Lazy "I Spy" Hexagons

A few things from my "I want to try" list have (for a while now) included:

1. Some larger-than-1"-hexagons with novelty print fabric from my stash 
2. An "I Spy" quilt of some sort, using 2 (not just 1) of each print to make it a matching game 
3. There are about 50 more things on my real list, but only those 2 matter for this post :-)

Over the holidays I purchased this hexagon ruler / template (with a 50% of coupon, of course), to be used "someday" with item #1 on the list above:

Yesterday I saw the cutest hexagon pillow over on Heidi's blog (Fabric Mutt) and knew I had to try a version of it.  (Go take a look at hers, I'll wait!)

I decided to try something similar to make a Valentine's Day gift for my younger daughter, incorporating the 2 things I listed above.  Here's what (I hope) mine will look like and it will (hopefully) somehow end up as a quilt:

My hexagons will be 5.5" tall (top to bottom).  They'll measure 3.25" on a diagonal side.  I'm not positive the dimensions at the bottom of this pattern are correct... my math has been known to fool me before, but good enough for now!

I didn't have any paper hexagons big enough (I only have 1" shapes) so I decided to try something else, to see if I could make them without the individual paper templates.  This might be a real thing with a real name, but I call mine "Lazy Hexagons." 

First, I traced the hexagon onto a piece of thin cardboard and cut it out.  (This piece came in a calendar, but you could use anything that does not have plastic coating on it.  Thin is best, you don't want corrugated or anything too thick.  You could probably use card stock.

Next, I laid my template on a piece of fabric (fabric right side down) and very unscientifically cut out around the shape, leaving about 1" on each flat side. 

One at a time, I folded over a side and pressed it down, with the cardboard as my guide.  I worked my way around the entire piece.

Here's how it looks once all sides are pressed in.

I carefully removed the cardboard and gave the back another good press.

Flipped it over and gave another good press to the front.

My little one just adores monkeys.  Aren't these little guys sweet?

Repeated the steps above for a second monkey hexagon.

And then a pair of pretty princesses.

I pulled more fabric from my stash for the rest of the hexies.  I mis-counted and I'm 1 fabric short in this photo (lots more to choose from in my stash, though).  I'm going to wait until all of these are made, lay them out and see if any color seems under-represented before deciding what the final fabric (pair of hexies) will be.

For the directional or larger prints, I plan to use the clear acrylic template to center the design before trimming the fabrics, to make sure I don''t end up with a headless princess or a crooked penguin. 

Once these are done, I'll sew them together (traditional method) and applique them to a background fabric. I have a few ideas for borders, but one thing at a time!

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~