Hexagon One Block Wonder - My Latest Quilting Fixation

I learned about One Block Wonder quilts on Instagram. I was blown away by the first one I saw. If you ever need inspiration, just go to #oneblockwonder to see a wide variety of incredible quilts. Here are some reasons I love making these quilts (and some tips for making your own).

1. Every One Block Wonder quilt is totally unique. You start by taking a panel or other repeating design and carefully stacking six pieces on one another. There are several great techniques for effectively stacking discussed here. You then cut strips of 4-6" and use a 60 degree ruler to cut a series of triangles. I usually cut between 25-35 triangles for a throw sized quilt. Every triangle is different. And the way I lay out each triangle differs. That means that even if fifty people started with the same exact fabric, the resulting quilts would all look very different from one another. 

2.  The end result of the One Block Wonder process is really impressive, but the sewing process is actually pretty easy. You have to be very precise with the cutting, but once you start sewing, it goes by quickly and is mostly smooth-sailing. I start with my six triangle stacks and sew two triangles together, making sure they are lined up to have a common center. Then I add a third to each. I don't sew the two sets of three together. Each set of three is part of a row and after all sets of three are done, I lay them out in various configurations until I like the overall look. I then sew the sets of three together to make a row, and then sew each row together. This picture shows how each set of three lines up to create rows.

3. Finding the initial panels is a fun challenge. I am always on the look out for new fabrics that would make a nice hex quilt. I look for things with medium to high contrast, a nice color scheme, and distinct shapes. My first One Block Wonder quilt was made out of neon panels of Elvis. Since then, I've made them from a large floral, a black and neon galaxy, a strawberry design, and an octopus print.  When the prints are actual panels (which typically sell by the panel, not by the yard), I try to get seven total panels. You need six for the hexagons and then I try to integrate pieces of the whole with the seventh. This can add up, so look for sales on novelty fabrics and panels.

4. Integrating the full panel is another way to make the quilt your own. I like to use the full panel in a way that complements the hexagons instead of drawing attention away from the kaleidoscope effect. Often this means using borders and negative space to differentiate the panels from the hexagons. I especially like how this one turned out. The original panel was a large floral wreath. I put the hexagons in the middle and divided the seventh panel between the left and right borders. Other options include putting the full panel on the back or adding in smaller strips along the borders. I have also seen some on Instagram that put the full panel in the middle and layer the hexagons around it. I am always intrigued by this design, but haven't tried it yet.


5. Once the hexagons are all pieced, the quilting can go in many different directions. If I want to emphasize the individual hexagons, I quilt around the edges (see Elvis above), or machine stitch in the ditch (which I will do with the galaxy quilt). But, if I want to draw attention to the repeating design, I quilt around the most prominent features, like I did with the strawberries here.

6. My favorite thing about making One Block Wonder quilts is that the end result is always a surprise, even to me! The ways the shapes and colors come together is so exciting. As soon as I finish cutting, I start laying out hexagons to get a sense of the possibilities. In fact, as soon as I finish one hex quilt, I immediately start another because I love the magic of the new designs. I just finished up my strawberry quilt last night, so I then got to start dreaming about this one. It is from the octopus fabric above. Look at those awesome tentacles!

If you are interested in making a One Block Wonder quilt, I encourage you to go for it! Start with something small if you are intimidated. Potholders or placemats with this design are also really fun. Whatever you do, just remember that the time/effort investment is mostly in the stacking and cutting. Once you get that down, the rest is pretty easy.