Welcome February! Today I’m posting the Scrap Happy Sampler Block of the Month for February. But first, I hope you all enjoyed January’s Lone Star Block of the Month. I know those set in seams can be tricky so you might be happy to have that behind you!
February’s block is all about hexagons and english paper piecing. I think these hexagon flowers are so cute! Perfect for the ‘happy’ sampler!
I think you’ll find this method of piecing to be fun and portable! English paper piecing is a technique of basting fabric over a paper foundation to hold and support the fabric pieces while sewing them together. It’s done entirely by hand so you can give your machine a rest this month and sew ‘old school’.
The pattern calls for 28 hexagons and the templates are included in the pattern for you to print and cut yourself. I cut mine using my silhouette cameo!
cutting hexagon templates
perfect hexagons!
It’s very important to have your hexagons cut accurate so they piece together perfectly! I’ve cut 3 extra sets of hexagons to GIVE AWAY! If you would like to win a set, leave a comment below just telling me if you have experience with paper piecing or if this is your first time trying it! I will choose 3 random winners February 3rd and get them in the mail right away! (US residents only please)
Find the complete pattern in my shop.
One of the tools that I used to cut my fabric hexagon pieces is an ‘add a quarter’ ruler. This is an optional tool but we will use it again in another paper piecing BOM coming up this year. It will again be optional but it’s a nice tool to have. If you have one that is ‘add a half’ that will work just fine too! What makes this ruler unique is that there is a little ‘lip’ on the underside of the ruler that rests right up against the paper, giving you an accurate cut. You should be able to find these rulers at your local quilt shop or you can find them here at amazon CM Designs Add-A-Quarter Ruler-6″ Yellow
add a quarter ruler
If you’re following along, you will notice that February’s ‘Block’ is actually 2 half-blocks. Not all months will be an actual ‘block’. We will get to placement and design of the quilt top later this year but I think you’ll like the non-traditional look of the completed top! Also, if you’re paying close attention you might notice that my background fabrics are different. I chose to make my background a little scrappy too – using up my white/cream/beige color larger scraps. Anything goes!
This block is also great for fussy cutting fabric if there are words like ‘honey bunch’ or a design in the fabric you want to feature.
fussy cut hello kitty
It’s also fun for an i spy quilt for the kids – just a thought! I added in a little hello kitty hexagon to my block, a remnant to remind me of my kids when they were smaller. And of course I had to use a valentine fabric scrap of hearts – because it is a February block after all!
Find the complete Scrap Happy Sampler pattern in my shop.
This block is perfect for me this month! I’m house/doggy sitting for a week and didn’t want to lug my sewing machine/notions around everywhere. :) I’ve also never tried hexagons or this particular method of paper piecing so I’m super excited to get started!
Hi! I just got my fabric in the mail! A bunch of fun brights and I’m excited to get going! I did my first paper pieced block last month and really enjoyed it so I’m looking forward to some hexi’s!
Hi! Thank you for the free patterns and instructions. I hand-pieced a queen sized quilt top using over 2600 hexagons. It is finally ready for layering with batting and backing. I did not know about paper piecing and tediously drew all the sewing lines around each piece. I am excited to learn the paper piecing method. Anything to make the process a little easier is a very good thing!
Darcie, Linda and Maureen –
Thanks so much for commenting. I’m happy to mail you a complete set of pre-cut hexigons! I’ll contact you for your address.
Sherri :o)
VERY cute block! This is my first time trying this method. Hexagons are intimidating to me. I am afraid I will not cut them out correctly or the same size.
Laura,
They are not as hard as they look – try to be as precise as possible cutting the paper templates. That will ensure you better results.
Hi Sherri. I received the hexi’s today. The bonus fabric scraps are wonderful and I will use every one. I LOVE surprises in the mail. Thank you so much!!
What kind of paper is best to use for the hexi’s? thanks!
Hi Linda, I used 65lb paper. You can use regular copy paper (20lb)but you have to be careful with your points because paper can be a little flimsy. Anything between 20lb – 65lb would work. I don’t use anything more than 65lb since it’s more difficult to get the paper template out after stitching if it’s too rigid.