them before you sew!

There is the stitching line. Make sure your hexagons are aligned and pin if desired.  Make sure the seam is swept away from the hexagon you're sewing.

Sew this seam just like Step 1.  Drop your needle on the stitching line, sew forward, backstitch, continue sewing to the end and backstitch.  Remember, you can sew all the way to the end because there is no stitching line to stop you.

Step 5 Continue sewing adjacent seams.
Flip the hexagon right side up.  The next step is to sew the next adjacent seam.

Place the hexagons right sides together along the seam making sure they are aligned.  Sweep the seams away on both ends.  Flip the entire piece over so that you can see the stitching lines.  Notice this time that there are stitching lines on both sides.  This means you have one START point and one STOP point.   Sweep the seams on both sides AWAY from the hexagon you are sewing.

Drop your needle on the stitching line 1/4" in, sew a couple of stitches, backstitch, continue sewing and stop on or just before the stitching line.  Backstitch.

These are the most difficult seams to sew.  Make sure your hexagons are aligned and lay flat.  I pin these seams to make sure everything stays aligned before I sew.

Continue sewing adjacent seams as shown above.  Be sure to check for stitching lines.  Repeat the process for each additional hexagon.

When all the hexagons are sewn in, turn the piece right side down and finger press the seams into position.  Trim threads at this point.

Place the piece right side down and press.

**Sweeping seams away from the hexagon you're sewing means sweep the seams and everything else too...in other words, any other hexagons need to be moved out of the way so that the two you are sewing lay flat and are aligned. You don't want to catch any other fabric in your seams.

**This tutorial demonstrates sewing one hexagon at a time. This method also works with two columns of hexagons. Sew as many columns as desired. You'll sew one seam at a time just like above except most of the seam will have a stitching line stop and start point and you'll have a floppy column of hexagons to keep out of the way.

I recommend you practice one at a time and when you feel comfortable with that, go for the column.

Many thanks to blogless Elaine for sharing this method with me! You're the best, my friend.

If you have questions, please ask in the comments or drop me an email. I'll do my best to help.

Hang Your Quilt! (Hanging Sleeve Tutorial)

If you want to hang your quilts, having a sleeve makes it easy and also protects your quilt. A D-sleeve is the standard sleeve for hanging. The "D" shape allows the quilt to hang flat and provides "give" in the sleeve.  When I made the sleeve for the Bridges quilt I remembered to take a few pictures so I thought I'd share.  Please forgive the lighting in the photos.  It was a gray Chicago day!

This is how I make mine.
This tutorial makes a 4" finished D sleeve.

Start by measuring the width of your quilt.
Cut a strip 8 1/2" wide by the exact width measurement of your quilt.  Depending on the width of your quilt, you may have to piece multiple strips to achieve that measurement.

Hem each side of the sleeve by turning the edge 1/4" and then another 1/4".  Press and pin.  Sew close to the folded edge.

Fold the strip in half lengthwise wrong sides together and press to create a center fold.

Open the strip and fold each edge in to meet at the center fold.

Press so that the folds on each edge are well defined.  You'll need those fold lines later.

Match the raw edges again wrong sides together and pin the length of the sleeve.  Sew using a 1/4" seam. (Sewing wrong side together allows you to place the seam under the sleeve rather than inside it.)

Place your sleeve so that the seam is centered facing up.  One of the folded edges will lay flat.  The other will not.  Press the seam open.  Be sure not to press down the opposite edge.  (You will need that fold that you created later.)

Place the sleeve seam side down with the two folds you created earlier flat on your surface.  Notice how the D-shape is formed.  This is how the sleeve will be placed on your quilt.

Position the sleeve 1/2" to 3/4" below the top of your quilt. Pin along both folds making sure to maintain the D-shape. Hand stitch along the top and bottom edges of the sleeve. Be sure not to stitch into the front of the quilt.

Slide in a rod and hang!

Free Pieced Chevron...A Tutorial

I received a bunch of requests for how to make this chevron block, so to start the week a quick tutorial. This is a great block to use up scraps, so grab a bunch and let's get started.Start with a square. Mine is about 4" x 4". The size of your starting square will establish the approximate width of your chevron. The chevron in the block above is 3 1/2" wide unfinished.
The remainder of your scraps should be rectangular (sort of) strips about 4" long...a little shorter or longer works too. Your strips can be the same or different widths. They should have one straight side so you can sew a nice straight seam. If your starting square is larger, your strips will need to be longer as well.
Place the first strip as shown below to create the initial angle. The strip should extend to about the halfway point of the bottom edge of the square.
Sew along the strip using a 1/4" seam. Trim the excess of the square maintaining your 1/4" seam.
Flip the strip and press.
Audition the next strip to create the next angle. Again sew, trim, flip and press.
Can you see the chevron shape starting to appear?
Continue adding strips in this manner alternating right and left side.
You can vary the angles of the strips from gentle to severe. As you get to the length you want your chevron to be you might want to lessen the angle, but you don't have to.
When your chevron is the desired length, trim to a rectangle.
I added some solid fabric to each side of the chevron to bring the block to size.

I see so much potential for these blocks...different shapes, sizes, positioning, fabric combinations. Have fun making chevrons! I'd love to see them if you do!

Selvage Spools...The Tutorial!

As promised a little tutorial so you can make your own selvage spools quilt.
Start by sorting your selvages by color. Press them flat and trim so they have a nice straight raw edge. The wider you trim them the more fabric you'll be able to show. I cut mine from 1 to 2 1/2" wide. I like to show the fabric!
You'll need a paper foundation to make your spool. I made all sorts of different sizes. This one is 4" x 8". It's fun to have short, tall, skinny, and fat spools. Experiment with different sizes! I recycle paper from my computer for foundations.
Audition your selvages. Cut them a bit longer than the foundation. Start at the bottom with a non selvage piece. The cute part of the selvage will disappear in the seam allowance so there's no need to waste a selvage. Stack the selvages in the order you'd like them to appear and with about the amount of fabric you'd like to reveal.
Place the non-selvage strip on the bottom so it extends just a tish over the paper. Secure it with a dab of glue if you'd like.
Place the first selvage on top of that strip revealing some of that strip's fabric. Reduce your stitch length for paper piecing...about 1.5 on my machine and sew about 1/16th of an inch from the edge of the selvage. I run the inside edge of my 1/4" foot along the selvage edge and it works perfectly.
Continue adding selvages in the same way until the paper is covered.
It should look something like this.
Flip the foundation over so the paper is on top. Use the edges of the paper to trim the edges.
Remove the paper foundation from the back. Cut two 1 1/2" by 8" strips for the sides and sew one to each side and press.
Choose fabric for the top of the spools. I coordinated the tops with the selvage color. Cut two 2 1/2" x 6" strips and sew to the top and bottom. I cut angles into some of my tops just for fun, but that's my style. You can leave yours nice and straight if you'd like.
To put the spools together I simply lined up the bottoms and sewed background fabric to the tops of the spools so that they were the same height, arranged them like I wanted them and sewed them together. There are so many arrangements that could be done with these blocks. I'd sure love to see what you come up with.
One little note...for the shorter and wider spools I increased the width of the side strips so the spools would look proportional. Play with those kinds of things and make yours look like you want them to.

Any questions, just pop me an email.

Enjoy!