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Writer's pictureKatie Done

Hexagon Quilt Shortcut Tutorial

Updated: Oct 20

Do you love the idea of the hexi quilt but like me, are not a huge fan of hand sewing? My latest 3D printed template might just be what you need.


I have been waiting for the right collection to create this hexagon quilt on and when the Tree of Life Liberty collection arrived, I knew that it was the one. The small print makes it the perfect candidate because at first glance you can't see the cheat way in which it has been sewn together. I made the quilt top using one fat quarter bundle of the collection, but you can use any 9 fat quarters to create the same size. It can easily be scaled up or down to work with the fabric you have. Want to find out how I created it? Keep reading!


Completed Hexagon quilt draped over the fabric bolts alongside the fat quarter set and half hexagon template

YOU WILL NEED


  • 9 Fat Quarters

  • Half Hexagon Template

  • 1.25m Backing Fabric

  • 0.5m Fabric for Binding (or 5m of binding)

  • All your usual sewing supplies





METHOD


1. Cut your fabric into 3 1/4" strips of fabric. This is a lot easier with a quilting ruler and rotary cutter.

Liberty cotton fat quarter cut into 3.25" strips

2. Use your half hexagon template to cut your half hexagons out.

Example of how the hexagon template is used

You will need the following:


  • Dina Blossom Orange - 18

  • Dina Blossoms Green - 17

  • Dina Blossom Blue - 18

  • Dina Blossom Aqua - 18

  • Bountiful Fruits Blue Green - 17

  • Bountiful Fruits Blue & Peach - 18

  • Bountiful Fruits Orange and Pink - 18

  • Pink Floral Glade - 18

  • Liberty Tree - 18

Close up of cut out fabric and half hexagon template

3. Lay out the half hexagons as below with matching fabrics paired next to each other to give the appearance of full hexagons.

Tree of Life hexagon quilt layout

4. Sew the columns together first, paring them up with right sides together along the short edges.

Example of paired up half hexagons sewn together on the short edges.

5. Press the seams to one side, alternating which side for each column.

Freshly sewn and pressed quilt columns

6. Lay out your columns before you sew them together to be sure they all line up correctly. Pin them where the seams meet and repeat until they are all sewn together.

Pinning the columns together before sewing

7. Give it all a good press.

Completed quilt top on cutting mat

8. Finish the quilt in your preferred way. I squared the quilt off after I had quilted it.


I wanted to see how big I could make the quilt using only one fat quarter from each print in the collection. That ended up being around 112cm x 117cm. You can easily scale this up or down to work with the fabric you are using.

Full picture of the finished Liberty Tree of Life Hexagon quilt

When it came to finishing the quilt, it was slightly too wide for a regular cotton but I had some thinner strips left over from the fat quarters. I have used some William Morris fabric but sewn these left-over strips together to make it that little bit wider. It was satisfying to use these left-over bits and I love the way it frames the reverse of the quilt.

Full picture of the quilt back


When it came to quilting it took me a while to decide what to do. In the end I just went for a random free motion style. This is my favourite part of the process, and it feels like it has knitted all the colours together.

Close up of the free motion quilting

I have binded it with the Dina Blossoms Green. I always machine stitch my binding to the back first. I have then finished it off on the other side by hand to give the perfect finish.



Close up of the quilt back and binding

I hope this has inspired you to create your own Liberty quilt or Hexagon style quilt. The possibilities with this template are endless and I can't wait to pay around with colour a bit more. If you give it a go, I would love to hear from you!



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