Friday, June 14, 2013

hexagon quilt tutorial

This is my first hexagon quilt.  I was forced to make it . . . had to step out of my box . . . .  I'm not one for fussy work, or directions for that matter.  But I'm glad we've crossed that bridge.  It was a piece of cake.


It's not a true "finish it up Friday" but I've got 6 quilts going right now in all sorts of stages.  This is more of a wip.


tutorial:

Part 1 - Quilting
Baste together your front back ground fabric to your back.
Baby size 50" x 42" (I like that size, no piecing)

Quilt to your liking:





Part 2 - The Hexagons


Cut yourself a template from an old file (card stock weight).




Press your fabrics, cut around your template, leaving 1/2 inch on each sides.



Leave the template in the hexi while you press (w/ starch).



. . . nice stack of hexies.


Now to attach your hexies. The trick is to get them all centered correctly. 
Mark the center horizontal and vertical centers of your quilt.


First, lay a row of hexies on your horizontal mid line.  You can choose your favorite applique method, or use the directions below.

Second, lay a row of hexies on your vertical mid line, attach.  Continue the process of attaching rows of hexies vertically, leaving 1/2 an inch between each one.


 
Attaching:
Pin a row of hexies in place.


Baste down with a large stitch.




Baste 1 or 2 rows at a time, max.  

Sew along the edge of each hexi.  My advice is to go slow.  I free motion quilted them on,  less turning of your quilt that way.


For a nice finish, fish your strings through your quilt.  


 

The hexies on the left are sewn down I still have some on the right.  And you can see where I experimented with some quilting on the gray hexi on the right but I like them plain.

Linked:










20 comments:

  1. wow, hexies! that's out of my box and zone, too. you gave some really great tips to working with them! maybe they're not so bad this way.

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  2. Fabulous quilt! I love hexies and this is the first time I've seen them used this way. Great job.

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  3. Cute! I just love that fabric line and this is a great use for it!

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  4. How cool are those hexies:) Admire how you did this!

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  5. I haven't ventured into hexies yet either. Y seams scare me. I hadn't thought of hexi applique. Thanks for the tutorial. I'll have to give that a try.

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  6. That is adorable! Neat technique for appliqueing them after the quilting. They're a nice too, so the pretty fabrics shine through.

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  7. Very pretty! I like the soft colours.

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  8. Very attractive. I'm partial to hexagons. I think that's because I used to be a chemist and frozen water crystals are six-sided. I like the quilting you did in the gray one.

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  9. Great way to use hexagons! Love it!

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  10. I love hexagons and this is a great way to put them together! Thanks for the tutorial.

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  11. great little tutorial on this! I've never done anything with hexies, but I do love the way they look. May need to expand my skills! :)

    -Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation

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  12. So cute! I love the diagonal quilting (but I am partial to straight line quilting)! Thank you for the great tips! I might have to try this.

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  13. I haven't done any hexies. Yes, they do seem fussy to me. I like you results, though!

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  14. This is so pretty! Great job

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  15. This is great, and I have to try it later. You could possibly use the hexies with raw edges too.

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  16. I love hexagon projects and yours is really neat!

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  17. You make it look easy!!! Lovely quilt.

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  18. Another great noteworthy quilt :)

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  19. I ♥ hexies! Your colors are so pretty and I love your technique for appliquéing them on!

    xo -E

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Thank you for your comments.