English Paper Piecing

I need a take-along project (ALA Midwinter meeting coming up, and an
Elderhostel after that) and decided to try hexagons. (The idea: I make
Christmas ornaments for my staff and board--seven green hexes make a
wreath.)

I bought a package of plastic hexagon templates. The directions say to cut
the fabric 1/4" bigger than the template, then baste and gather the basting
over the template. Press. Then remove the template with the little stick
that's provided. Press again.

I tried the method and didn't like it. Couldn't get the basting pulled
tight enough to gather and then knot. Burned my fingers while pressing. And
then I undid some of the basting while trying to pull out the template.

So I drew hexes on freezer paper. Pressed them to the fabric, trimmed
around leaving a rough 1/4" inch seam allowance. Hand basted. That method
works much better. Made a prototype wreath. After practice they will look
better. (I have all year and I have to make 43 of them.)

I knew there was an easier way to get hexes besides drawing them. I found
graph paper online:
http://www.incompetech.com/beta/hexa...Paper/hex.html (This program
is very handy because you
can print different sizes of hexagons). I made a bunch of copies and will
put one page of hexes on several pieces of freezer paper.

My questions: did I waste my money on the plastic pop-out templates? Is
freezer paper going to be preferable to regular paper (since it adheres;
with regular paper I'd have to pin)? Any other tips to offer?

Thanks for your collective wisdom!

Nann

"Nann Hilyard" wrote in message
...

My questions: did I waste my money on the plastic pop-out templates? Is
freezer paper going to be preferable to regular paper (since it adheres;
with regular paper I'd have to pin)? Any other tips to offer?

You can use a washable fabric glue stick with regular paper instead of
pinning...

--
Kathy A. (Woodland, CA)
Queen of Fabric Tramps
http://www.kayneyquilting.com ,
remove the obvious to reply

When I used the plastic templates, you just tacked the fabrics at the
corners.....turned the fabric down over the template on two adjoining sides
and did a tack stitch, then without cutting the thread went on to the next
corner and did the same. Am I clear as mud? You didn't press or take the
template out....you sewed it to another octagon that also had the template
still in. You didn't remove the plastic template until all sides of the
octagon had been sewed to another. This wouldn't work in making your wreath,
as you aren't sewing all the sides to another hexagon. I used it for a
Grandmother's Flower Garden.

Betty in WI
"Nann Hilyard" wrote in message
...
I need a take-along project (ALA Midwinter meeting coming up, and an
Elderhostel after that) and decided to try hexagons. (The idea: I make
Christmas ornaments for my staff and board--seven green hexes make a
wreath.)

I bought a package of plastic hexagon templates. The directions say to
cut
the fabric 1/4" bigger than the template, then baste and gather the
basting
over the template. Press. Then remove the template with the little stick
that's provided. Press again.

I tried the method and didn't like it. Couldn't get the basting pulled
tight enough to gather and then knot. Burned my fingers while pressing.
And
then I undid some of the basting while trying to pull out the template.

So I drew hexes on freezer paper. Pressed them to the fabric, trimmed
around leaving a rough 1/4" inch seam allowance. Hand basted. That
method
works much better. Made a prototype wreath. After practice they will
look
better. (I have all year and I have to make 43 of them.)

I knew there was an easier way to get hexes besides drawing them. I found
graph paper online:
http://www.incompetech.com/beta/hexa...Paper/hex.html (This
program
is very handy because you
can print different sizes of hexagons). I made a bunch of copies and will
put one page of hexes on several pieces of freezer paper.

My questions: did I waste my money on the plastic pop-out templates? Is
freezer paper going to be preferable to regular paper (since it adheres;
with regular paper I'd have to pin)? Any other tips to offer?

Thanks for your collective wisdom!

Nann

Remember -- you can use the drawing tools in your Word Processing Application to draw all kinds of
shapes -- in any size you'd like.... In MS Word -- draw Triangles (equilateral or isosceles) or
irregular; hexagons, squares, circles, stars, trapezoids.... you name it!

If you're not sure how -- let me know... I'd be happy to tell you!

Kate in MI


"Nann Hilyard" wrote in message ...
I need a take-along project (ALA Midwinter meeting coming up, and an
Elderhostel after that) and decided to try hexagons. (The idea: I make
Christmas ornaments for my staff and board--seven green hexes make a
wreath.)

I bought a package of plastic hexagon templates. The directions say to cut
the fabric 1/4" bigger than the template, then baste and gather the basting
over the template. Press. Then remove the template with the little stick
that's provided. Press again.

I tried the method and didn't like it. Couldn't get the basting pulled
tight enough to gather and then knot. Burned my fingers while pressing. And
then I undid some of the basting while trying to pull out the template.

So I drew hexes on freezer paper. Pressed them to the fabric, trimmed
around leaving a rough 1/4" inch seam allowance. Hand basted. That method
works much better. Made a prototype wreath. After practice they will look
better. (I have all year and I have to make 43 of them.)

I knew there was an easier way to get hexes besides drawing them. I found
graph paper online:
http://www.incompetech.com/beta/hexa...Paper/hex.html (This program
is very handy because you
can print different sizes of hexagons). I made a bunch of copies and will
put one page of hexes on several pieces of freezer paper.

My questions: did I waste my money on the plastic pop-out templates? Is
freezer paper going to be preferable to regular paper (since it adheres;
with regular paper I'd have to pin)? Any other tips to offer?

