How Do You Sew English Paper Piecing Hexagons Without Hand Sewing?
You can sew English paper piecing hexagons without hand stitching by using fusible, iron-on hexagon templates instead of traditional paper templates, then joining the fabric "petals" together with a machine zigzag stitch rather than a hand whip stitch. The iron-on templates fuse directly to the wrong side of your fabric and stay in the project permanently, so there's no basting and no picking papers back out when you're done, friend, which turns a technique that usually takes hours of hand sewing into something you can finish at your machine in an afternoon.
Traditional English paper piecing has a reputation, and it's earned. Wrapping fabric around individual paper templates, hand basting each one, then whip-stitching them together one tiny stitch at a time is beautiful work, but it's slow. There's a faster way to get the same hexagon look, and it swaps out almost every step that makes traditional EPP time-consuming.
What makes this different from traditional EPP
In traditional English paper piecing, you baste fabric around a paper or cardstock template by hand, then remove the paper once your piece is stitched into the larger design. The iron-on method skips both of those steps. The templates are made from a fusible, semi water-soluble paper that presses directly onto the wrong side of your fabric with a warm iron, no basting required. And instead of picking the paper back out later, you leave it in. When the finished project is washed, the paper naturally breaks down into soft fibers that stay harmlessly inside your work.
How the fusing and cutting works
Start with your hexagon template bumpy-glue-side down on the wrong side of your fabric, then press with a warm iron for just a few seconds to fuse it in place. From there, trim around the shape, leaving roughly a quarter inch of fabric extending past the template's edge on all sides. That little margin is what you'll fold over.
Working around the hexagon, fold each edge of fabric over the template and press again, using a bit of fabric glue at the folds if you want extra hold before stitching. The fused template holds its shape well enough that you don't need pins or careful measuring to get a clean, even edge, you can genuinely eyeball it as you go.
Joining the pieces without hand stitching
Once you have your hexagons pressed and folded, lay two pieces right sides together, matching up one folded edge, and join them with a narrow, short zigzag stitch instead of a hand whip stitch. A shortened stitch length and a narrower width both help here, keeping the stitching tight and neat along that small seam. Butt the folded edges together rather than overlapping them, and let your machine's needle catch both sides as it zigzags across the seam.
If you're new to this, it's worth practicing the zigzag settings on a scrap piece first, since getting the width dialed in makes a noticeable difference in how clean the finished seam looks.
Building out your design
Continue joining hexagons in this way to build rows, then join rows together the same way. Because the templates stay in the project, each hexagon keeps its crisp shape as you go, which makes the whole design easier to keep square and even, even if you're not lining things up with a ruler at every step.
This technique works well for anything from a small wall hanging or pincushion top to a full Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt, the same hexagon-in-a-ring pattern that's been a quilting staple for generations, just assembled at your sewing machine instead of by hand.
Ready to try it yourself? These 1 1/2" Hexie EPP Iron-Ons are a great place to start, easy to fuse, easy to stitch, and no paper removal required.
Watching Liz walk through the fusing, folding, and zigzag stitching makes it easier to see exactly how the folded edges line up before they're joined. Check out the full demonstration here:
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you really do English paper piecing without hand sewing?
Yes. Using fusible, iron-on hexagon templates in place of traditional paper templates lets you skip hand basting entirely, and joining the pieces with a machine zigzag stitch replaces the traditional hand whip stitch.
Do I need to remove the paper templates when I'm finished?
No. Iron-on EPP templates are designed to stay in the project. They're made from a semi water-soluble material that breaks down into soft fibers when the finished piece is washed.
What stitch should I use to join hexagons by machine?
A short, narrow zigzag stitch works well for joining the folded edges of two hexagon pieces together. Testing your stitch length and width on a scrap piece first helps you dial in a clean result before stitching your actual project.
Can this method be used for a full quilt, not just small projects?
Yes. The same technique scales up to larger projects, including a full Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt, though larger projects will naturally require more hexagons and more time to assemble.
P.S. Not sure which hexagon size fits your project? We would love to help. Reach us at info@mygirlfriendsquiltshoppe.com or 435-213-3229.