Cherish Quilt - Comparing the 6" Block vs 8" Block Versions

The beautiful Cherish quilt comes in a choice of 2 sizes - a quilt made of 6" finished blocks, and one made from 8" blocks. Wondering which size is the best fit for you? I've made this handy comparison guide to help you decide!

cherish quilt comparison
large cherish quilt details
small cherish quilt details

Choosing Which Cherish Quilt to Make

Having options can be fun! We get to choose which quilt we'd prefer to make, and which block will look better with our fabric. I'm also the first to admit though, that sometimes having choices stops me from choosing at all! So today I want to lay out the two Cherish Quilt options, side by side, to make choosing between them super easy.


And after this if you're still not sure? Don't forget that both Cherish quilts are beautiful, both are fun, both make lovely use of your treasured fabric!

4" hexagon in hand
3" hexagon in hand

Choose the Size Based on Your Fabric

If you're coming to your Cherish Quilt with fabrics already chosen, you can easily test the centre hexagon against the prints you want to use by cutting a hexagon window. We've created a couple of printable templates that you can cut out and test! Simply hit the button below, enter your email, and I'll send them to you. Then print them out and cut out the inside of the shapes. Place it over the fabric you want to use, and if relevant, decide if you want to keep the motif completely inside the hexagon, like my navy 4" hexagon above, or if you like the look of the print going off the edge, like the mustard print above in the 3" hexagon. 

The remaining shapes in the block create borders around the centre hexagon, so you'll want to pick out basics and solids to create contrast between the centre and the borders. As a general rule of thumb, the smaller the shape, the less busy the fabric should be, so the slightly bigger 2" border shapes in the larger block will give you some extra room for fabric choices.


For additional help with choosing fabric for EPP, I've written a blog post all about it here.


In the whispy floral blocks below, Lucy used Sharon Holland's big florals as her starting point, and chose the large block size to go with them. In the scrappy version, I decided first that I wanted to make a 6" block version, and chose favourites from my stash that would suit the 3" hexagon centre. 

floral cherish blocks
scrappy RSS cherish blocks

How much fabric will I need for each version?

Fabric needed for the Cherish blocks will depend a lot on whether you fussy cut or use strip cutting for your shapes. If you're buying a collection, and strip cutting (i.e. NOT fussy cutting) you need the following:


6" Block Fabric Requirements:

  • Blocks - you could use 36 fat quarters (approximately 9 yards) for this quilt. If fussy cutting, buy half yards to get more repeats in the cut.*
  • Binding - 1/2 yard
  • Backing - 4 1/2 yards
  • Wadding/Batting - 78" x 81"

8" Block Fabric Requirements:

  • Blocks - you could use 30 fat quarters (approximately 7 1/2 yards) for this quilt. If fussy cutting, buy half yards to get more repeats in the cut.*
  • Binding - 1/2 yard
  • Backing - 4 1/2 yards
  • Wadding/Batting - 76" x 78"

*Note that the fabric bundles in the shop vary from about 4-6 yards of fabric total. If you want to make the whole quilt from a single bundle, you'll need to purchase two bundles. Alternatively, you can use the bundle as a starting point then add from stash. Please read each listing carefully to ensure you understand the size of each cut and the total yardage of each bundle before purchasing


Check out the diagrams below to see how to most efficiently cut your Cherish shapes from a 10" square! The fat 16th bundles in my shop are 10" x approx 11" so can be cut in the same manner. (A F16 is a quarter of a FQ and a FQ is a quarter of a yard. So, as it's name infers, you can get (16) 10" squares (AKA F16) from one yard.)

8" cherish shapes on 10" square
6" cherish shapes on 10" square
cherish block comparison

How long will each Cherish Quilt take?

When I'm stitching in a focussed manner and time myself, I stitch around 1" per minute. So for me, the 6" block takes around 90 minutes to sew (after basting) and the 8" block takes me almost 3 hours to sew (also after basting). 


While the larger blocks take almost double the time, there are twice as many 6" blocks to make than 8" blocks. 

