Hexies Tutorial & Pattern

 How To Hexi / English Paper Pieced (EEP) Hexies Tutorial and Pattern

Learn how to sew hexies with English Paper Piecing. This fun technique makes for a great portable sewing project.

I wanted to share my love of hexies with you guys by providing a few hexi template sheets that I whipped up for my project as well as a paper-piecing tutorial to get you started. Come on! You know you want to. : )

 Download the PDF templates here:

Download Pattern 0.75 inch Hexies
 
Download Pattern 1.25 inch Hexies
 
Download Pattern 2.00 inch Hexies

Prior to printing your pattern, make sure in your printer settings that your page scaling is set to "none" or 100% to ensure the pattern pieces print true to size.

In order to make your own hexi templates, print the template sheets on copier paper or cover stock (I prefer cover stock) making sure your print settings are set to "no scaling" or "100%". Then using a craft knife or sharp scissors, cut out your template pieces using the lines as your guide.

How To Hexi / English Paper Pieced (EEP) Hexies Tutorial

Stuff You'll Need

    Hexi templates
    Glue pen (I use Sewline) or pins
    Fabric Scraps, about 1/4" to 1/2" larger all around than your template
    Basting thread
    Matching sewing thread
    Sharp hand sewing needle

Begin by grabbing your template, your fabric scrap, and your glue pen or pins. Secure the center of your template to the fabric using a swipe of glue or a pin, making sure that there is at least 1/4" of extra fabric all around the outside of the template.

Then trim the fabric to fit the shape of the hexagon, leaving 1/4"all around (this is essentially your seam allowance).

Next, grab your basting thread and your hand sewing needle. It works best if your basting thread contrasts the fabric you are using to make removing the stitches easier later in the process.

Knot the end of your thread and bring your needle up through the middle of one of the sides of the hexi, front to back, folding the fabric over as you go while stitching through the paper and fabric together.

You will begin moving clockwise around the hexi, wrapping the corners carefully (almost like a present), and securing each corner with a stitch as shown, stitching through both the fabric and the paper each time. I also like to make an additional stitch in the center of each side (like how we started) if the hexi shape is larger than 1", but it's up to you.

This is what the back of your hexi will look like when completely basted (see last pic above).

 And this is what the front of your hexi will look like when completely basted. Give it a nice press with a spray of starch if you have some.

So what do you do once you have made a few hexies? You sew them together of course. : ) You can make lots of different kinds of shapes like this:

Or even like this (using multiple sized shapes):

No matter what shape you'd like to make, here's the basic way for stitching them together. Grab two (or more) hexies and your matching thread. This time you want your stitches to blend in.

Place two hexies together, right sides facing, and turn to the top the seam you would like to stitch. Knot the end of your thread and insert your needle into the corner of your hexies, making sure to grab only a few threads and to not stitch the paper (you can feel when you hit it usually).

Using a whipstich, stitch along the seam, making sure that with each stitch you only grab a few threads and that you do not stitch through the paper.

When you are finished with the seam, knot the end and bring your thread back through under the flap of fabric before clipping the thread. This is what your seam will look like when you flatten out your hexies, back and front. See how the stitches disappear?

 You can keep adding on more hexies using this technique until you have the shape you want. When you stitch a hexi to two other hexies that are already sewn together, you may need to fold one of those hexies in half to make sure the seams match-up, but don't worry, it'll snap back into shape once you're done.

When you have the finished shape that you want, give it a nice press, and then you can carefully remove your basting stitches and the paper templates (which are reusable if you like). Press again and applique that baby down! You can also make entire "sheets" of hexies, which you can use like you would any pieced fabrics to make all kinds of sewn items. And that's a basic run-down for how to make EEP hexies. : ) Thanks for following along!