
Until recently, I felt that way too.
I've discovered a better way!
I call it Seamless Piecing.
Although it's not technically seamless, the quilt top we are making today only has 8 seams.
This is how it happened:
Although it's not technically seamless, the quilt top we are making today only has 8 seams.
This is how it happened:
When the Hubs and I learned we were
getting our first grand daughter after 4 grandsons, I really wanted
to make her a Hexi Quilt. I'd been hoarding fabric just for this baby
girl.
I love hexagons quilts, but when it came right down to it, I realized I only knew 3 ways to build them: hundreds of little triangles, hundreds of Y seams or hand stitching (English Paper Piecing).
I was a big, fat thumbs down for any of those.
I was a big, fat thumbs down for any of those.
Those methods have their place, but I
wanted something easier, faster and seam ripper free.
After researching and perseverating for days, I woke up one morning and realized I'd just dreamed
about a way to make the hexi quilt without ripping out a single stitch.
Since then, I've adapted the Seamless
Piecing technique to other angled shapes as well... like tumblers and triangles.
Seamless piecing is easy, fast (or at
least faster than all those nasty little triangles) and so much more
fun than all those pesky seams and crazy angles. The more I play with
it, the more fun it gets!
A few special tools are required, but
once you have them, you'll wonder how you ever pieced with out them.
Today I'll show you how to do all the prep work for Seamless Piecing with Hexagons. During the week you can finish the prep.
Next time we'll finish piecing and quilting... at the same time! That will give me a chance to order some cotton batting. It's on sale at Connecting Threads this month.
Next time we'll finish piecing and quilting... at the same time! That will give me a chance to order some cotton batting. It's on sale at Connecting Threads this month.
Ready to play with hexagons? Wipe away those tears and let's do it!
HEXIS ALL OVER
Read Everything before doing anything... Just sayin'.
Cut hexis using
the acrylic template (not the one you made) and rotary cutter. A rotating cutting mat and a fresh blade will make cutting a breeze.
Step 3: Color design
Lay out the hexis in 9 columns, point to point. Switch them up until you are happy
with the distribution. Don't worry too much about alignment yet, you
are just looking for balance. Columns 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 will have 9 hexis. Columns 2, 4, 6 and 8 will have 8 hexis.
You'll need a hot, dry iron for this
step. This is where that silicone finger tip will be useful. You'll
also need the pressing template, starch in a mist bottle (recommended) and a firm pressing surface.
Using a stylus or other tool, lift up the seam
allowance on one side and fold it over the template. Press well.
Lift and press the adjacent seam allowance creating a nice pleat at the point. Put a tiny dot of glue in the pleat and heat set. That pleat will make the point lay flat and pointy. Rotate and do the same thing on the other end.
Step 5 : Assemble the first column
Working with one adjacent column at a time,
bring the hexis to the pressing surface. You don't need the background strip yet. Place the hexis, right side down, on
top of the hexi's of the previous column. Check your photo to keep the hexis in order.
Without nudging anything out of place, apply glue to the right side of the raw edges . Readjust points if they get disturbed. Heat set the seam allowance.
Prepare a background strip as before
with the center marked and a crease down the middle. Match the center marks of the two background strips. Right sides facing. Put a pin there.
HEXIS ALL OVER
Finish size approx: 34 1/2 x40 inches
Read Everything before doing anything... Just sayin'.
Materials list
2 charm packs or equivalent (charm packs = large variety of fabrics = easier to balance colors)
This quilt requires 77 "charms" size 5"x 4 3/8". It's fun to have a few extra to put on the back also. Hexagons are taller (tip to tip) than they are wide (side to side). Therefore, if you choose to use fat quarters: 1 FQ = 16 Blocks from non-directional prints, but only 12 if the pattern runs with the grain.
1 ½ yards background (doesn't have to be all the same.)
1 ¼ yards backing or equivalent for
pieced back (6 fat quarters)
1/3 yard binding or equivalent for
scrappy binding
Natural fiber batting 40 x 44
Acrylic Hexagon template – I recommend cutting your hexagons from 5" squares with a 4 3/8"
(2 1/2"
sides) template. They are the perfect size for each other. However, you
can use any size you want. The technique is the same. Just adjust the width of the background strips to match the width of your template. Remember that
hexagons are taller (tip to tip) than they are wide (side to side) so be aware of directional fabrics.
No-melt mylar template plastic or
lightweight cardboard or cardstock.
Rotary cutter, acrylic ruler and
cutting mat
Pencil or temporary fabric marker
Spray starch in a fine mist bottle (Look for Best Press in a 3 oz bottle at your LQS)
Stitch-in-the-Ditch Guide foot (aka
Edge joining foot)
Optional but recommended :
Silicone finger tip for burn protection
rotating cutting and pressing mats
Small piece of sandpaper
Step 1: Make a template for pressing
Using the acrylic hexigon template and
rotary cutter, cut a template from the no-melt plastic or
cardboard/cardstock.
If using the cardboard or cardstock, you may want to make a spare while you are at it. Paper degrades when used around liquids like starch.
If using the cardboard or cardstock, you may want to make a spare while you are at it. Paper degrades when used around liquids like starch.
Mark one point to be the top of the
template. Just a dot is fine. Using a straight ruler, trim ½ inch
from the 2 edges adjacent to the point opposite the the top
point. Mark that point as the bottom.
Top and bottom are interchangeable but
none of the other points are, so be sure and mark them.
It's useful to glue a bit of sandpaper
on the back of this template to prevent slipping.
Step 2: Cut the fabric

