Retro Chinese Hexagon DIY Pillow

Instructions

1. Stick the paper hexagons to your fabric. Using the rotary cutter and the ruler cut 7 fabric hexagons per cushion with a 1cm seam allowance.

2. Tack your fabric to the paper hexagons. Secure your paper hexagons to the fabric with pin. Fold your fabric edge over the paper hexagon and using a contrasting thread tack the folded fabric edge to the paper hexagon. Continue round the whole hexagon folding the fabric over the paper as you go round. When finished don’t knot the end of your thread as you will be pulling this out later.

3. Decided on how you want your 7 hexagons to fit together, one on the inside and 6 round the edge. Using your arranged design as your guide whip stitch the hexagons together. You will be stitching at the very edges of the hexagons, just going through the fabric and not the paper hexagons.

4. You should now have a neatly sewn fabric panel consisting of seven hexagons. Carefully pin this to the cushion cover.

5. Start the applique with the middle fabric hexagon. Using a thread that matches your fabric and a small running stitch neatly sew the hexagon to the cushion cover. Your stitches should go all around the very the edge of the hexagon.

6. You will need to eventually remove the paper hexagons. However it is easier if you can keep the paper hexagons in the patchwork panel as long as possible. As the panel keeps its shape better and is easier to work with. That means on the outer hexagon the paper stays in until you have appliqued all but the last side.