A Little Bit Hexie! ((Tutorial!))

So I’m off to Tuscany this morning!
 
Weeeeee! So excited!
 
I have 40 kits in my suitcase…I can just imagine us on a beautiful Tuscan Morning…sitting around, sipping espresso or tea, enjoying the view, and doing some simple English Paper piecing as a group as we talk about what we have seen, what is still yet to see, and all of the things we have eaten, and what is yet LEFT to discover!
 
Can you imagine it?
 
And since I don’t want to leave anyone here at home out of the loop, I am uploading the little tutorial for our project so you can sew along too.
 
You can use ANY fabrics – and these are so cute, you might want to start thinking of Christmas Projects Future and do some through the summer months as gifts for this winter.  I think they would be absolutely adorable in red and green, don’t you?

There is a link to the printer friendly pdf version in the tutorial below.
 
While I am gone –I will post when I can, but I really REALLY welcome a break.  And I don’t know how wifi will be on this trip.  I have only written a couple posts ahead for certain things like this post, and like my blog hop day with Quiltmaker Magazine for the 100 blocks volumn 11 issue that is hitting nesstands shortly.  My day happens to be while I am out of the country, so I have written that ahead.
 
Just know that if you don’t hear from me….that you will.  When there is wifi, and oh the stories I’ll have to tell when I get back!
 
Viva, Italia!
 

A Little Bit Hexie!

A Quiltville Mini

Finished size: 12” X 12”

© Bonnie K Hunter & Quiltville.com 2015

All Rights Reserved

 
Click HERE for printer-friendly version.

This pattern was designed especially for my group of travelers coming to Tuscany, Italy with me in May of 2015 as instruction for finishing their projects.

A basic knowledge of English paper piecing is assumed.

For a more detailed Hexie tutorial, check out my blog tutorial at:
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2010/10/hexagon-tutorial.html
 
What you’ll need:
19 3/4” per side hexie papers and fabric for the rosette.  
1 9” square of background fabric
3 fat quarters of coordinating batik for pieced border and binding.
Scraps for cornerstones
Backing fabric and batting.
 
Assembly:
After the rosette is assembled, press it well.
  
Remove the papers from the hexies WITHOUT removing the basting.  The basting will help keep your seam allowance turned under.  

Center the rosette within the background square and pin in place. Applique the rosette to the background square:

 
Use very small stitches and catch just a few threads at the edge of the rosette when appliqueing to keep stitches nearly invisible.

Use a thread that blends with the edge of the rosette.

OPTIONAL: Very carefully trim away the excess backing fabric from behind the rosette leaving ¼” seam allowance. Especially helpful if hand quilting.

Press the block well, and trim block to 8.5” centering the rosette in the block.
 
Borders:
In traditional rotary cutting, you can cut these from 3 ¼” squares, slicing them on the diagonal twice from corner to corner to yield the triangles required.

I used the Easy Angle Ruler and 1.5” strips to cut the quarter square triangles for these border units in already matched pairs ready to sew. You can use any method that gives you a 2.5” hour glass unit that finishes at 2” in the quilt.

My method:

 

First Pair!

Layer border fabrics with right sides together.
Using 1.5” strips and the 2” line on the ruler (Large numbers to the outside edge) cut triangles in matched pairs.
 

 

Second Pair!

Cut 32 PAIRS – each pair will be half one one hour glass unit. Stitch the pairs on the short side. Join pairs to yield 16 hour glass units.

Press all seams toward the darkest fabric.

 

TEST MEASURE!

 

With proper cutting and stitching, these units should measure 2.5” square and finish at 2” in the quilt. ALWAYS TEST and adjust!
 
HINT: Spinning seams on the back will help these seams to nest each other when joined!
 

Borders & Cornerstones!

Join border units in sets of 4 to create 4 borders.

Cut 4 2.5” cornerstones from fabric of your choice and add them to the ends of the top and bottom borders. Press seams toward cornerstones.

 

Borders on!

Add side borders first, pressing seams toward the quilt center. Add top and bottom borders, also pressing toward quilt center.
 

 

Quilt as desired, bind and enjoy!

 

I used a pantograph called Woven Wind by Hermoine Agee of Lorien Quilting, Australia to quilt the quilt.  With a computerized long arm I can set the scale as small and tight as I want it.  I like the look!

 

 

Binding!

 

I used 2” strips to give me a 1/4” binding that does not chop off the tips of my hourglass units.  I like a tighter, narrower binding.  Give it a try!

 

See you when I get back, everyone!

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