Remember these cuties?
I promised a tutorial and although it's taken a little longer than I anticipated, I have it for you all today. This time around, I used our tiny polka dot pattern from Odds and Ends. They are sweet!
First, you'll need to cut your hexagons. You will need three hexagons in the print you want for the outside of your coaster and one hexagon for the heart. Then add one more cut out of batting.
I used a special guide to cut mine, but I also made a pattern for any of you that don't have this tool.
Download Hex and Heart Coasters | Free Pattern | Julie Comstock
Now you need to cut your heart out of two of your outer-print hexagons. I just made a little heart pattern out of fabric, layered up the two hexagons and cut. That way my hearts always match up perfectly. Another tip, you can have your heart fit so that the point is toward a hexagon point or toward a flat edge depending on how you fold the hexagon. I did half one direction and half the other.
Now you are going to put these two halves right sides together and sew around that heart using a tiny seam allowance (approximately 1/8"). Then clip your seams paying special attention to the points of the heart and the curves.
Turn your heart hexagon right side out and press. Use a paint brush end or something similar to turn the dip in the heart, but be careful not to poke through your fabric. Getting this little shape to turn can be tricky, but just be patient and work a little at a time, pressing as you go until it looks like this.
Now put your heart colored hexagon behind this along with your batting behind that. I prefer to do the quilting before the back layer is on because as a coaster I find that water seeps through quilting holes and onto my table. If we quilt first, we solve that problem. So, switch out your sewing machine to your walking foot and quilt around these layers.
Take your last outer hexagon and place it, right side down, on top of what you have now sewn. Stitch around the outer edge of it all using a 1/4" seam allowance and leaving an opening for turning. I really like to sew this so that all the corners will turn, it leaves only a small opening which makes turning tight, but it makes the topstitching step much easier! After sewing this, clip the corners.
Now turn it right side out and press that little opening in so that you can topstitch all the way around your soon to be finished coaster!
I like to make these assembly line style, completing each step across the whole set. It makes it quick and easy.
Obviously, I love these as coasters, but I can see lots of other fun things to make with them.
Here's a few for you to think about trying:
Coin purses
Pockets
Banners/Buntings
Have fun with it, you could easily use this same technique with lots of other shapes too.
We also have a winner to announce today. Congratulations go to Joan Fowler who said, "I love buying surprise gifts for my granddaughter. She thinks I'm sweet." Joan, send your info to julie at cosmocricket dot com and I'll see to it that some Sweet Disposition comes your way! Please write Sweet Dispostion blog winner in the subject line of your email. Thanks!
