Tip toe through Hexagons Cutie Style, layout etc.........
03-15-2010, 05:11 AM
#563
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 611
When sewing sides of half-blocks together to make the strips, you always have one end of a triangle meeting with an end that consists of two triangles combined (an end that has a seam going through it). Here's what:
Get the triangle end without seam to fully cover the little triangle end protruding from beyond the seam in the other half-block. When you lay them on top of each other ready for sewing, feel the seam to make sure it runs 1/4'' inside the edge of the other triangle. That way they will end up fitting together correctly.
Some blocks may be a tiny bit larger than others... they were in my case. I found it didn't matter too much as long as I made sure to have that full overlap between the half-blocks when sewing the strips.
Does that help any?
Get the triangle end without seam to fully cover the little triangle end protruding from beyond the seam in the other half-block. When you lay them on top of each other ready for sewing, feel the seam to make sure it runs 1/4'' inside the edge of the other triangle. That way they will end up fitting together correctly.
Some blocks may be a tiny bit larger than others... they were in my case. I found it didn't matter too much as long as I made sure to have that full overlap between the half-blocks when sewing the strips.
Does that help any?
03-15-2010, 05:14 AM
#564
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: St. Cloud, Minnesota
Posts: 1,653
Star
Did you match up the points of your hexs when you sewed them together into strips? Sometimes, I've found the fabric stretches more on some blocks if they're on the bias. I pin at each matched point and then even in between. When I look at your picture, the half hex on the left doesn't have a straight across edge, so somehow your hexs have either stretched or weren't sewn with matching points. Instead of eliminating that hex, perhaps you can just fudge a bit on both sides to even it out(split the difference between both sides, so one side isn't so far off). This will create a larger problem when you sew your strips together later, if you don't fix it now. When you sew your strips together make sure to match your points again and again pin in between. It takes a lot of pins, but it's worth it in the end.
Your seams should be pressed open. It get real bulky if you don't, plus you won't have your little triangles to match up on both sides of the seams.
Did you match up the points of your hexs when you sewed them together into strips? Sometimes, I've found the fabric stretches more on some blocks if they're on the bias. I pin at each matched point and then even in between. When I look at your picture, the half hex on the left doesn't have a straight across edge, so somehow your hexs have either stretched or weren't sewn with matching points. Instead of eliminating that hex, perhaps you can just fudge a bit on both sides to even it out(split the difference between both sides, so one side isn't so far off). This will create a larger problem when you sew your strips together later, if you don't fix it now. When you sew your strips together make sure to match your points again and again pin in between. It takes a lot of pins, but it's worth it in the end.
Your seams should be pressed open. It get real bulky if you don't, plus you won't have your little triangles to match up on both sides of the seams.
03-15-2010, 07:29 AM
#565
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 1,653
Yup looks like you didn't match up the points quite right. I found I had to fold back the seam on both hexes so I could see where the original triangle was and then match those up. If you match points that are folded into seams, they won't line up right. I am sewing mine today, I'll try and take pics for you.
Rachel
Rachel
03-15-2010, 08:17 AM
#566
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Lexington, OK
Posts: 729
I spent all day Sunday working on these cubes. I'm a slow learner. :roll: I finally wound up drawing my own pattern out and using that. It still isn't the skinny cubes I was looking for but they will have to do for now. The first one took about 6 hours, stop laughing, and the second one only took a half hour. I think I will try 3 or 4 more and then try some sashing too. The flash made the purple a bit bright.
03-15-2010, 08:28 AM
#567
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 1,063
Finally got around to laying out my blocks. Don't know if you can tell anything from the pictures (hope you can). Anyone see any changes I need to make? Not sure what I'm going to do about the boarder - thinking of black and olive green strips to pick up the green in some of the leaves.
03-15-2010, 08:29 AM
#568
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 1,653
Okay for some reason I couldn't get the photo rotated the right way in here, but if you start here you'll see what I mean about lining things up (just click on the next pics in my stream, there are 4).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2804638...n/photostream/
The first photo you can see the ear of the bottom triangle up to the left. If you line the top triangle to the edge of the triangle, you won't ling up when sewn.
The second picture shows how I am opening the seam up on the back so I can see the whole edge of the triangle, then I line up the top triangle with this. I hope this makes sense!
Rachel
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2804638...n/photostream/
The first photo you can see the ear of the bottom triangle up to the left. If you line the top triangle to the edge of the triangle, you won't ling up when sewn.
The second picture shows how I am opening the seam up on the back so I can see the whole edge of the triangle, then I line up the top triangle with this. I hope this makes sense!
Rachel
03-15-2010, 10:14 AM
#570
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: north east
Posts: 8,394
Originally Posted by Piedmont Quilter
Finally got around to laying out my blocks. Don't know if you can tell anything from the pictures (hope you can). Anyone see any changes I need to make? Not sure what I'm going to do about the boarder - thinking of black and olive green strips to pick up the green in some of the leaves.
Bill's wife, I love your blocks, no matter how long they took to make - I wouldn't know were to begin if it wasn't for the QB!
Athena, the resident hexagon expert will help you (and some of us will learn from her help!)
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