Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Making fabric for a hexagon block

If you are looking for my GROW YOUR BLOG Post and Giveaway go here to enter the draw for a hardcover needle book. The winner will be announced on February 15, 2014. I reply to every entry for the draw so if you don't receive an email this means you are a no-reply blogger and you can't enter you in the draw unless you provide me with a email address! Good luck everyone!

I'm working away on my next QAL and it will be released sometime in the Spring. For those of you addicted to hexagons, this one will be perfect for you! I was preparing some blocks and wanted to use a striped fabric with a lighter colour on either side. I went through my stash and couldn't find anything suitable so I decided to make my own!

I selected my two fabrics and the darker of the two was a directional print which I thought would work well.


From the darker fabric I cut a strip that was 1 1/4" wide by 15" long. From the lighter fabric I cut 2 strips that were the same length and width. I shortened my stitch length and sewed a light strip to either side of the dark strip.

I pressed the seam allowances open. A spritz of starch and a press with a hot dry iron will kept them nice and flat. That's it - my fabric is made. Now on to making the hexagons!

I'm working with 1" hexagons so from my strip of fabric I cut six 2 3/8" patches. I applied a dab of glue stick to my hexagon paper. I placed the paper on the wrong side of the strip set making sure the dark stripe was reasonably centered in the hexagon.


The next step was to trim the excess fabric at the corners. I left a generous seam allowance of roughly 3/8" all around. I repeated with the five remaining pieces of fabric.


This is what the patches look like before I basted the hexagons.


And this is what they looked like after they were basted! All that's left is to stitch it together!


So the next time you need some fabric and you don't have exactly what you need in your stash why not make your own fabric?

Until I post again, happy sewing!
Karen H

19 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks Mary Ann! It was faster and less expensive than fabric shopping!

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  2. Great idea - looking forward to your hexie QAL!

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    1. I'm having fun making the patterns and hope you'll enjoy making the quilt!

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  3. Fabulous again.... Once a day i come and visit you so i won't miss your wonderful ideas.... Also looking forward to your hexie QAL..

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    1. I'm so happy you come to visit! It makes it so much fun for me!

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  4. Replies
    1. You probably had just the right fabric but I didn't so I made it instead!

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  5. i have run out of superlatives... your imagination knows no bounds! , Roll on Friday

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    1. I can't wait for Friday either because we are going to do something completely different again!

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  6. What a great idea. Love how the stripe goes in one direction. Fussy cutting to a new level!! I have to start playing with some 1 inch hexies---the smaller ones do not allow a lot of detail. I look forward to another QAL in the spring. My head is spinning with new ideas of how to create fabric---to add new elements of design. Thanks

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    1. It really is fun to make your own fabric and it adds an element of complexity to your quilts that makes people go "oh wow". Only we know how easy it was!

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  7. Your stripes give the motif a very old look -- nice!

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    1. You are right - it does have an old look. It would have been a little better if I had used a softer colour for the sides so that it wasn't as stark but it will do for now!

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  8. Replies
    1. And so easy to boot! Plus it is another way to make good use of those small scraps!

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  9. That is genius!

    I'm a newbie here ... and am now following so I'll be ready for your upcoming Hexie QAL! ;-)

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    1. Welcome Kathy! I'm looking forward to my hexie QAL! It is going to be fun I promise!

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  10. This is brilliant! Love this, thanks for sharing your process.

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