This winter, I decided that my evening needlework project (as well as my grab-and-go, no matter where I go project) Must Be my hexie quilt that I’ve been working on for … oh… almost two years now. Otherwise, the thing will never be finished.

So, in the winter evenings, when it’s dark and cold out and it’s time to hunker down for the day and warm up a bit before heading to bed, I’ve been engrossed with those little tiny hexagons. Even though it’s not embroidery, it is needlework – I’m making a full-size hand-pieced quilt using English paper piecing – so I don’t mind sharing progress occasionally here on Needle ‘n Thread.

For those who are new to Needle ‘n Thread, I’ll share a little bit of the backstory and refer you to previous articles. Today, I’ll show you progress, discuss a few pitfalls, and mention three things that have improved my hand-piecing experience tremendously. I’ll also mention a couple tips on thimbles.