Monday, September 5, 2011

Hexagon Tutorial - Assembling the Diamond

Part 2 - Joining the Hexagons


This is all the supplies you need to make one diamond!


  • strong quality cotton thread
  • fine sewing needles
  • scissors
  • thread conditioner (opt)
  • fridge magnet (opt)
  • 9 pre-basted hexagons in printed fabrics
  • 7 pre-basted hexagons in white fabric











I begin by sewing my pieces into the grandmothers flower garden pattern. Then,  I add the two hexagons on the ends. Finally,  I'll  add the white 'path' pieces. When the diamonds are joined together, the white path will make a smooth path, diagonally in both directions, around the diamonds.



Overcast Stitch

Step 1


I use a fine quilters knot on the end of a single strand of cotton thread. 

Weave the needle through a edge of seam allowance, weaving toward where you want to begin joining the pieces.

Begin by joining the first piece to an edge of the center hex, right sides together.






Joining piece1& 2


















I use a very tight overcast stitch (at least 22 stitches per 1-inch edge). Insert the needle  through the top threads of both pieces, NOT going through the paper template.  I still use a slip knot at both edges of the joined pieces, even though I began weaving the thread with a knot.












Join two more hexagons to the center (yellow) hexagon by  skipping every other edge.               








You can use a continuous thread to join the next hexagon by weaving the needle into the seam allowance and scoot to the next corner.








Now we can insert the other 3 hexagons with continuous stitching along 3 sides for each hexagon.








To insert another hexagon, start at an outer corner, stitch to end of that side;







Align next side in place, this will cause the paper template to fold while you stitch another side.            










After you have all six pieces stitched around the center hexagon, it is time to add the final 2 pieces to create the diamond.  **For correct placement, be sure your gfg flower is positioned  'on-point'. **  Stitch another hexagon at the top and bottom of the flower. You now have one of the diamond shapes.








Now it's time to add the first white path.  Whipstitch 3 white  hexagons into a single path.

     







Whipstitch this white piece to the side of your diamond, so it is positioned exactly as in this picture.








Whipstitch another white path of 4 hexagons.   Whipstitch this   piece to the right side of the diamond, in the  exact position displayed here.   









Flip the diamond over and remove the 4 templates which are in center    and surrounded by other templates on all edges.









When you join completed diamonds together in diagonal rows, the pieces will interlock together.


You will find Part I Tutorial - Supplies and Basting here:

14 comments:

  1. Another excellent part to your tutorial. Directions are so clear and photos great. Thanks, Kat.

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  2. Thank you so much, I was just thinking that I would like to make my flowers into diamond and then I found your tutorial so now I can do it providing I have enough of each fabric to make all the flowers I have already sewn into diamonds. Easy to do now that I've seen your pics.

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  3. Very clear and easy to understand. Great tut.

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  4. I just keep attaching around the hex, then take out the center template, and then sew the vertical edges. I do need to make my stitches closer together.
    Your tutorial is super, great pics
    Nancy

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  5. What paper did you say to use as the template? and do you remove all the paper templates at the end please?

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  6. OK, sorry, I see it now, card stock. Thank you, it all looks great.

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  7. I am so grateful for the time you took to post this tute. I already have some of my diamonds connected, along with the path but I completely surrounded my diamond with the path and it became very difficult putting them together. Now that I see the way you have started the path it will make it so much easier to do!
    Thankyou!

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  8. Great tut ,can't wait to get started .

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  9. Thank you so much for such wonderful instructions and pictures. I may finally get back to my grandmother's flower garden that I started 10 years ago!! I had finally purchased a bag of plastic hexagon templates so I could start on it again but I never understood how to use them. Your explanations and pictures did wonders.
    Thank you.

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  10. How wonderful! Inspiration is my gifted blessing.

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  11. Hi, I just found your hexagon tutorial for diamond shapes--it is really great. Thank you. I had all these old rosettes and am now making them into diamonds; "Autumn Flowers" will be the quilt.....Julierose

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  12. Thank you for this nice tutorial. Greatly appreciated. This was on my bucket list for a long time.

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Thank you for commenting!