One-of-a-Kind Hexagon Blocks
Posted by Karla Menaugh on Mar 10th 2021
“So, when are you going to make a One-Block Wonder quilt?” Maxine Rosenthal, the queen of OBWs, challenged me during one of our phone calls. I edited her last book too (OBW book #4 from C&T, One-Block Wonders of the World with Linda Bardes), and she thinks I should be trying out the techniques. I think there’s probably never been a better time to start.
The One-Block Wonder quilt has a large, loyal fanbase, and for good reason. The cutting and stitching technique is fairly simple, but produces art quilts that offer many opportunities to play with color and design. Many quiltmakers find that they can’t stop making them.
Ride a Painted Pony II, made by Nancy Miller
In One-Block Wonder Panel Quilts, Maxine collaborates with fellow quilter Nancy Miller to share ideas for making One-Block Wonder quilts from preprinted fabric panels. If you have admired these quilts but, like me, haven’t started one of your own, this may be the time. What better excuse to buy 7 repeats of an interesting preprinted panel?
Women in a Boat, made by Maxine Rosenthal
Stack 6 of the panels, aligning the repeats in the design, then cut strips and subcut 60 triangles. You will end up with sets of 6 matching triangles; sew them together in threes to make a pair of half-hexagons from each set.
The magic comes when you arrange the hexagons—there are any number of possible designs, and no two quilts look alike even if you choose the same fabric as another quilter. Put the seventh panel right on the front of the quilt, arranging the colors and designs of the hexagons around it to complement and emphasize the strongest parts of the panel artwork.
Great Blue Heron, made by Barbara Brummond, from the panel Water Garden by Ira Kennedy for Northcott
Tranquility at the Pond, made by Charlotte R. Freeman, made from the same Water Garden panel
Maxine and Nancy will teach you how to experiment with block placement until you produce a design that you like. They also give you some tips for choosing panels that make the best hexagons, and how to easily integrate extra partial hexagons and triangles into the quilt panel. Because you sewed the triangles into half-hexagons, not full hexagons, you can sew the quilt together in straight rows (and maybe a little appliqué here and there if you want to add some extra touches).
Maxine says playing with the kaleidoscope-like hexagons has been exactly what she needs—a reason to buy more fabric, to enjoy all that she has, and to get up every day. She and Nancy also include a gallery of One-Block Wonder panel quilts made by other quilters, with lots of inspiration!
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