Half Hexagon Week, Day 2

Yes, I am back and I have some more quilt ideas using half-hexagons. This was first published (by me) in 1998 in Quilt Magazine as a "how-to" (tutorial). I hadn't actually made a quilt, just shared the concept. Then I put my fabric to the test and made my first half-hexagon braid quilt. Here it is:

Half-Hexagon Braid Quilt: 33" x 49"

This is very different than the traditional French Braid quilt where you stitch rectangles in a vertical row and then slice off the sides to get (hopefully) straight sides to a vertical row. Not always easy; a lot of fabric waste; and a lot of hoping and praying!

This was a popular workshop for me in 2011-2013, and I still get requests for it from time to time. You first cut your half hexagons from 3" strips (because that's the size of template I had designed). (This is an image from long ago; my 10 page pattern WITH 3" template sells for $14 and FREE shipping in the USA).

I also sell the same pattern with a 2-1/2" template.

I had a comment yesterday which was a very good question about getting the half-hexagons to align properly. Here is my answer and a photo:

Question: How do you get your half-hexagons to line up together?

Answer: To answer your question (a VERY good one), I use the tip of my 60 degree triangle ruler (as shown here).

Trimming tips of my half-hexagon patches

Then, they align perfectly with the edge of the one you’re stitching it to. I stack several and trim them together.

I do NOT have my half-hexagon templates made with the tips off. There are too many cutting mistakes made where you 

will cut into the next patch when you try to trim them as you cut (as Missouri Star lady does all the time).

I have just listed this 8-1/2" ruler at my Etsy shop. Go see all the patches you can cut with it (including the half-hexagon). It comes with a free pattern!

Let's revisit that Twisted Hexagon block from last week. Now that I've trimmed the little tips off the half-hexagons, they align perfectly with my patches.

Half-Hexagons trimmed

Lined up PERFECTLY! None of those little triangles that overhang the edges that you can get wrong just a little bit, right?

Half-Hexagon sewn to the center hexagon

And when this patch is pressed, it creates a perfect edge.

Pressed and everything's even

Here is that lovely group of half-hexagon  fabrics (as I showed last week). Yes, I didn't trim these and I wish I had! Sometimes I'm in such a hurry, but I can eyeball 1/4" triangle overhang from a galloping horse!

Half hexagon fabric patches

Here's the quilt I made with the leftovers from that Cardinal banner I shared last week. This uses the 3" acrylic template to cut the half hexagons. No y-seams. No trimming. The sides of the rows are formed by the short sides of the half-hexagons. Can you see it? You can make the same thing using the 2-1/2" template (perfect for jelly rolls).

Festive Season Half-Hexagon quilt: 50" x 50"

Here is an older workshop sample I made with some other border fabric.

Half hexagon quilt with another border panel

The pattern also includes the instructions for this second quilt (which was published in another magazine in 2011). It uses 2-1/2" strips and I've included the paper template for that. BUT, I also include how to cut ANY SIZE half-hexagon using a standard 60 degree triangle ruler!

Half-Hexagon Braid quilt using 2-1/2" strips

Check out the patterns in my Etsy shop:

• Half Hexagon Braid Quilt with 2-1/2" acrylic template (perfect for jelly rolls)
• Half Hexagon Braid Quilt with 3" acrylic template
• 8-1/2" multi-sized 60 degree triangle ruler
• Half Hexagon Braid Quilt - digital with full size templates

And then come back tomorrow to see even more quilts and projects made with this fun unit!