English Paper Piecing Hexagons On-The-Go; My must-have tools for taking my quilting on the road

I am a traditional machine-piecing kind of gal but I also LOVE the idea of quilting on-the-go! Like most people, I am busy and while I enjoy running errands and getting out and doing things, it means time away from my sewing machine. It means that a doctor’s appointment sends “I’m dreaming of some new fabric” by Irving Berlin (that’s how the song goes right?) playing in my head. It means that a trip to the grocery store requires switching gears from yards and inches to pounds and ounces. The struggle is real. Enter English paper piecing.




I know that if you’ve never tried EPP before it can look a little intimidating but it is SO much fun and nothing to be intimidated by in the slightest. Before I got started I thought it would be a long, tedious and difficult process but it’s actually very simple, way faster than I thought and totally portable! It means I can have my beautiful project with me wherever I go…quilting on the beach, in the car, at the office, on a mountain hike, at church, on vacation…oh the quilty happiness! Organization and the right supplies can make hexie quilt projects even more fun!


Whether you’re considering trying EPP or you’re someone who already enjoys it but is looking for new ideas for organization and supplies, I have put together a list of my absolute FAVORITE and must-have hexie necessities. It’s everything I need to quilt on-the-go. 


1.      A messenger bag: Are you like me…a member of the million tote-bags club? AKA the everything falls into the bottomless pit and now I can’t find anything in my tote bag club? A messenger bag is the perfect bag for my EPP supplies. It’s narrow, has a flap that goes over the top to keep everything enclosed and it’s easy to carry. It allows me to keep my quilt top in progress plus my EPP kit without anything shifting around in the bag. What’s the EPP kit? Keep reading.


2.      The ArtBin container: This ArtBin container is exactly the right height for the average 1” hexies. Make some hexies, stand them on their side in the container (that is customizable with the removable dividers) and they won’t move at all. Cut and baste the hexies you need to make hexie flowers and keep each flower and its own compartment…nothing moves and nothing gets mixed up. This container is the best, BEST thing since sliced bread and, in my opinion, is a must-have for EPP hexies. 


3.      Hexagon paper punch: I use the Fiskars Xlarge paper punch. It will punch through 1-3 sheets of average computer paper at a time comfortably...super fast and easy.


4.      Sewline Glue Pen: I used to thread-baste my hexies because, for some reason, the thought of glue scared me a little. It just..didn’t seem natural to put glue on my fabric but trust me…it is so much easier and it’s glue specially made for sewing. It is soooo much faster and it works wonderfully.


5.      Sewline glue refills: If you love using the glue pen as much as I do, you’ll want refills.


6.      Computer paper: There are different thoughts and different opinions in the quilting community on this one. I have made hundreds of hexies and I’ve only used your average computer paper. You can use thicker paper or pre-cut hexagons but I have never had an issue working with computer paper or paper of similar thickness. It works like a charm and is easy to come by. 


7.      Small/embroidery scissors. Portable and perfect for snipping on small projects.


8.      Hand-quilting thread: This is my personal preference. Since the piecing is all done by hand, the hand-quilting thread feels more secure and is harder to break than all-purpose thread. 


9.      A needle book: much smaller than a pin cushion, a small needle book fits inside the artbin and is a great portable solution for holding needles.


10.   Needles: any all purpose hand-sewing needles will do. Just make sure they are not too thick.

That’s it! So simple! Hand-piecing is so relaxing and before you know it you’ll have a finished masterpiece. Happy quilting!

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