Open Hexagons in the studio. The form on this page is that calculator.
Why hexagon papers are sold by the side
English paper piecing uses a paper the finished size of the hexagon, and fabric larger by a seam allowance on every side. Papers are sold by the side length. A one-inch hexagon has sides of one inch. Patterns sometimes name the height instead, the flat-to-flat measurement. If yours does, divide that height by about 1.73 before you type it here, or compare it with the flat-to-flat number on the card until they match.
A 3/8 inch seam is the usual allowance, because you need something to fold over the paper. A 1/4 inch seam is tight but possible. The English paper piecing pages cover designing with hexagons. This page is the cut.
How the fabric hexagon is calculated
- Flat to flat = side × √3, about 1.73 × the side
- Point to point = side × 2
- Fabric, flat to flat = finished height + two seam allowances. With a 3/8 inch seam, that is the height plus 3/4 inch.
The seam is added straight out from each edge, which is how the paper sits inside the fabric, not along the side. The yardage lays hexagons side by side in a strip. They can nest, and nesting saves fabric, so this count is cautious. If you nest carefully you may have a few left over. That is the right direction to be wrong.
Hexagon sizes with a 3/8 inch seam
Flat-to-flat numbers are the finished height. Fabric flat is the strip you cut. The card prints the exact decimal. These are the sizes quilters shop for.
| Paper side | Finished, flat to flat | Point to point | Fabric strip, about |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 in | about 7/8 in | 1 in | 1 5/8 in |
| 1 in | about 1 3/4 in | 2 in | 2 1/2 in |
| 1 1/2 in | about 2 5/8 in | 3 in | 3 3/8 in |
| 2 in | about 3 1/2 in | 4 in | 4 1/4 in |
How to use this calculator
- Enter the side of the paper, the number on the packet.
- Leave the seam at 3/8 inch unless your papers came with a different instruction.
- Enter how many hexagons you need and the fabric width. The card gives the strip height and a cautious count across the cloth.
- Cut strips at the fabric flat-to-flat size, then cut hexagons from the strips, or trace the paper and add the seam by eye if you are cutting one at a time.
Tips for English paper piecing
- Baste with the paper inside and keep the seam allowance even, or the seams will not meet when you whipstitch.
- A one-inch hexagon is a small piece. Grandmother's Flower Garden often uses that size or a half inch. Larger sides finish faster and read as a different quilt.
- Glue or thread baste, then remove the papers after the patchwork around each hexagon is complete, unless you are leaving them in a small piece.
When the piece is part of a whole quilt. Hexagon layouts are a design problem and a cutting problem. This page is the cutting. The fabric calculator counts every piece in a design, then adds binding, backing, and batting. These pages answer one question at a time.