Has anyone else cut out an OBW and got 96 hexagons to put together and wonder why you did this. My daughter whom never has quilted cut it out Sunday and then left after visiting with me and the Hexagons?????? I figured I would put seven together maybe 4 days a week. I have 9 on design wall . OH my, what have I done. Suzanne

Pictures?

I have one now that is turning out soooo ugly I've named it the venus flytrap quilt! Sigh, it seemed like such a good choice of fabric at the time..LOL

What is OBW? I enjoy hexagons. I use english paper piecing.

One Block Wonder

With the OBW, you don't sew hexagons. They are all set out and then sewn in rows. You don't see the whole hexagon until you are finished. What you have now is more like Bethany Reynold's Stack and Whack.

The wonder of this quilt is that you can't picture what you have created until all the blocks are pieced. Don't get discouraged. Finish piecing the blocks.

I personally do not even look at the blocks until I finish piecing them. I then sort them into color piles, and then begin playing on the wall.

Look at some of the photos on the board.

Stay with it, your blocks are beautiful so far.

Hi Suzanne,

Keep going on with your project only sewing half of the hexgon together. If possible see if you can find the book, One-Block Wonder by Maxine Rosenthal from your local library. She has two other books that may also be of interest to you.

Check out several threads here on the QB with regards to this process along with two other similar quilt patterns.

As already indicate the true beauty of this process does not appear until you have the final layout decided upon and then sewn together.

The blocks look good so far, so continue on. Please keep us updated on your progress.

Pam M

I haven't begun my OBW "journey" yet...have the book, (very good I might add) read it cover to cover three times and understand the process (I think). Fabric is the next hurdle...and rigging up some kind of design wall (I usually use our bed! - which is not an option for this).

I really like your hexs...any chance of posting what the original fabric looks like?...are you using more than one? Forgive the questions...but when I get into doing something new I always have millions of questions!

I just found about 7 blocks i made some time ago. not sewn together yet, just halves. now, what to do with them....

I like how the blocks are coming along. Don't hit the panic button, yet. It is a work in progress. Have patience, patience, patience.

Don't be discouraged, they look fine!! You just need more of them. Keep going and you'll be surprised how well it all goes together. And yes, I agree, can we see the original fabric? Hang in there, I think you'll be glad you did.

And Ewecansew, OBW's are the ones made from Hexagons. It is the Stack and Whack that is different.

It doesn't take long to get them all together. They will be done before you know it.

But they are so stunning.

I don't care for these or the stack & whack...waste of time and fabric as far as I am concerned...never did see a finished one I cared for either...and the makers all complained about the left over waste of fabric...just not sure what the fascination is for these things...

...and you think it is really necessary to answer in such a cutting way? How offensive to those members who love the OBW and Stack and Whack. This message REALLY falls in the "if you have nothing nice to say...." category.

WOW! What a nasty tirade! I've read just about EVERY OBW post here on the QMB and I've never read any such thing. And having made numerous OBW's, I can tell you there is no waste with this block. Please, if you're just here to cause trouble, take it down the road, it's not welcome.

Thank you Martina and Gaigai
I am new here and really didn't know how to
repsond to that person's reply.

I'm with you ladies. All quilts are beautiful in their own way. If you don't like something, KEEP IT TO YOURSELF! No one here wants to hear their hard, and beautiful, work is being judged on such a negative level. Seriously - I gotta ask, why would you post that?

I have taught and or helped any number of people with their OBW. And I have yet to have anyone complain of the waste. Just the opposite. I have had a few that were not happy with the end result but that can happen with any quilt. I have done several myself as well with completely different looks on all of them ( I even did a landscape one) to each their own.

I really don't think this comment was warranted.

What one person likes, doesn't mean everyone likes it.
Like they say...if you don't have anything nice to say, then say nothing at all!

I'm not a huge fan of OBW either, but I'm amazed at how beautiful these quilts come out. There are a few OBWs that if I get the chance to get my paws on them, they might just disappear into my suitcase.

I say just ignore and move past that 1 comment out of several really nice comments.

Now, about your hexs...I think they are working up beautifully! The 1st one I did, I was really wondering about what I had gotten myself into..then the more I played with them, the more I liked it. Its really fun...just keep going! Your hexes look great and I bet the original fabric was gorgeous! Please keep showing what you are doing with them!

Come on, Terri!! Fess up!! You never met a quilt that you didn't want to disappear into your suitcase!! ROFLMAO!!!!!

Don't quit now! I am just begining with a OBW quilt. Have the strips together and lined up just need to start cutting and sew (so) on.

Go Girl!! We'll be here for you!

