I See Hexagons in Your Future

I know I am sounding like a broken record, but maybe some of you have missed it or just found my blog and books and perhaps are just joining us now. Every month we make a small quilt in order to finish a goal of making 12 small quilts this year. I choose the pattern from one of my books. (Yes, that means you have to have the book or borrow it to make the quilt.) This month's quilt is easy (see posting below this one and then also search the blog Archives by month for the other quilts). So when you finish it, here's something else to think about. Some of you have requested that we do the Hexagon quilt from my latest book, The Civil War Sewing Circle, this year and I decided that this will be the quilt for the month of October.  

If you have time this summer, you can get a head start by making your little hexagons in preparation for sewing the quilt together later in the fall. So now you know and don't say I didn't give you fair warning. I know it's only June, and even though you may think you have plenty of time, wouldn't it be smart to get some of the hexagons flowers finished now? Then you can whip up the quilt rather quickly come October. Those of you who are still dreaming of catching up and making 12 quilts with us this year, stop stalling - time to get to work.

These hexagons are so much fun and very easy too. Try making just a couple and you'll soon be hooked. If you get started now,  by October you'll have enough flowerettes for several hexagon quilts.  While you're at it, you might want to make this cute little box that's in the book too. The perfect size for keeping them safe. No little puppies with prying paws will even know they're in there!

Look in the book for directions to make the quilt. If you get started making the flowers now, they'll be all ready to put together and won't that be nice? The hard part will be finished.

I used printable hexagons generated by this website to make mine and set each to come out at .60. Print them out on cardstock so you can use them over and over. There are also places that sell pre-cut paper hexagons but this worked fine for me since I already had a ton of cardstock lying around.

Just cut out the hexagon paper pieces, place on the wrong side of a small scrap, cut 1/4 inch around the shape and then fold over the edges and baste one at a time. The stitches should not go through the paper.

I like to punch a hole in the center of the paper before I cut them out and find that if I use a small applique pin to hold the fabric in place the paper does not slip so much. And then it's also easy to pull the paper piece out later with a seam ripper.

Once you've made your hexagons, you then connect them (like spokes on a wheel) to the center hexagon, one at a time. (Directions in the book)

Hexagon quilts were actually very popular during the 19th century even though we are more familiar with calling them Grandmother's Flower Garden quilts from the '30s. Sometimes they were called Mosaic or Honeycomb quilts. Even though my little quilt is finished I still like to pick up some scraps and make a few every now and them - it's so relaxing. Maybe I'll make a bigger one someday. I think I probably have enough.