Loose ends!!
One of the odd things about working at Moda is the Christmas holidays. We work on Holiday 2009 while also trying to accomplish Christmas 2008 at home. ( I am sworn to secrecy about Holiday 2009 but it is going to be GREAT!) We took a break from work and went to lunch on Friday.We had our annual ornament exchange. Pictured below are a few of the people in marketing, sampling and new product development. I think Rudolph bit Outlaw in the rear. Guess which one is Outlaw?With that being said I felt like I should follow-up on some loose ends.

Hexagons

I told you that I would post how to do English Paper Pieced hexagons by machine. I use the same technique that Blackbird Designs uses to do all of their applique quilts. Leaving the paper in, butt two of the hexagons together and sew. I use a fine zig zag stitch. The key is to use good quality nylon thread. Not the cheap stuff that is almost like fish line! The stitches almost disappear once the paper is removed. Join hexagons in sets of 2 and repeat. When you line up the next set of two slip the hexagons under the first set. This helps hold them in place as you chain piece. If you are doing the traditional hexagon flower you will have to pay close attention to fabric placement. I am doing a striped border of hexagons so mine are all constructed in rows.

Do not worry about taking out the paper or the basting stitches until you have sewn several of the sides together to hold them in place. Here are several rows sewn together. How long would this take by hand?