Messing around with hexagons

I'm busy sewing together the blocks for my Mom's Lazy Punk quilt and hopefully it will be a quilt top today. Fingers crossed.

In the meanwhile I thought it is time for more hexagon fun using my foundation pieced English paper piecing (EPP) technique. I've posted on this topic many times but if you are new to my blog I most recently wrote about this method on January 19 and January 20, 2014.

So today I'll show you a fast fun star and then I'll mix things up a little!

This is the basic shape for the individual hexagons. I drafted six of them plus a blank for the center. I am working with 1" hexagons and you will find a master template that you can use under my tab English Paper Piecing and Hexagon Fun.

This is the foundation pieced hexagon ready to be basted. Notice that the seam allowances are trimmed so that they just clear the corners. I like to have a generous seam allowance of roughly 3/8". It makes basting much easier. I just use my scissors to trim the hexagon.

I like to take an extra stitch at the top because there is extra fabric from the seams and this extra stitch will keep everything nice and flat.

When I get to the base I make sure that the sides are folded in an d then the base of the star point is folded down. This keeps the bulky seam allowances away from the corner making the piecing of the basted hexagons very easy.

Six hexies are basted and the star points facing out.

They can also be turned so that the points are facing in. Play around with them and have fun!

All six hexagons need not be the same. What if you took these two hexagons and combined three of each to make a star?

You might come up with something likes these interesting arrangements!

I'm linking up with A Quilting Reader's Garden for hexie Friday where you'll be able to find some hexie inspiration! Check back regularly as others add links to their blogs and projects.

While you are out and about don't forget to visit Jan's Sew and Sow Farm. Today is day 4 of her giveaway and the prize today is honeycomb papers (elongated hexagons) and a honeycomb template. You can get up to five chances to win. Just go here to read more and enter!

Until I post again, happy sewing!