Honeycomb Tutorial Time: Eyelet Polka Part 3 - The Finish

Welcome to the final part of one of my new tutorials, 'Eyelet Polka'. By now you would have gathered together your materials, selected your colour palate, and stitched four different types of eyelets. And now your going to learn how to finish it off.

If, however, you've only just stumbled across my blog and wondering what this post is all about, then I recommend looking back at my previous posts, in particular Part 1 - Getting Started and Part 2 - Eyelet Polka. 

Wrong side Applique:

You will need:

• Neutral coloured machine thread
• Pins
• HB pencil
• Fabric scissors
• Needles: Tapestry and a sharp.
• 12cm square of Calico fabric, you could use the excess from the embroidery
• The template again, 12cm square of light weight cotton fabric (this will be showing through the eyelets).

Working:

• Take your embroidery out of the frame. On the back, using your template (the one you used to draw the eyelets from), draw the hexagon outline. Use the eyelets to help you line it up. 

• Trim down the fabric till you have about a 1cm seam allowance all the way round. 
• Cut the hexagon shape out of the fabric you have chosen to show through the eyelets and from the calico, remembering to give them 1cm seam allowance. Put the calico piece to one side. 
• Pin the right side of the fabric, to the wrong side of the embroidery piece. If you turn it over you can see it through the eyelets. Lightly tack the pieces together on the line, remove the pins. 
• Place the calico piece on top of the right side of the embroidery, and pin through all layers. Make sure that any outlines you have drawn on to this plain calico is on the top (so you can see them). 
• Neatly back stitch on the hexagon outline, all the way round, going through all three layers. 
• Using your scissors, cut an opening through the calico (only), this is for turning inside out (it’s a bit tricky but if you ease the layers apart, it will be easier to do), but don’t turn it yet. 

• Trim back the seam allowance until there is no more than about 3mm all the way round, and to help you get a neat finish, snip the points of the corners off, but not through the stitching! 
• Now turn the shape inside out, the print layer will be sandwiched between the embroidery and the calico. Use a tapestry needle to help ease out the points of the corners. 
• Sew up the slit in the calico. 
• You can gently press the shape with an iron, on the back.

I hope you found all three parts of this tutorial easy to follow, it's been a bit nerve wracking coming up with something people might want to do. And, a tutorial that is easy to follow. It's been a learning curve and I think there are still things I can do better, so I would love to get some feedback.

Leave comments here, or pop over to my flickr forum, click here.

Enjoy!