Since Hexagons are all the rage lately, I thought it would be fun to cover cutting them out. I don’t mean putting the fabric down, lining up the ruler and off you go to make some squares that will then be cut to the shape of the hexagon using the template.
No, today we will not take the easy road {which is what I totally choose all the time}. Let’s pretend that we have this fantastic print fabric and we would love to give it some extra little love by showing off the print.
I have this weird kind of fabric that I have been hanging on to for some time now. Black background with super bright colors for the print. Little girls, boys….and a pig. The little scenes are really kind of fun when they can be showcased. The only way that they will stand out is to be fussy cut. Besides the vintage, kind of fun in a weird fabric I had a white print with large black silhouettes.
How to use printable quilt templates to fussy cut your fabric
For the examples in the pictures I was using the 5″ hexagon template. The fabric I had showed large scenes, so this size really was perfect for them.
Step 1) Print off template that you are using
Step 2) Cut the template out 1/2″ past the outside line
Step 3) Cut on the drawn line and remove the center
Step 4) Play with placement of the template on your fabric until you are happy and cut out using the outside edge as your guide to cut
Step 5) Remember that your seams will be a bit large because the template window was cut 1/2″ larger than the actual shape. After you have fussy cut the fabric, you will need to place the correct size template inside the cut out before you sew {this will help keep the shape, and it’s really how you sew english paper piece style}. You can trip the large seam at this point if you’d like.
Here are a few hints/tricks given by you that I thought I would share… {from the facebook page}
Lori said: I take a square ruler and put masking tape on the finished length and width on the left and bottom side and the 1/4″ mark on the top and right side. I can then frame the part I want to show, cut 2 sides, flip it and cut the other 2 sides. That way I never end up with something I wanted in the block lost in the seam allowance.
Liz and Paulette say: I cut a template out of cardboard, then cut the middle out and cover with plastic sheeting (like document protector) thatI have marked with cross-hair for the center.
Tanya said: Freezer paper. Make a window of your shape or hole in a sheet of the FP. Find the place you wanna showcase then iron a FP template over the hole.
Can you see the interlacing ‘thread’? {totally couldn’t help myself there}…. yes. It’s all about making a template!
Whatever the template you choose, or method for making the window, fussy cutting can be fun to show case that super cute print you love, but have been afraid of cutting up!
Need some templates? You will find a few free hexagon templates to download here.
Do you have a favorite method for fussy cutting? I’d love to hear!

Becky Jorgensen is the creative quilter behind Patchwork Posse, the Patchwork Planner and her online quilt group Patchworkers Plus. You can find her patterns in books, magazines, and her quilt membership. Gather your quilting supplies, organize your sewing space, explore the process of disappearing quilt blocks, or finish a free quilt pattern. I'll help you use what you have, finish what you start and make your quilting journey fun!
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I’m newly hooked on English paper piecing hexies. I’m planning to try fussy cutting for my next project. (I recently bought a bunch of different sea life fabric and I can’t wait to see how it will look made into fussy cut hexies!) I’ve noticed that everyone has their own unique method for cutting and sewing hexagons. The one that I have adopted is to hand baste the hexagons on the back only, so the stitches don’t have to removed later. I just tack the corners down without going through the paper. I tried the glue stick method, but found it a bit sticky and a little tricky to get the glue unstuck later, and it wasn’t for me. I whipstitch them with 3 strands of embroidery floss, that way I can match the thread color exactly and the stitches become nearly invisible. I’ve never heard of anyone else using embroidery floss, but it works, and looks great!