Diamond Star Playtime Sew-Along -- Step 8 -- Honeycomb Setting

Are you still piecing stars?  I could hardly stop when making this collection which became my Pieceful Constellations.  The honeycomb setting seems endlessly versatile to me because it handles such a variety of blocks that finish as a hexagon. If you focus on the 6-pointed stars first, you begin to see all the other variations.

My quilt was inspired by Candied Hexagons made by Australian, Kerry Dear, in 2007.  Her quilt was inspired by an antique quilt made by Frederica Josephson.  It is included in Dr. Annette Gero’s book, The Fabric of Society – Australian Quilt Heritage from the Convict Times to 1960.  I have a Pinterest board, 60 degree diamonds that is chocked full of inspiration. 

If you decide to visit the board, you might want to have sketching paper handy to trace out ideas. 
I use an equilateral graph paper that I print out from http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/triangle/     This gives me the greatest flexibility in being able to draw the shapes used in various blocks.  Two triangles make a diamond, three make a half hexagon, six make a hexagon.

Here's a close-up of one of my filler blocks -- there are two fussy cut hexagons with a traditional tumbling block sitting on top.  To complete the hexagonal block, I added three 60-degree diamonds -- a medium value one on the right, a dark(ish) one on the left, and a light one on the bottom.  Can you see the hexagonal block?  Being able to detect the hexagonal blocks will help you glean ideas from other quilts.

Here's the block during the construction phase to clarify it for you

Here's another close-up of a simple block that makes a great filler in a honeycomb setting.   Can you find it in the center of the quilt in the first photo?

Here's a variation of that arrangement.

Here's a row of the "filler" tumbling block clusters I used in the upper right corner of the quilt.

So time for you to get back to the work wall and make a decision about the basic setting arrangement of your Diamond Playtime Sampler -- straight or honeycomb?  Take the time to study other quilts using this hexagonal block style.  Step 9 will be a few more blocks to play with and Step 10 will address the fillers for the outer edges of your quilt. 

I hope you are enjoying the challenge of making these blocks and creating your own design layout for the overall quilt.  It may feel a bit uncomfortable at this point, but be patient and observant -- the ideas will coalesce into a solution if you stay involved with piecing the blocks on a regular basis.

Leave us some comments below to share your progress!! 

Mary Huey