Fussy Cut Hexagons

Pyracantha Quilt Top

42" x 48"

Barbara Brackman

I finished this hexagon top in time to quilt it while the pyracantha berries are

providing autumn color.

I fussy-cut the prints in my Moda reproduction collection

called Morris Modernized: CFA Voysey.

And rotated then around some solid colors.

Pyracantha is also the name of this print from the group.

Charles Voysey named it Grategus in 1901. Another spelling for the Latin name is Crataegus. Common names for the plant include pyracantha, hawthorn, hawberry or thornapple.

In this colorway you get an idea of what Voysey saw in the way

of hawthorn berries.

I used paper hexagon templates with 1-1/2" sides.

I cut 6 identical rectangles from the prints. I tried using a see-through plastic template for placement but it really didn't do me much good. The secret is to cut identical rectangles and then glue the hexagons with a dab of glue stick in exactly the same spot on all six.

I glued the edges over without trimming the fabric

and whip-stitched the hexagons together.

I trimmed the fabric flaps later after I took out the paper.

I added the solid colors between the rosettes as

it grew.

Most of the dark colors are from my Civil War Jubilee collection

which has some very dark prints. I used the front of those prints

and the reverse for two different shades.

It's always a problem to fit the hexagon format into a 90 degree angle. I just cut some dark print strips and appliqued the outer hexagons to them for a border.

This works better than other schemes I've tried.

To my surprise it came out as a rectangle and not a square. I trimmed it fairly close,

I'm hand quilting around each hexagon now.

See the Morris Modernized collection here:

http://www.unitednotions.com/fcc_morris-modernized.pdf

I came across this tutorial on hexagons and was

pleased to see that wiggle print

is one of Terry Thompson's and mine from the long-ago

Lewis and Clark collection for Moda.

See the tutorial here at Luann's Loose Threads:

http://luannsloosethreads.blogspot.com/2013/08/gluing-and-sewing-hexagons.html

Moda packages pre-cut hexagons. Many of the collections are cut into "Honeycombs"---6" Hexagons. They offer a lot of Bella Solids packages too. See a Bakeshop recipe here:

http://www.modabakeshop.com/2013/11/hallies-hexi-stars.html