Hexagon Quilting Patterns Create Unique Designs

Most quilters agree that hexagon quilting patterns are one of the oldest and easiest to make, not including squares and circles. But many complain that it requires too much time to cut out all the material pieces. While hexagon quilting patterns can be labor intensive and time consuming, here are a couple of tricks that can help to speed up the process.

Once you have decided on the size of your quilt and the size of the border it will have, and then measure how wide an area will be made up of the hexagon quilting patterns. Whatever that width is, divide by the size of the hexagon being used and round to the nearest whole number. This is done to determine how many you need for the width. Then repeat the process for the length to find the total number you will need for the entire quilt.

Many of the hexagon quilting patterns by their simplicity appear more complicated to cut out. Basically they are a six-sided figure, so to begin with, cut a strip of cloth as wide as is needed for the size of the hexagon, plus the border. Now mark a line at the center of the cloth. This will be used as the guide for the exact center point of the design.

Time Saving Tip

Based on your pattern, mark the first hexagon and then, making sure you leave room for the border, continue along the length of the cloth until reaching the end, drawing more hexagons on the material. To make the job go faster, stack many pieces of fabric on top of each other. This way when you cut one from the hexagon quilting patterns, you can cut several at once saving a great deal of time.

If you stack eight layers of fabric, and fasten them securely together, you will be able to cut eight hexagons as once. Take care that the layers of fabric stay together or the shape of those on the bottom may vary from those on top. Most of the hexagon quilting patterns will include patterns for the triangles needed for your quilt, but those will already be cut out due to the shape of your hexagons.

Keep in mind that if you plan to create a two-sided or reversible quilt, you will be cutting double of everything. If you want the two sides to look alike, cutting from the hexagon quilting patterns can be accomplished by stacking still more layers together. Expert quilters agree that eight layers are the maximum. However, if you are just starting out with quilting, it’s probably advisable to cut no more than four layers at a time, cutting more often.

The majority of quilters much prefer regular designs on quilts which work to form a specific design that forms a pattern or picture. However, there are other free spirits who enjoy the free expression that comes with meandering quilting. Circles, curves and straight-line designs sewn into the fabric, without the aid of patterns or without even sketching the image first, are considered meandering quilting.

Essentially, stitching designs without the aid or benefit of any pattern is considered meandering quilting. Or it is know as stippling when it comes to smaller or more intricate work. While often executed by hand sewing, there are some quilters who use a machine for meandering quilting, and they present excellent results. Stitching designs into the quilt in a freehand fashion demonstrates the know-how as well as the imagination of the quilter.

Typically, designs made by meandering quilting will not cross over one another, whether it is in a floral design or circular design. It is possible that when including more than one color of thread to form the design, these different colors will not overlap. And when tracing only one color, it will not cross. Using fabrics cut into various shapes often makes the designs appear totally unique, with stitching holding them all together in a freehand design.

Meandering Quilting Controlled By Hands

Manual stitching for meandering quilting is regulated by the quilter to establish equally separated stitching, overall that does not touch. When using a machine, quilters may utilize a darning foot or other free-floating foot that does not hold the cloth down while it is being sewn. This allows the operator to control the movement and release of the fabric. The machine can also used with the feed dogs to permit the operator have complete control of the fabric’s movement.

Stitches ranging from a half-inch apart to as much as two inches apart, sewn by freehand are considered free-flow stitching, or meandering quilting. Stippling is smaller – closer to one quarter inch apart. With these methods, the quilter is able to accomplish amazing designs. However, realize that you are still sewing through all three layers of the quilt, the front, the back and the batting. With many meandering quilting techniques, the design can be replicated on the back or the back may contains a totally different design.

The type of fabric used is up to the discretion of the quilter, as is the padding. Cotton seems to be the most popular for use as the padding because it does not hold the warmth as much as artificial fibers. However, it is still capable of being crushed by hand or crimped when creating unique designs.