Mixing up less than perfect fussy cuts

Today I thought I would share my latest Road 66 block and also talk about some fussy cutting options that you could consider.

I love working with stripes and directional prints because I can use the lines of the directional prints to place my hexagons on the back of the fabric and then cut them out. Stripes are far and away the easiest print to work with when fussy cutting.

Consider this pair of blocks from my quilt Birds in the Loft. I used a simple brown and blue stripe fabric to make these blocks. I made sure that the top and bottom corners of the hexagon were lined up on the outer edge of a blue stripe. As you may know I like to glue tack my paper hexagons to my fabric. The cheaper the glue the better and do make sure it is a fabric safe glue. By tacking the papers in this way I can cut out my fabric hexagons with scissors and I don't have to worry about pins. So, stars radiating out are fun and interesting.

But I am particularly fond of stripes that go around the centre hexagon. The cutting isn't perfect but I'm not worried about that because in a quilt with almost two hundred hexagon rosettes little imperfections disappear!

Sometimes you just don't have enough fabric to make a rosette. I had enough fabric to cut nine hexagons so I sewed six together to make the top rosette and I added three hexagons made with a similar fabric to create the second rosette.

Here is another example of making do with what you have. I had enough fabric to fussy cut three flowers and I used a stripe fabric for the other three.

This same principle of mixing fabrics has some added benefits. If your fussy cuts aren't exact the differences will show up when the blocks are sewn together because the designs won't match up. Using two fabrics instead of a single fabric will help disguise less than perfect fussy cuts!

This rosette is good. It needs another round of hexagons (12 this time) and the idea of fussy cutting 12 hexagons from a single fabric wasn't appealing to me. Also bear in mind that if you add a round fussy cut from the same fabric you will have to adjust how you fussy cut. I wrote about this here. Six hexagons will have a flat edge touching the centre rosette and the other six with have a point edge touching the centre rosette and this affects how you cut the fabric.

So what I did was mix it up; I cut six from a stripe fabric and I used six from made fabric and I made my open donut. You can see the circle isn't closed (inside the green oval) and this makes adding this round to the middle rosette so much easier. You can see how I add the open donut to the middle rosette here. Not only does mixing up the hexagons simplify the process of making the round but I don't have to worry about exact matches because the hexagons are separated by the alternating hexagons.

This can add an extra design element to the block when in fact the intent of using two fabrics or two different fussy cuts was to either disguise imperfect cutting or to eliminate the need to cut 12 hexagons from a single fabric. This is what the block looks like when it is all put together. It is the centrepiece of one of my workshop samples. 

Time for me to get cutting. I hope you find some time to take a few stitches today. Until I post again, happy sewing!

Karen H

More techniques for fussy cutting fabric

I have been doing some fussy cutting to prepare some samples for an English paper piecing workshop that I will be doing in the November. There are so many ways to fussy cut and the one I use will depends on many factors. I've written several posts on fussy cutting as well as some instructions which you can find under the tab English Paper Piecing Instructions & Hexagon Fun. Today I thought I would share two other fussy cutting methods (one is a variation on something I've already showed) that I like to use. The other is relatively new and it came to me when I didn't want to start cutting up my fabric until I knew what the rosette would look like.

Clear Plastic Template Method
The first step is to make a template from clear plastic. I save scrap plastic (often from presentation folders) to make my templates. The first thing I do is trace the actual size of my hexagon (or diamond) on the plastic with a permanent marker. I then cut it out being sure to add a seam allowance all the way around,

Now I am ready to go! I place the template on my fabric and find the area I want to use. With my permanent marker I make some registration marks to help line up the next motif. I trace around my template. In the following picture the outer green line shows the outer edge of my plastic template. It is the cutting line. The gold inner line represents the finished size of the hexagon. You can see that I've drawn some registration marks on the template.

This is the template with the registration marks.

The nice thing about this plastic template is that it is reusable! I can just hear someone saying but it has registration marks made with a permanent marker. No problem: a tiny bit of nail polish remover on a paper point or an ear swab will remove the registration marks quickly and easily so that the template can be reused.

Now I could use the quilters' template material because it will accept pencil marks that can be erased however I find that it is opaque so it can be difficult to see the design on the fabric so for me the clear plastic works really well and it was material that cost me nothing because it was salvaged!

