After reading up on English Paper Piecing in Diane Gilleland's book All Points Patchwork (you can read my review of it here) and some beginner-friendly tips, I got started on my first EPP project. I was pretty excited about it after feeling cheered on by Diane's clear, simple guidelines. Since it was my first go at it, and I'm not sure yet if I'm ready to add EPP to my regular sewing routine, I decided to only use tools that I already own. I considered printing and cutting out templates from cardstock, but precision is so important, and I wanted my first try to have every chance possible of being successful. So, instead, I used a hexagon punch I bought a while ago. The only problem, if you want to call it that, is that the punch is for a 1/2" hexagon. That means that each side is only 1/2" wide. That's pretty small. I'm sure there's an unwritten rule that says beginners shouldn't start on such a small scale. Confident in my skills as a sewist, I went ahead with it anyway.
I dug an empty graham cracker box out of our recycling bag and punched out a bunch of hexagons. As you can see, I couldn't help practicing my fussy cutting on the cardboard. The nice thing about the punch is that I could cut out lots of hexagons quickly. And cardboard boxes are so plentiful! If you have a hexie project, I highly recommend the punch method. I also made my own fussy cutting template by cutting around a hexagon-punched hole so that it has a seam allowance. You can see it in the first picture. It was easy to make, and indispensable for creating interesting designs.
After playing with different arrangements, I stitched my hexagons (most people just call them "hexies") together into a flower design. I'm sure I made my stitches closer together than they needed to be, but I still have that newbie nervousness about it falling apart. It came together way faster than I thought it would. Of course, that could have been partly due to its small size. Even so, it was pretty satisfying. And I'm amazed that I was able to do it with the barest of tools. Needle, thread, scissors, bits of fabric, and pieces of cardboard. You could almost carry all that around in your pocket if you wanted.
I've already started planning a couple more hexie flowers, though I'm not sure yet what I'm going to make with them. Maybe just a simple patch on a pair of jeans, or an embellishment for a hat or other accessory. The possibilities are endless (although that fact probably leads to more indecision than limited choices). Even though I'm new to EPP, I've got so many ideas running through my head. One of them has to do with designing patterns for EPP, which I'll share with you as soon as it's ready, or, rather, as soon as I finish the project I'm making with it. And, as for whether EPP will become part of my routine, I'm starting to think the answer will be "yes!"
So, have you tried hexies yet? Do you have a preferred method? Favorite tools? Favorite shape? I'd love to hear what you think of it.
