Send Rachel Flowers - a hexie tutorial

I'd been checking Rachel's blog all weekend to see if there was any news about baby Eleni's arrival. Like many of you, I have been following Stitched in Color for years, and knew of Rachel's longing to have more children, her waiting for surgery to make it possible, waiting to fall pregnant, and the oh, so bitter sweet news of discovering she was, but then losing a twin. So when I read yesterday morning, her blog post about Eleni's arrival, the complications, the unknown future, I was heartbroken. And when there are no words, all I can do is stitch.

One of my dearest friends, Lucy, was staying at my house over the weekend, and making hexie flowers for her neice. As I was sitting on my sofa, reading Rachel's news, all I could think about were those flowers. I wanted to send her flowers.

I put a post on Instagram, inviting you all to help, and I have been so very grateful for the response. Because many flowers will travel to my home in Australia for me to make a quilt for Rachel and her family, I thought I would write a little tutorial of how I put my flowers together, in a way that will hopefully be quick, and cheap to post. And I hope it will answer any questions I've been asked as well.

I'm using 1" hexagons. That is, one edge of the hexie measures one inch. These are the perfect size for 2.5" squares, if you have scraps of those lying around. I cut my hexies out of scrap cardboard, using my Accuquilt, but you can download a template to print and cut out here (the 1" size is on the last page) or buy them ready cut from your local quilt shop. My friend Lucy has been using ordinary paper for hers, (and they used to use old newspaper scraps in the old days!) and she says that's been working fine for her.

I clip two sides of the fabric down around the template. You can also use a paper clip, or dab a bit of glue stick on the other side in the middle of the paper to keep the hexie still.

Fold the edges of a corner between the two clips down and stitch a few stitches to hold in place.

Move around to the next corner, and stitch through the fold twice. Some people go through the cardboard here, BUT, if you just stitch through the fabric, you can take the papers out before posting, which will make it easier to fold into an envelope.

Follow the corners around the hexie, putting a couple of stitches in each fold, and then put an extra stitch in the final corner to hold the thread in place.

To stitch two hexies together, hold them right sides facing, and starting at one corner, stitch a couple of holding stitches, then whipstitch (keep entering the needle on one side, and pulling it out the other,) along the seam.

Grab your next petal, line it up with the next edge of the hexie and keep stitching until you've gone all the way around. 

Then stitch between each petal using a similar method. (you just won't be able to hold the hexies together flat if you're using cardboard.

Once you've stitched the flower together, you can pull the papers out ready to post.

If you'd like to make a flower or two for Rachel, I'd like flowers that use all the one colour. They can be scrappy, or the same print in the petals. I'd like a dark (preferably black, but grey or navy is fine) print or solid in the centre. If you prefer a different method, or have made yours already, that's completely fine!

Could you please make a flower for the Hauser family? I would just love to show Rachel how much we're all thinking of her and Eleni and their family, and how much we value her friendship, talent, and contribution to this quilty community.

Please ask me in the comments below for my address. I'd like to start making the quilt in one month - that gives a couple of weeks to stitch, and a couple of weeks to get here. Please share with your friends and followers, and tag photos with #flowersforeleni on Instagram. Thank you!

Jodi. xxx

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