Hexagon Layout | Hexagon Block Instructions | Making Up Your Quilt Top | My Blocks | Liberty Stars Quilt-along Flickr Group
I’ve wanted to make a quilt from Liberty of London fabrics for quite some time now. I’ve also wanted to make a quilt using hexagons to form star blocks. Here’s my dream come true – a perfect combination!
Since there are so many Liberty fabrics that I just adore, I decided not to try to keep to any particular colour theme. Rather, I’m simply deciding on each pair of hexagons, ie. which two fabrics do I simply love together. As I began cutting out my pieces and laying them on my table to see how pretty they looked in the hexagon pattern, I discovered an interesting thing – fabrics I could have sworn would work perfectly together, just didn’t, and I found myself reorganizing and reorganizing my combinations till I had them just perfect. My rule of thumb is, “it has to make my heart sing when I look at them”. So, once you’ve cut out your pieces, play around with them, try out different combinations of fabrics till you’re delighted with how you’ve paired them up. Later, once all 56 + 8 are done, I’ll lay them all out and work out the order, before deciding on the background fabric, ie. the triangles that will go in between the hexagons.
STRUCTURE
Make 2 blocks per week, ie. 1 pair of hexagon blocks.
Week 1 begins Monday 15 November 2010.
BASICS
Measurements:
Finished size: approx 76″ x 75″ (195cm x 193cm)
Requirements:
56 full hexagon blocks
8 half hexagon blocks
104 triangles
16 half triangles
2″ (5cm) border
Binding
Batting
Back fabric
Fabric requirements:
2 x 4″ (10cm) of Liberty of London fabric for each pair of hexagons.
1¼ yds (1 m) solid colour Liberty of London fabric for 104 large full and 16 half triangles (for between hexagon blocks)
1¼ yds (1 m) Liberty of London fabric for outer border (finished width of border is 2½”)
3 yds (2.75m) of Liberty of London fabric for backing
Batting – allow 4″ (10cm) around all four sides for machine or hand quilting
1¼ yds (1 m) Liberty of London fabric for binding
Remember to adjust these measurements if you’re fussy cutting your fabric.
Also, keep in mind that Liberty of London fabric is 53.5″ (136cm) wide, so if you’re using other materials such as Anna Maria Horner’s voile or Alexander Henry’s cotton lawn, or regular quilting cottons, please adjust requirements accordingly.
Instructions:
Triangles, Sewing the Hexagon Blocks together, & Border {later}
Back, Batting & Binding {later}
Comments:
What fabric are you going to use? Who is your quilt for? Are you doing something different? Share your process with us, write a comment.
Hi Helene
While Lynnie & I were cutting out your fabric we became totally engrossed with the idea that we would like to join you. So far we have cut a few strips to add to our Liberty stashes – hers collected over the past 40 years and mine over the past 2 years! We have cut one set of the triangles & hexagons and this week aim to make them up and hopefully another one at least. I think the Christmas break will enable us to catch up with you. Thank you for the inspiration and the kind words in your blog. Your lovely selection of fabric dropped into the mailbox tonight.
Happy sewing
Jenny
Really? Jenny, Lynn, so great that you’re joining in! I’m thrilled about that! I can’t wait to see your fabrics, especially the 40-year collection. I hope to see your blocks on the Flickr site.
Helen, is it too late to start this project. How would I get started. I just found your website and I live in Israel. The fabric you mentioned is not available here.
Etty
Hi Etty, Shalom! No, it’s definitely not too late to start! Just print out the templates, and you can use any fabric you like. Probably best with a quilting-weight cotton, or perhaps cotton lawn, or something soft. Not stretchy at all of course. You can go at your own pace with this project. Cutting the fabric takes about 15 minutes per block, and I found it takes about an hour, give or take, to sew each block by hand. So depending on how much time you have, you could catch up to us soon! I hope to see your blocks in our Flickr group. 🙂
Hi Helene, well….I did it, I made my first block. Took me all evening to finish one block, I’m very cack handed with this new fangled hand piecing that you’ve introduced me to. I think mine might end up being a small lap quilt (if I’m lucky.)
YAY Clair! brilliant! Now,
twothree things:1. now that you’ve made one block, it’ll get easier and quicker from here on in.
2. your block is divine!!!!! I wondered which fabrics you’d start with. It’s really gorgeous! Well done!
3. They say size doesn’t matter 😉
Dear Helene,
I finally found time to go to Melb.and start my stash of Liberty fabrics to begin the quilt along. I went a bit overboard but they are all so gorgeous and on sale.Can’t wait to start and play with them.Will keep you updated
Marg
Hey Marg, fabulous! Glad to have you join us, and I can’t wait to see which fabrics you chose! Where did you find them on sale? I’m finding I’m at the pointy end of my stash, and they don’t match up so well, so you know what that means, right!
Hi Helene
Made my first block last night,When I figure out how to post it on my Flicker account I will.
Clegs have Liberty at $9 a metre off and Tessuti have it at 10% off.There is a new range due in soon but that will be at the normal price.I found it hard to resist buying more.
Marg
Oh how fantastic! Flickr’s pretty simple. Right at the bottom of your Flickr home page you’ll see a link to upload your images. Then, once you’ve done that, make sure you join the Liberty Stars Quilt-along group, and then you’ll see right under the group name, and directly next to “Group Pool” it says “add something”. Click on that and you can navigate to your photo and add it. Hope these instructions are clear. Let me know if you still have any trouble with it. Can’t wait to see your block! And can’t wait to see the new Libertys in real life. I’ve drooled heaps over them on the Liberty website. They look amazing!