Last week I introduced you to a pattern by my friend Nancy Hinds called “Happy Hexagons!”. If you look closely at the hexagons she put in the quilt some could be fussy cut. What is fussy cut? When you feature an item, character, flower, word, etc. in a shape. Nancy used Hex-a-ma-jig Jr. for her quilt that was hanging in my booth in Paducah.

She had same samples of how the blocks go together using some fabric with Marvel characters. FUN! So off to a store that I knew carried similar fabric. Many of the license fabrics can be found at box stores. I wanted to be sure the characters would fit inside my Hexie shapes. So, I made a template of all three sizes of my Hex tools. Now I can see what size would work best! The template is below. I used card stock and carried it with me to the store in a plastic sleeve.

I found several options of the Marvel characters. Hmmmm, which to do???? See how I used my card stock template to see which would be the best size.

I have not decided which size I like best. It might be determined by how fast I want to make the quilt. A bigger shape will get done quicker! As I mentioned, Nancy used “Jr.”. This will have to go on the back burner as I have other promised quilts to finish first. But in saying that, this would make a great leader and ender project. I could get everything cut and then feed it in my machine between a MUST do project. Now, I like that idea!

I had words on fabric leftover from a guild challenge last year. I used Hex-a-Mini to focus on just a word or two at a time. As you can see, Hope was several time across the fabric. I like it with laugh underneath it better than what is shown in the template. Fussy cutting the words was fun.

#1 – Make yourself a template to test fabrics you want to fussy cut.

#2 – If you have a project with small seams, use it as a leaders and enders. I bet you will be HAPPY sewing them and you’ll get two projects done at once without much extra work.

(I realized I made a pun with the pattern name being “Happy Hexagons”….So, I went back and made it all caps in tip 2) I love a good unintentional pun!!

in quilting,

Debbie