Copied Fabric
Sometimes I don't know where to place my template on the fabric to get the nicest result and I don't want to just cut up my fabric willy nilly so what to do? Simple! Make a colour copy of the fabric and then cut it up until the right arrangement appears!

I can cut out different sections of the fabric and try out different arrangements of the hexagons.

When I decide which portion of the print that I want to use I line up the copied fabric on the real fabric to cut my hexagons for EPP. I cut around the paper being sure to add a 1/4" seam allowance all around!

This is the finished block using the template made from a copy of the fabric!

So there you have it - two more methods of fussy cutting that you can add to your skill set!

Until I post again, happy sewing!
Karen H

Tutorial: Another way to fussy cut

The weather is always so unpredictable in January so rather than bring in a speaker my Quilt Guild has a demonstration night. Three Guild members are asked to do a 15 minute demo. The Guild members are divided into three groups and then they rotate from one demo to the next. I've been asked to demonstrate English paper piecing/hexagons. I decided to make some samples with different sizes of hexagons for my demo.

I have two fabrics that I thought would work well together so I decided to play with them! The top fabric is an old fabric Malvern Hill by Judy Roche & Carienne Kramer for Henry Glass Fabrics. It is a leftover bit from a backing. The bottom fabric was purchased more recently and it is Return to Romance by WillowBerry Lane and Maywood Studios. I bought it because I love the colours and thought it would be well suited to fussy cut hexagons.

There are loads of ways to fussy cut fabrics and I'll use different methods based on the fabric I'm using and the number of patches I require. I will often fussy cut by placing a window template on the wrong side of the fabric and move it around until I find the image I want to use. I'll glue a hexagon paper in the opening and then cut out the hexagon leaving a generous seam allowance. For the remaining hexagons I line up my hexagon on the next motif being sure to line up the landmarks. In the following picture you can see that I lined up the upper left corner and the lower point of the paper template  at the yellow circles. This method works great if you can see the print on the back of the fabric.

My problem is that I couldn't really see the print on the back of the fabric. On the left you can see the print and on the ride is the back of the fabric. So how did I fussy cut six hexagons to make a rosette? I could have cut one out on the right side of the fabric but how would I line up the paper template on the back if I couldn't see the print? Let me share with you what I did!

The first step was to place a window template on the right side of my fabric.

Once I found the motif I wanted to use I tacked a hexagon in the window with a tiny dab of Elmer's Purple Glue.

I carefully removed the window template. Here you can see the paper template glued to my fabric.

I next position the remaining five hexagons on the right side of the fabric being sure to line up the landmarks as described above. I don't stress about getting things lined up perfectly - close is good enough for me! The red circles indicate the landmarks I used to line up my paper templates. At this point I could cut out the hexagons adding a generous seam allowance. I like to work with a 3/8" seam allowance if I can!

When I hold the fabric up to the light with the wrong side facing me I can see the hexagon that is on the right side.

I apply a dab of Elmer's Purple Glue to a hexagon template and while holding the fabric up to the light I positioned the hexagon on the wrong side of the fabric being sure to line up the hexagons. I remove the hexagon from the right side of the fabric and I am ready to start English paper piecing as usual!

So what did the hexagon rosettes look like after they were stitched together? This is the hexagon rosette made with 1 1/4" hexagons.

This is the hexagon rosette made with 1" hexagons.

And here they are together! I think the 1" hexagons work best with these fabrics although both are pretty! I love the stars that are created by fussy cutting the peaks in the Malvern Hill fabric.

So what will I do with these hexagons after the demo tonight? I'll put them in the box of hexagons to be used in a future project!

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial and much as I enjoy sharing with all you people! If you leave a comment I will be sure to send you an email. If you don't hear from me it means you are a no reply blogger and I have no way to contact you unless you include your email address in the comment.

Until I post again, I hope you have fun fussy cutting!
Karen H

Previewing fabric for a fussy cut centre

I know that some of you are already working on Part 1 of  my Soupcon Quilt Along pattern. There are already some lovely pictures posted on the FLICKR page. If you haven't started yours I thought I would share another little tip with you about how I preview a fabric for a center.

When I'm making fussy cut hexagons I love to play around with my fabrics because is a great way to get inspired and to come up with some interesting combinations that I might not have otherwise considered. One of the challenges however is getting a feel for a how a fabric might look when it is fussy cut for the center in a block that has already been made. I've been making red stars from modified 3/4" hexagons. I haven't decided if they will have fussy cut centers or if I will leave them open so that the background fabric shows through. Before I decide I want to audition different fabrics but it can be hard to know just how the block will look. Look at this fabric. It is interesting and I think it will be great for for fussy cutting centers.