Take your time and follow your plan to sew a few at a time. As others have said, do not sew the halves of your hexagons together! You will find that the final joining of the lines goes quickly once you decide how they should be placed.
You may decide that there are certain hexagons that just don't go with what appears to me to be a primarily blue-green colourway. No rules here-- take them out and use them for something else (eg. applique them in a line to a strip of another fabric and make a table runner). If the resulting quilt is a bit smaller because of that, just add a complimentary border.

When you are arranging them on the design wall, make a pattern that you like, then leave it for a day or two. With a fresh look, you might see it in a different light. I agree with the quilters who said to make them all first, then start placing them on the design wall.

I think the hexagons that you have made so far are beautiful!

Yes I have! But, I've been nice enough to NOT say anything negative about it. And no...it wasn't one of yours lol

Do you have any of the original fabric you used? Would love to see the "before" and now we can see the "after".

she stated she had remorse...a lot of people who get talked into making these quilts do..sorry if you could not read my post as a FOLLOW UP to her statement!

I realize everyone likes different things...I replied to the REMORSE portion of this topic...if a person feels they did something they are not happy about, and they are looking for feel good comments, then don't say you have remorse..say you are not sure this is going to turn out like you thought it might...

I have seen many a people walk away from the OBW class feeling more than remorse over spending all that money on fabric that did not look good once it is was cut...

This might turn out just wonderful for YOU...but the process of these quilts don't look all that great until finished...some times one block will not tell you how the whole quilt will come together...

I am sorry everyone took my post as being nasty..it was my thoughts about why you might be feeling remorseful over having cut this quilt out...it was NOT a nasty comment about YOUR quilt!

I think your individual Hexagons on gorgeous!!!

BS

Maybe make posts about your experiences and not others.

First, let me say that we are all entitled to our opinions and this is a public forum.

However, The post was about cutters remorse. She has 96 blocks cut out that she estimates will take almost a month to put together. She did not say that she didn't like it. She did not say that she wasted any fabric. She was reflecting on the monumental task in front of her. She was receiving encouragement from others.

I also thought the comment was harsh since it was off topic. I'm not sure where you were that you saw so many quilters with remorse over their decision to make this quilt. While it isn't a quilt I will be trying in the near future, there are numerous quilters on this forum who have made them with wonderful results.

I don't know how to pick good fabric for this pattern...I want to make one but am afraid I will mess up...

There are a lot of quilters here that are willing to help you with it if you would like to try, there is a tute as well as many people willing to help out every step of the way if you want/need it.

Suzanne, here is a faster way to sew the triangles together:

Lay your six triangles out in the pattern you like best. (I spend more time looking at the different patterns than sewing! LOL)

Now, pick up two triangles and sew them together.

Without cutting them from the machine, pick up two more and sew them together. (Remember to keep the orientation of the triangles the same)

Leave the second one under your presser foot, and cut the back one off.

Sew the third triangle to the set of two you cut off the machine.

Now, the set of three is under your presser foot. Cut the back two off the machine and sew the last triangle to it.

Now do the same with the next set, then the next, etc.

It goes really fast that way, you should be able to do a good dozen in an hour or so, and best of all, the halves of each hex are connected by the chain thread, keeping them together.

Good luck. It shouldn't take more than a couple of "sittings" for you to get all 96 sewn. Absolutely not any longer than it would take to sew the blocks for a conventional quilt.

That does sound faster. Now if I could just find the perfect fabric.

I know how easy it is to be misunderstood. So I hope no one will be offended by what I have to say here. I noticed that several people seemed to react very strongly to the comment quoted above. When I read it (and I do not think I am better than anyone else!) I just viewed it as a personal opinion. I was quite surprised to see the responses it got. Responses that did strike me as rather harsh. I joined this board last year and think it is a great place. I have never noticed the person quoted above (and I do not know her or have had any contact with her on any occasion) to be unkind. Perhaps her wording could have been a little different, but then again I guess this could be a lesson worth learning. I think it may apply to me.
So . . . Happy quilting and blessings to all.

PS I have a friend who did a OBW and laid it out on a flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth. It took her forever, but turned out fantastic. At the same time I bought fabric and books to do one and chickened out! Maybe someday, but not then and not yet!

I was really enthused to sew an OBW & bought what I thought was gorgeous fabric. After cutting all the pie shapes, I started putting together on the design wall, blah! There just wasn't enough contrast or pattern for this project. A real learning experience. I still want to make one.

Axiom: Keep your words sweet, you never know when you may have to eat them!

My reference was that in Stack and Whack, you sew the block together as one whole block, not half blocks. I do think the above OBW will look great, but will be a lot of work with inset seams if all the hexagons are sewn together first.

can we see it? sometimes it is hard to see what you have until it is finished.