Press and starch all background fabric before
cutting. This will make your fabric easier to handle and help deter
fraying. We'll starch the hexi's as we go.
Measure your hexi template, edge to
edge, not point to point.
Cut your background fabric into 9 WoF
strips the same width as your template. (10 strips if you plan to put one in a pieced back.) Set these strips aside for
now.
I find it helpful to label the backgrounds strips, both by number according to the layout sequence and the ends Top and Bottom. So the middle column would be labeled 5T and 5B respectively.
I find it helpful to label the backgrounds strips, both by number according to the layout sequence and the ends Top and Bottom. So the middle column would be labeled 5T and 5B respectively.
Step 3: Color design

If you are using a multi-colored
background as I did, make sure you take that into consideration. Once
you are happy with the arrangement, it's a good idea to take a photo
for reference.
I used a Black/White photo filter to check the balance of color values. That's how I found the cluster of dark hexis in the top left corner. One simple switch-a-roo and... problem solved
I used a Black/White photo filter to check the balance of color values. That's how I found the cluster of dark hexis in the top left corner. One simple switch-a-roo and... problem solved
Step 4: Press for Success
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Center the pressing template |
Place a fabric hexi face down on the
pressing mat. Spritz with starch and press.
Center the template onto the hexi with the edges even with the fabric and a ¼ inch seam allowance showing on top and bottom.
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Pointy points |
Lift and press the adjacent seam allowance creating a nice pleat at the point. Put a tiny dot of glue in the pleat and heat set. That pleat will make the point lay flat and pointy. Rotate and do the same thing on the other end.
Remove the template. Spritz the seam allowances with starch and press
for a crisp fold.
TIP: I find it easier to press the points in batches, one column at a time. Take a photo so you don't have to worry when they get out of order... and they probably will.
Step 5 : Assemble the first column
Choose the middle column (#5) of your project
to assemble first. All other alignment will be based on this column,
so make sure it is accurate.
Mark the center of the background strip lightly
with a pencil on the wrong side of the fabric, then press a light
crease at that point and also lengthwise down the middle of the strip.
Lay the strip right side up on your pressing surface and
place your hexis from the design wall along the strip, keeping them
in order, also right side up.
Find the middle of the center hexi by folding it in half, finished tip to finished tip. Apply
a micro fine bead of glue on all 6 edges of the wrong side of the
hexi. Place it right side up on the background strip nesting the middle folds of the hexi and the strip. Align points on the lengthwise crease.
Hexis are lined up correctly when their raw edges are even with raw edges on the background strip, the points are "kissing" their neighbors and straight in line on the lengthwise crease.
Hexis are lined up correctly when their raw edges are even with raw edges on the background strip, the points are "kissing" their neighbors and straight in line on the lengthwise crease.
It's more important to have points exactly on the crease than to have the raw edges even. I mean ... if you have to choose.
Continue adding the first group of hexis to
the background strip until all nine are glued.
Before setting the glue, recheck that everything is how it should be. Heat set the whole column.
Before setting the glue, recheck that everything is how it should be. Heat set the whole column.
Heat Setting tip: When using this tiny amount of glue, a quick press of heat will set the glue and make it strong and tacky. If the press is held too long, the starch in the glue will “cook” and flake away.
Pieced back tip: If you are putting a background strip on the back, prep it now the same way as this first column. Machine applique the hexi's before sewing them into the piecing.
Step 6 : Add additional columns
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Second Column placement |
Stagger the hexis so a raw edge is right sides together with
the edge of the background strip. The finished sides of the hexis
from both columns will intersect ¼” from the raw edge of the background
strip.
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Glue the seam allowance |
Without nudging anything out of place, apply glue to the right side of the raw edges . Readjust points if they get disturbed. Heat set the seam allowance.
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Adding background all additional rows |
Then lay the left half of the new background strip, right side down, over the left half of the row.
Keep the right half of the row open as far as the center pin. Working a few
at a time, starting in the center, apply glue to all six sides of the
wrong side of the face down hexis. Also put a line of glue in the seam allowance of the face up hexis.
Carefully place the background
strip onto the prepared hexis a few at a time. Adjusting points as needed, and all the raw edges even. When the first half is done, go back to the pin and repeat toward the other end. When everything is in place, remove the pin and heat set the entire row.
Just like magic we have two columns put together and we've not so much as turned on a sewing machine!

After I opened them up for inspection I noticed issues with two of the hexis. One was upside down and one had moved out of place. Even though I'd already set the glue it was no biggie to pull apart the seam, pop the hexis off the background strip, and glue them back on. Complete fix in less than one minute. Try that with a seam ripper!
Without separating anything, take it to the sewing machine and sew
the columns together. From the front, press the seam to one side.
As you press, admire how perfectly those
hexi's fit together!
If there is anywhere the glue has overshot the seam allowance,
simply pull it apart with a sharp tug and press as usual. Some kinds of applique glue
may need a bit of water to loosen up.
Repeat step 6 until all columns are
added.
And that's it!
Your top is ready to quilt after only 8 seams. Easy!
Your top is ready to quilt after only 8 seams. Easy!
Next week we'll finish the piecing as we quilt. It'll be fun and done!
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You can email me directly at RB.seamlesspiecing@gmail.com
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