The problem is that when I put the red stars on the fabric they almost disappear and I can't get a good feel for how they might look because of the surrounding fabric. See what I mean? Bummer. I don't want to start cutting up my fabric if I'm not sure it's what I want.

So what's the solution? I get a sheet of paper and I cut a whole that is slightly larger that the hexagon center of my block. I move it around on my fabric until I've isolated the motif I am considering..

Then I just put a star on the paper and voila! I'm auditioning the motif but I don't have the distraction of all the other fabric! I've used white paper but you could use coloured paper that more closely matches the fabric you will use as a background.

Here's the same star with a different motif  from the same fabric as a center. Also I wanted to point out that you don't have to fussy cut the entire block? Just a little detail  like a fussy cut center is pretty little detail! So if you are thinking about sewing along in my Soupcon Quilt Along but fussy cutting is daunting, why not make your star like this?

And to make it even easier, you can reverse applique the center. Just find a motif you want to use as a center, cut it out making sure to leave a generous seam allowance of say 3/8 to 1/2". Place a little glue on the seam allowances around the hexagon opening,

and place the star on the motif being sure to center it. This is what it will look like from the wrong side.

Stitch it in place with a matching thread and a blind stitch!  Hand applique not your thing? That's not a problem! This would be a great place to use one of those fancy machine embroidery stitches on your machine (the stitches that I never seem to use). Others will marvel at your skills and you can tell them how you sweated over this piece for hours and hours! We'll keep the fact that it was super easy between us!

And speaking of skills, Kath of Hillside Railway Cottage has completed her Soupcon star and it reminds me of a fine bone china teacup! I love the little fussy cut butterfly! A butterfly motif is something she could repeat in upcoming steps! How you ask? Well you'll just have to stay tuned to find out!

Until I post again, happy sewing!

Choosing Fabrics for Soupcon, Block Storage Idea & A Hexagon Block of the Month

Missie of Traditional Primitives suggested that I show pictures of the fabrics I purchased for my Soupçon QAL and I am more than happy to do so but I didn't buy any fabrics. I just went to my stash and used what I have. I don't generally purchase fabrics for a specific project; I buy fabrics that tickle my fancy (my fancy is easily tickled judging by the size of my ever growing stash)! If I buy fabrics I like then I find that they tend to work together. I am always looking for subtle neutral prints that work as backgrounds and I also like prints with a great deal of variety in the print so that I have lots of fussy cutting options. With that being said, here are the fabrics I started with for the blue version of Soupçon. The blue print was bought specifically for fussy cutting. I put the star on the dark background on the left. Sorry I meant to take a picture of that but I forgot.

This is sort of the best I can do to show you the two together. They don't match but the work together just fine!

Yesterday I demonstrated the same big blue fabric on a light green stripe background.

These are the fabrics for the red version of Soupçon. I bought the red specifically for fussy cutting.

Missie also suggested that I show how I go about selecting a motif to fussy cut. I don't put a great deal of time into it; I just move my window template around on the fabric until I like what I see and then I start tracing and cutting. I don't have much of an idea of how the star or flower will look so that means I am eager to get sewing so I can enjoy the big reveal! Tomorrow I'll show you some befores (the "raw" fabric) and the afters (the stars I made from the fabric). I hope it will inspire you to get creative and have fun!

Kath asked if it would be a good idea to select her fabrics in advance. It all comes down to how you like to work. I sometimes select my fabrics in advance but usually end up changing my mind as I go along. When you lay fabrics out together you are often seeing equal amounts of each but that isn't the way the block is constructed. And that's why I end up changing my mind. This is a scrap quilt so if you pick fabrics from your stash just give yourself permission to change them as you go along (if you want to that is)!

In my travels around the interweb I came across two interesting things: a hexagon block of the month and an fabulous idea for storing blocks. I am reluctant to store blocks flat because I can't see them and if I can't see them I forget about them. I can't remember where I saw this idea but I thought it was brilliant! A pants hanger was used to store blocks. I think I'll invest in a few more hangers to store blocks in this way.

