Log Cabins the Hexagon Way!

Hexagon Log Cabin Block (yes, I got the date stamp wrong!)

My longtime quilting friend and former editor at Quilt Magazine (I worked for her for 14 years) has developed several new quilting rulers for Creative Grids. Jean Ann Wright has been quilting for a few decades and now has 3 trim tools that take the guesswork out of several awesome blocks. (I've been quilting for a few decades, too!)  One of them is called the Hexagon Trim Tool. It makes an 8" (high) log cabin block in the shape of a hexagon. And you know how much I love hexagons!

The beauty of this tool is that you don't have to cut the exact size strips. The ruler trims them for you after you've sewn an entire round of strips. I decided to make one this week to see if I could do it (what? are you kidding? this ruler is for everyone from beginner to advanced).

I decided to "square it up" so that I can join other blocks without using a y-seam. How did I do that?

You can use the Hexagon Trim Tool to cut the side 30 degree triangles

I typically stay with my tried-and-true 60 degree rulers to cut everything with a 60 degree angle: triangles, hexagons, half-hexagons, 30 degree triangles, and even 60 degree diamonds. I thought I would have to resort to cutting these "square 'em up" triangles with my large triangle ruler. Then I started to twist and turn the ruler and I got these:

Flip the ruler to make the second cut!

These are mirror images of each other.

Can we see the block again? Well, scroll back to the top of the page (just kidding):

These fabrics are from the Blank Quilting collection of blenders.

The fabrics are gorgeous and I hope to make several more of these blocks. I just needed one to take with me on the road to show my students. Stay tuned for more uses of this tool.

You can see other patterns for this and Jean Ann's other tools at her blog: Jean Ann Quilts