An English Paper Piecing Project For Beginners

In this tutorial you will learn how easy it is to sew some hexagon flowers using the English Paper Piecing method.

Materials:
Floral fabric for centre
Matching solid colour fabric for petals
Needle
Thread
Bulldog clip
Click here to print out your paper hexagon templates

Instructions:

1.

Print out your hexagon templates. Cut them out. Place one on your fabric and cut out the fabric with about a 0.7 cm (0.27 in) seam allowance. Thread your needle with thread and a knot at the end.

2.

Fold one edge over and clip down the fabric with the bulldog clip. Working from right to left, fold down the next edge and hold it with your fingers.

3. 

Stitch through the fabric (but not the paper), working a small darning stitch around the hexagon.

4. 

Continue with your darning stitch.

5.

When you have reached the beginning again, knot off and then iron your hexagon.

6.

To make one flower you will need to sew 6 solid coloured hexagons and one floral hexagon. 

Sew them together by the facing right sides together and lining up one edge. Work a tiny whip stitch, taking care not to catch the paper as you do so.

7.

Continue sewing hexagons to your centre hexagon.

8.

Now you should have six petals and a centre.

9.

The petals are joined to the centre hut not to each other. To sew them to each other face them right sides together and work a whip stitch.

10.

Your hexagon flower is now complete.

11.

The reverse side will look like this. You can now press it and remove the paper templates, I find it easiest to use a pin to pierce the centre of the paper and pull it a bit with the pin. The paper templates can be used again. 

Note: To sew several hexagon flowers together, start with one flower in the centre and join six others in a circle, joining them to the central flower. You can continue sewing flowers in this circular pattern until your patchwork is as big as you please!

Use your hexagon flowers for anything you wish. I am making mine into a cushion cover. You could also make a bag, a baby quilt, coasters or place mats.