Hi there! Konda Luckau from Moose on the Porch Quilts here. I have loved playing around with honeycombs! I have a tumbling block quilt from my grandmother that I love. I have wanted to make one for a very long time. These Honeycombs finally make this quilt easy, and fun, to make! I have a new technique for piecing these blocks by machine – including being able to chain piece the blocks. I have a new book coming out this Spring full of projects using this new technique. Give it a try. You just may like it!
1 25th & Pine Honeycomb
1 1/4 yards White Bella Solid
2/3 yard Honky Tonk Red Plaid
1 1/4 yards Backing
Plastic Hexagon Template from Honeycomb
Cutting Instructions:
1. Take the plastic hexagon template from the honeycomb. Cut it as shown below.
Sewing Instructions:
6. Reorganize the diamonds into three stacks according to color.
7. Now for the magic! This is the trick to piecing y-seams on a sewing machine. The difference between my method and traditional machine piecing techniques is that my method can be chain pieced! Chain piecing means it is a lot faster and less thread waste. Refer to the picture below.
a. Start the seam 1/4″ down from the corner.
b. Sew 1/4″ into the diamond parallel to the top edge of the diamond.
c. Sew down the right edge of the diamond with a 1/4″ seam.
d. Stop 1/4″ from bottom edge.
e. Sew to the right edge parallel to the bottom edge.
f. Now it is ready for the next piece!
8. Seams will be pressed clockwise.
9. The bottom diamond is sewed on one seam at a time. Using the same method as above, matching diamond points, sew the right seam.
10. This is what it looks like opened up.
11. Fold hexagon in half matching points and sew the last seam as shown below.
12. Press the seams clockwise opening up the center of the seam allowances into a bitty hexagon.
13. With those three seams, one tumbling block is created! Repeat to make 38 tumbling blocks.
14. Lay out the center of the quilt as shown below.
15. Using the same machine piecing technique as before, sew the tumbling blocks into rows.
16. Again, using the same machine piecing technique as before, sew the rows together.
17. Trim the left and right sides even. Trim the top and bottom 1/4″ outside of the points. The quilt should now measure about 26″ x 27″. Your measurements may differ slightly because of the many bias edges. Press carefully.
Konda Luckau
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