I’m calling this the Hearth & Hive Quilt. It has such a cozy, winter-time farm house feel and the hexagon shape brings to mind our bee friends! This may be my new favorite technique, too–it’s easy, a great use for scraps, and you end up with a super comfy quilt! I love how squishy this quilt is. You could make it extra big for use as a comforter–or make a smaller one for a pillow top. It’s just so versatile!
Materials
To create this lovely quilt, you’ll need:
- Fabric for the top (just about anything you like; I used scraps from my studio)
- Fabric for the bottom of the hexagons; this will be something you don’t see anyway, so you can use plain or even ugly non-stretch fabric
- Fabric for the backing; I used a large piece of forest green flannel
- Thread
- Cotton muslin for the ruffle (optional)
- Fiber fill/Stuffing
- Template (download below!)
Instructions
You can choose your own size of hexagon, but I’m including a free printable template here. You can choose different shapes or configurations for this project (examples below) and keep adding until you’re happy with the size.
Quilt body
- Print or create your templates.
- Cut out enough pieces to make your quilt; for each hexagon, you’ll need one plain/bottom piece, and one top/decorative piece.
- Gather the edge of the larger/top piece with a basting stitch, so that the edge length matches that of the bottom piece.
- With the fancy side up, baste the top and bottom hexagons together, leaving one side open for the stuffing
- Stuff very lightly (you do not need to fill this full like a plush doll or pillow!)
- Once you’ve stuffed your block, you can stitch the open edge shut, or simply pin it to your next block, right sides together, and sew together. I used a 3/8″ seam allowance.
Continue making your blocks and piecing them together until you’re happy with the shape and size of your quilt.
Ruffle
If you want ruffles, muslin strips about 3″ wide; piece together using a flat fell seam. To determine how long your ruffle needs to be, measure all around the circumference of your quilt; you do not need to measure every zigzag point, but simply measure across the edge (see illustration).
Then, multiply that measurement by 3 or 4, depending on how ruffly you want your ruffle.
Hem your ruffle, except for the first and last few inches of your ruffle. With the right sides together, begin stitching your ruffle around your quilt top. When you come to the end, attach your ruffle ends using a flat fell seam, and hem the rest of your ruffle.
Backing
To sew on your backing, lay your backing piece of fabric right side up on a flat surface, making sure to smooth out any wrinkles.
Now, lay your top piece on the backing, with the right side down, so that the right sides of the backing and the quilt top are touching. Pin all around; I would recommend using safety pins so that none fall out while you’re working.
Once it’s pinned down, cut around so the edges of the backing and quilt top match. Now you can stitch around the edge with a 1/2″ seam allowance, leaving an opening of 8″ to 12″.
Turn your quilt right side out and press the edges; stitch the hole closed with a ladder stitch, and take your quilt down in several spots so that the back and front do not shift.