Thanks for your collective wisdom!

Nann

"Nann Hilyard" wrote in message
...

My questions: did I waste my money on the plastic pop-out templates? Is
freezer paper going to be preferable to regular paper (since it adheres;
with regular paper I'd have to pin)? Any other tips to offer?

I LOVE English paper piecing. I am self taught. Um, sometimes, well almost
always, I stick the paper down with a glue stick. I use card stock most of
the time. You probably know that sometimes the paper was left in for
insulation.

I also use a template to cut my fabric exactly 1/4" bigger.

Cindy

Yep, what she said. Tack the corners, sew with the plastic in, then
remove the basting and pop out the plastic. I could also pin the fabric
through that hole in the plastic so it didn't slide around while basting.

One shop near me has freezer paper with the hexagons printed on it
already. They all fit together and you just cut them out with your
rotary cutter and iron away. You could do that yourself on your
computer if you have an inkjet printer.

marcella

In article ,
"Betty in Wi" wrote:

When I used the plastic templates, you just tacked the fabrics at the
corners.....turned the fabric down over the template on two adjoining sides
and did a tack stitch, then without cutting the thread went on to the next
corner and did the same. Am I clear as mud? You didn't press or take the
template out....you sewed it to another octagon that also had the template
still in. You didn't remove the plastic template until all sides of the
octagon had been sewed to another. This wouldn't work in making your wreath,
as you aren't sewing all the sides to another hexagon. I used it for a
Grandmother's Flower Garden.

Betty in WI

If you are wanting to try the mylar hexagons again, here is how I use
them:
gather around the hexagon (like a yoyo)
attach each hexagon according to the pattern
remove mylar during construction only if a hexagon becomes completely
surrounded
press and allow to cool before removing outside hexagons
press again after removing outside hexagons

A wreath sounds like a great idea. I like to make individual flowers
(which I then applique by machine to a background square) for HUG
blocks. This is especially useful if I will have "down time" away
from my machine.


Mary

I wish this were a success story. Kind of, it is. Well, finished is good,
right? I had hundreds of those plastic hexagons pressed with my collection
of pairs of little things for a little lady quilt. Nothing. Nothing worked
very well. I finally stitched them together with the plastic removed just
seconds before I stitched them. I used an invisible thread and a zigzag
sort of on and off the edge carefully lined up right sides together. When
folded flat they (mostly) would look okay. When I quilted this assembly, I
again stitched with a zigzag at every seam to make it sturdy.
Our little grandniece loves playing with the game quilt but it will be a
very long time before I'll do that again. Squares would have worked quite
as well.
Maybe a helpful thought. If your gathering around breaks, I'd think a
stronger thread is what you need. You probably won't have to go so far as
20 weight fishing line but do look at whatever thread's available and see if
you happen to have a spool of buttonhole twist, beading thread or something
really strong. Doubled? Polly

"Nann Hilyard" asked did I waste my money on the plastic pop-out
templates? Is
freezer paper going to be preferable to regular paper (since it adheres;
with regular paper I'd have to pin)? Any other tips to offer?

I buy pre-cut paper pieces at my LQS. It's much easier than cutting my
own and probably more accurate. I baste the fabric to the papers, then
sew them together and remove the papers after they are all connected.
The papers are reusable. These are the papers I am using:
https://shop.tbc.net/paperpieces/

Julia in MN
--
This message has been scanned for viruses by Norton Anti-Virus

http://webpages.charter.net/jaccola/

The way I was taught to make patchwork was English Paper Piecing. What I do
with the plastic templates is draw round them onto paper to make paper
copies - through several layers of not-too-thick paper so you get several
copies at once. Then lay the paper template in the centre of the piece of
fabric and fold over the edges of the fabric around the paper, securing with
pins. Then tack (baste) all round. Leave the paper in.
Start assembling the pieces together to form whatever pattern. Oversew
between pieces to join. Once a piece is completely surrounded by other
pieces, remove the paper. This helps keep the shape.

Morag

"Nann Hilyard" wrote in message
...
I need a take-along project (ALA Midwinter meeting coming up, and an
Elderhostel after that) and decided to try hexagons. (The idea: I make
Christmas ornaments for my staff and board--seven green hexes make a
wreath.)

I bought a package of plastic hexagon templates. The directions say to
cut
the fabric 1/4" bigger than the template, then baste and gather the
basting
over the template. Press. Then remove the template with the little stick
that's provided. Press again.

I tried the method and didn't like it. Couldn't get the basting pulled
tight enough to gather and then knot. Burned my fingers while pressing.
And
then I undid some of the basting while trying to pull out the template.

So I drew hexes on freezer paper. Pressed them to the fabric, trimmed
around leaving a rough 1/4" inch seam allowance. Hand basted. That
method
works much better. Made a prototype wreath. After practice they will
look
better. (I have all year and I have to make 43 of them.)

I knew there was an easier way to get hexes besides drawing them. I found
graph paper online:
http://www.incompetech.com/beta/hexa...Paper/hex.html (This
program
is very handy because you
can print different sizes of hexagons). I made a bunch of copies and will
put one page of hexes on several pieces of freezer paper.

My questions: did I waste my money on the plastic pop-out templates? Is
freezer paper going to be preferable to regular paper (since it adheres;
with regular paper I'd have to pin)? Any other tips to offer?

Thanks for your collective wisdom!

Nann