Sometimes, when I can tear myself away from all your blogs and swearing at how hard it is to comment with my iPhone, I might do some hand sewing. I took this picture admiring three flatty flat flat hexagons that I had just sewn together.
I then proceeded to document how I sew them together using a ladder stitch, which has always served me well with applique and other areas requiring an invisible stitch. I had to wait for the bus to stop to get clear pictures. Click on the pictures if you need to see them larger.
The first stitch. I erred just to the seam allowance side of the folded edges, and I did not experience any of the puckering that Christina described at the PMQG meeting using this stitch. I think that might have made the difference.
The second stitch goes in directly opposite where the first stitch came out. And so on.
Four little hexagons, snuggled up together!
17 comments:
You made me smile when you wrote that your picture was taken while you were admiring your three hexagons sewn together; it is something I always do, when making something; every step has to be admired. My family thinks I'm nuts, but it is so nice to see someone else does it too!
These look great! Thanks for the tip on the stitching, I always do get a little puckering with my ladder stitch, but I'll try this next time!
I switched to ladder stitch after Jill posted about it on her blog and I don't feel like I get much puckering... I'll have to give this variation a try to see if it makes a difference.
I wanted to stop by and say congrats on your win! The CIty Quilts book looks awesome. I hope you enjoy it. :)
Nice tip on waiting to pull the threads tight and close up the seam. I'm going to try it!
I'd knot the thread after afixing each hexi and then continue on to the next w/o cutting the thread. THat way if somehow the thread breaks in use the whole quilt doesn't come apart!!!
I thought I was the only one! I use ladder stitch (aka "invisible stitch") not only for applique, but also for hexagons, as you have so aptly demonstrated here. I can't help but feel that the ladder stitch, utilizing 3-4 threads from each side of the hexagon, has to be more secure than a whipstitch taking but one or two threads at a time from each side. And it looks neater. I've been a fan ever since reading the Ami Simms book on invisible applique, probably 15 years ago.
Now I have to find "Jill's blog", mentioned in the comment above!
thats really interesting..I can see where I go wrong now! Its ladder stitch for me from now on! many thanks lol Lyn
That is a great tutorial. Thank you so much for sharing. I'd previously tried whip stitch, then couldn't find a tutorial I liked. Yours changed all that....the photos and written instructions are very clearly written and easy to follow.....I've just put down the first two hexies I joined. Again, thank you so much!
That stitch is beautiful. Thanks for sharing it. My mother made a hand stitched quilt while she was very ill and has since passed away. I don't use it because I worry about her stitches. Now I have a stitch to use to redo what she had so it won't be so fragile. Thanks for sharing. Great pics.
the comment regarding admiring each step made me laugh. I'm pretty sure my husband could make a quilt by now because i'm always showing off mini accomplishments. lol
Great tutorial - clear directions, step by step pics and very easy to follow and understand. Thanks so much.
I use this stitch but I go both directions on each seam. I start away from the corner working to the corner then back down the side, and I have not had any puckering problems.
So how do you get them all the same exact size and with such neat and even borders?
I have just started working with hexis and I love them. I have not had any problems sewing them together with whip stitches (I use invisible thread) but I will definitely try your method, as well. Of course, I too, will stop and admire my work at each step ... heeheehee!
So you don't knot at the corner of each? I'd be nervous about the thread getting pulled causing tighter and looser stitches along the row. Or if the thread gets popped, when using the quilt, a line line of stitches is now susceptible to coming undone.
Thanks for sharing this. I cut out my material and papers using a Bigshot and two dies. I use freezer paper which irons on in place when you are pressing the sides in. I then tack a load and keep them in a box ready to join together wherever I go
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