Hexagon Quilt Calculator
Hexagons are named by the length of one side. Enter that and the quilt size you want: you get the number of hexagons, their measurements, and the fabric to cut them from.
Hexagon Quilt Calculator
Hexagons are sized by the length of one side. Enter that, the quilt size you want, and your seam allowance to get the number of hexagons, the flat-to-flat size, and the fabric to cut them from.
Formula: flat-to-flat = √3 × side; point-to-point = 2 × side; columns = width ÷ flat-to-flat; rows = (length − ½ side) ÷ (1.5 × side)
Results
Hexagons Needed
553
20 across × 27 rows — about 79 seven-hexagon rosettes.
- Finished Quilt Size
- 52" × 61½"
- 132 × 156 cm
- Hexagon Size
- 2.60" flat to flat
- 3" point to point.
- Cut Each Hexagon From
- 3⅜" × 3¾"
- 11 per width-of-fabric strip.
- Total Fabric
- 5 ⅜ yd (5 m)
- Across all prints. Fussy cutting a motif can double it.
- Paper Templates
- 553
- One per hexagon for English paper piecing (reusable once removed).
English paper piecing usually uses a ⅜" seam allowance around the paper template; machine-pieced hexagons use ¼". Hexagons are counted so both edges can be trimmed straight.
Turn a photo into a real pattern
Upload a photo or drawing and get an embroidery pattern for a centre hexagon or a quilt label.
Open Embroidery GeneratorHexagon Size Chart
Finished measurements, and the rectangle to cut each hexagon from with a ⅜" allowance for English paper piecing.
| Side | Flat to flat | Point to point | Cut fabric |
|---|---|---|---|
| ½" | 0.87" | 1" | 1⅝" × 1¾" |
| ¾" | 1.30" | 1½" | 2⅛" × 2¼" |
| 1" | 1.73" | 2" | 2½" × 2¾" |
| 1¼" | 2.17" | 2½" | 3" × 3¼" |
| 1½" | 2.60" | 3" | 3⅜" × 3¾" |
| 2" | 3.46" | 4" | 4¼" × 4¾" |
| 2½" | 4.33" | 5" | 5⅛" × 5¾" |
| 3" | 5.20" | 6" | 6" × 6¾" |
How Hexagon Quilt Math Works
A regular hexagon with side s measures 2 × s from point to point and √3 × s (about 1.732 × s) from one flat side to the opposite one. A "1-inch hexagon" has 1" sides: 2" from point to point and 1.73" across the flats.
Set side by side with their flats touching, hexagons advance by the flat-to-flat width. Rows nest into each other, so each new row adds only 1.5 × s to the length. That is why a hexagon quilt needs more hexagons than a quick width × length estimate suggests.
Every other row is offset by half a hexagon. The calculator counts one extra hexagon in those rows so you can trim both side edges straight, and it rounds up so the quilt is at least the size you asked for.
English Paper Piecing or Machine?
English paper piecing (EPP) wraps fabric around a paper template and whip-stitches the edges together by hand. It is accurate for small hexagons and needs a ⅜" allowance to fold over the paper.
Machine-pieced hexagons use a ¼" allowance and Y-seams; they are faster for large hexagons (2" sides and up) but harder to set in accurately.
Hexagon Quilt FAQ
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