  • In the 6" block version, there are 46 blocks, 22 half and edge blocks, and 7 rows
  • In the 8" block version, there are 23 blocks, 16 half and edge blocks, and 5 rows. 

My guess is that it takes a similar amount of time to sew all the components of both quilts, but sewing up the rows, and sewing the rows together will be much quicker for the 8" version. It may seem counter intuitive, but I love the little 'check!' buzz I get once finishing each block, and so find the 6" blocks more satisfying for this reason - I can finish a whole prepared 6" block in an evening, whereas an 8" block spills over into the next day. 


Don't forget that the way you approach your fabric choices will have a much bigger impact on how long your quilt takes. And also, it's not a race! You're allowed to take your time making a quilt you'll treasure forever. 

Small vs Large - How It Feels to Sew Cherish Quilt

How a quilt feels in my hands is usually a big deciding factor for me. After all, that's going to be a large part of my experience! I have small hands and I always find working with small pieces and blocks easier than larger pieces. 


In the photo below, I'm holding a small Cherish Quilt block and stitching the border rounds to the centre. I've had to fold the border unit up a little so that it fits in the crevice of my hand. The large Cherish blocks are BIG! And I find I need to wrangle and squash them a bit more. So for me, while the large block quilt might come together quicker, I enjoy stitching the small blocks more.


how to match sides in cherish blocks
how to match sides in cherish blocks

The Overall Effect - Which Cherish repeat do you like best?

The final thing to weigh up is the overall effect of the pattern in big and small. The 6" block Cherish Quilt fits more of the pattern repeat in a similar space. In many cases, I prefer the look of the finished quilt when there are more, smaller blocks in it because I like the movement created by the greater variation in print and value. But, if you find yourself drawn to quilts with big, dramatic blocks, choose the larger.


small Cherish quilt mockup
large Cherish quilt mockup

Make your Cherish Quilt decision with confidence!

I hope that helps you make a confident decision about which Cherish Quilt to make. After all of this info, if you're still uncertain, use the coin toss trick! Toss a coin and let it choose. If you're happy with the outcome, go with that. If you're not, you'll know that you were actually leaning more towards the other in the first place. ;D


And remember that no matter which size you choose, Cherish Quilt is for slowing down, tuning into the colours and prints you're using, and carving out space for more joy and creative time.  


Hit the button below to buy everything you need for your Cherish quilt now!


9 comments


  • Tales of Cloth

    Hi LDP,

    Thanks so much for your comment! We’ve updated the post to share some diagrams as well as to include the fabric requirements. The rest of your inquiries will be addressed in future blog posts that will be coming out soon in the coming weeks as we prepare for the QAL so stay tuned!


  • ldp

    Quick question because some of us are spatially challenged. Could you show this? “[T]he shapes of the 6” version will fit in a fat 16th or layer cake (10" square). You can’t fit 12 half hexagons from the 8" version into these fabric cuts." Is it correct that you would not be fussy cutting these?

    Could you also discuss how you work with directional prints, including stripes, in this pattern? If you do. I see some prints that read as stripes that aren’t technically stripes.

    Thank you in advance for any added help.


  • Kimberly

    I’m happily piecing my way through the larger block option of Ice Cream Soda. I love highlighting fussy-cut fabrics in ALL of the patches … or not. I enjoy having the flexibility of making the smaller blocks, as they are included in the PDF file. I don’t think two options is enough to cause decision fatigue. It’s more like going to a barbecue and having the choice of hamburger or hot dog – or both!


  • Rebecca Harris

    What an informative post! I’ve never seen one so thoughtfully and painstakingly researched. I would definitely choose the smaller version, based on all the facts. I especially love that the pieces could be made from a layer cake.


  • Elizabeth Kenny

    Love my EPP and as I often choose 3/4” hexies my instinct is to go small. I’ve made your Ice Cream Soda quilt and am so tempted to do this one. 😂 no Lucy Boston has to be finished first!
    Love your newsletters and patterns.


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