The second fun thing I found was mentioned on blog I read, Sarah Did It. Sarah is an admitted hexieaholic and she linked up with a Hexie Block of the Month pattern at The HEXIE Blog. If you are truly addicted to hexagons and need just one project this might just fill the bill! The instructions call for 1" hexagons. You can find a master template for 1" hexagons under my tab English Paper Piecing & Hexagon Fun. You can make your Block of the Month Hexagons and store them on a pants hanger!

If you have any questions about the Soupçon QAL please feel free to email me or just leave a comment. I'm more than happy to help and share! So until I post again, keep warm (it is -20C here, -27C with the wind chill) and keep sewing!

Karen H

Fussy cut options for hexagon quilts when you don't have enough fabric

Tomorrow is the launch of my Soupçon Hexagon Quilt Along (QAL) and you will have an opportunity to try fussy cutting and piecing. I know that hexagons and fussy cutting aren't everyone's cup of tea but there will only be a little bit of both in Soupçon. To quote a John Lennon song, all I am saying is give piece(ing with fussy cuts) a chance! 

Fussy cuts are great for any block but they are particularly well suited to hexagons and diamonds.  I love to fussy cut to produce kaleidoscopic effects such as this one.

The hexagon above is six identical hexagons surrounding a seventh different hexagon. I love the blue star that emerged. I cut this hexagon from a strip of fabric that was part of a jelly roll. 

Sometimes I can only cut three hexagons from my fabric. What's the solution? Add a second fabric! In the two examples below I only had enough fabric to be able to cut three hexagons for each so I added a second fabric for the outside ring and a third fabric for the center. In the pink hexagon the alternating white and red hexagons were not fussy cut, nor was the center hexagon.

In this example I only had enough pale blue brown for three hexagons so I fussy cut three blue and yellow to go with them. The center was also fussy cut.

Another way to deal with a shortage of fabric is to use two different fussy cuts from the same fabric; if your aren't confident working with multiple fabrics and colour make cut your fussy cuts from a single fabric. That way you know that they will work together. In the star below I did have enough fabric but I wanted some variety so I fussy cut three diamonds with blueberries and three diamonds with red flowers. The colours work together since they come from the same fabric and the two different fussy cuts add some interest. A diamond is a derivative of a hexagon (three diamonds make a hexagon).

This is a second example of six patches cut from a single fabric. I cut three with red flowers and three with white leafs.

Here I've used two different fabrics. The colours are close but not the same and they don't have to be a perfect match. In fact sometimes it is more interesting if the colours are slightly off.

Here I only had enough blue to fussy cut three so I alternated with a red print which was not fussy cut. Even with only three fussy cuts it is still interesting. This star isn't a bobby dazzler but it would work in the Soupçon Quilt Along because it can be dressed up!

Again I fussy cut three hexagons (and a fourth and different for the center) and three plain hexagons.

This is yet another example of combining entirely different fabrics. What is consistent in all three is that I've looked for complimentary prints/colours. The red print in the first picks up the red flowers on the blue. The yellow hexagons in the second pick up on the background of the fussy cut hexagons and in the one below the gold basket weave picks up on the gold in the fussy cut leafs.

Experiment with your fabrics and see what you can come up with! Here are some examples of what I came up with. I LOVE the orange star with the striped fabric in the lower right corner! Stripes are our friend!

Lots of possibilities here! The star in the center of the bottom row features a fussy cut print and a fussy cut stripe.

Look at how the striped fabric was used in the hexagon flower in the middle of the bottom row. Pretty, no? Pretty, yes!!!!

And here's one final idea. Sometimes the fabric is right but not quite right so how do you make it right? I took some pens to it! The triangular bits were very pale so I outlined them with my brown fabric markers. I still thought they needed some depth so I took another marker and I shaded the left side of the inside of blade on the light blue. And I am ashamed to say that it wasn't a fabric marker that I used but it was a permanent marker. Actually I'm not at all ashamed! I just did it and I like it! Feel free to alter your fabrics however you chose. 

All of the hexagons and stars above are part of my quilt top 81 (The Giant Monstrosity). It is on my "to be quilted" list. It is a big quilt so it is going to be challenging. Oh well, I think I'm up for the challenge!

If you have any questions or comments I would love to hear from you! I'm always happy to share what I do and how I do it!

It is a very cold day today so I'm going to have fun in my sewing room playing with fussy cuts! Until I post again, happy sewing!

Karen H