The Hexagon Project: Blocks 30-32

I haven’t shared an update on The Hexagon Project in a few months. My hand sewing progress slowed for a number of reasons:

• Life got busy. I typically work on my English paper piecing blocks during my lunch breaks, but I was using that time to run errands or complete other tasks.
• Just about everyone in our home caught the flu, myself included. Sewing quickly dropped to the bottom of the priority list for the few weeks during our recoveries.
• As I mentioned in the last update, I was running out of templates again. I found myself sewing slowly in an effort to put off the inevitable cutting of new templates.

Somehow, through all of that, I not only managed to stitch three more EPP hexagon flower blocks, but I also settled in to cut the next batch of 100 card stock hexie templates. It feels like a win!

I had begun to notice that some blocks weren’t staying flat after pressing. I’ve been more mindful of where I take the stitches and, while my blocks still aren’t completely flat, they’re flatter than they were.

I think the unevenness of my hand-cut card stock templates are also a factor. Sometimes I see gaps or overlaps between the hexies as I prepare the assemble the flower blocks. Such is the nature of a handmade project!

With this cutting, I’ve reached the end of my supply of card stock. I spent some time hunting around online and found a set of 600 pre-cut paper hexagon templates that didn’t break the bank. They should be delivered sometime this week — I’m anxious to see how heavy the paper is. If the weight is good, these templates should see me through the rest of my Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt, with the added bonus of consistency to the shapes that will help the blocks stay flat.

And with the chore of cutting templates out of the way, I’ll have one less obstacle to sewing the remainder of the blocks.