Just two shapes to cut and two seams to sew per block - that’s Honeycomb Stars. The simplicity of this project is refreshing as I alternate between it and my Patchwork Selfie. Once your fabrics are divided into value groups, all key decisions are made and you have only to fall into a relaxing sewing rhythm.

To find out how to join the Honeycomb Stars sew-along, click over to the master sew-along post. It’s a digital pattern, so you can grab it in a flash and sew right along.

Week 3: Mid Value blocks

It’s time for the second layer of our value blend for the Honeycomb Stars pattern. If y… Read more

But first - - - I love patchwork! It’s so familiar and easy. Haha! I was glad to take a break from words to stitch up this friendship star block. Good thing each section of my selfie has regular patchwork too.

Scrappy Rainbow quilt by Andrea W.

Let’s kick of this rainbow edition of “in the Quilting Studio” with a glorious rainbow scrap project created by Andrea @andreanaeht. This quilt is made from many small scraps, including the low-volume fabrics that serve as a sort of frame. The scraps are organized like a coin quilt, with stacks of rectangle coins set in long columns.

Cool wind, rustling leaves, drizzly days interspersed with bright sunshine - autumn is in full swing in The Netherlands.

This time of year is one of the best for beginning new projects. There is a sense of gathering in and gathering together to face the challenges that lay ahead. Maybe the time is ripe for a new creative challenge - to tackle the hexagon shape or patchwork piecing with angles? This quilt is entirely machine-pieced. The simplistic construction might surprise you!

To find out how to join the Honeycomb Stars sew-along, click over to the master sew-along post. It’s a d… Read more

Here's what's inspiring me today:

I love the layered, random-style patchwork of this piece. The big stitch style quilting also adds a beautiful touch.

Hooray that so many of you are interested in this sort of project! Actually, I hope to turn it into a year-long sew-along, like the Penny Sampler. I don’t know if I’ll have it ready for a January start, perhaps it’ll wait until spring. But, either way I know that this project will be worth sharing and that I can make the process much easier for you once I’ve blazed the trail (code for learned by trial and error).

Woohoo, it’s time at last to start enjoying together the making of a Honeycomb Stars quilt! I’m very much looking forward to sewing alongside you. Cutting and sewing this project is wonderfully rhythmic. I’m eager to get lost in the flow.

Are you wondering if it’s too late to join in? Course not! You can totally join us. Hop over to the master sew-along post for all the info and dive right in, friends.

Today’s post is all about fabric - making choices and organizing your fabrics as needed for the pattern. Let’s get started!

Monochromatic vs. Multicolor

First let’s look at the big pi… Read more

I was thinking about those autobiographical journals that one often gives a grandparent or parent in hopes that they will be inspired to create a tangible record of their story. I love that idea! Well, why wait to be asked and why not do it in fabric? A patchwork selfie is much more my style than a photo selfie and I like that it can be used and kept and maybe sometimes spark conversations about the things that matter.

We have many choices when shopping for quilting cotton solids.  The best brand for you will depend upon your needs and p… Read more

We’re just a week away from the start of the Honeycomb Stars sew-along! Will you be sewing along?

If you plan to join in, don’t miss the chance to win your favorite Honeycomb Stars quilt kit from Dragonfly Quiltworks!

How to Enter:

• Save your favorite “I’m In” button (below)

• Post the button image to your instagram feed, using hashtag #HoneycombStars in the caption

• Share the post now through October 10th

… Read more

A few weeks ago, there was this: the happy outcome of scrappy triangle play.

Before long, I decided to do this. Because, yes, I do quilt pretty much everything on my longarm nowadays, even small projects. I can’t resist the design possibilities!

Weaving together my life as a maker and other spheres of life.

Best of Stitched in Color {September}

• what became of my Scrap Triangles

• Happy Honeycomb Hexagons

• in the Quilting Studio, no. 29

On My Mind

Dreaming:: last night I had trouble sleeping. As I lie awake, my thoughts drifted to sewing a simple squares patchwork quilt. I… Read more

Introducing Frolicking Florals, a queen/king size quilt made with my Honeycomb Stars quilt pattern.

This is the first time I’ve made a big bed size quilt just because - for love of fabric and patchwork. It was a big undertaking, that’s for sur… Read more

Let’s machine-sew Hexagons!

Do you love the look of quilts where the colors seem to change in gradual gradients? Whether ombre or multi-color, these blends are visually compelling and so satisfying to create.

The Honeycomb Stars quilt pattern helps guide your fabric choices by dividing up the quilt into different value sections. It’s entirely machine sewn and includes a version with small scale hexagons and another with larger scale hexagons. There are so many beautiful iterations to discover!

Join us by subscribing to the sew-along and following #HoneycombStars on Instagram. Your sha… Read more

Sometimes I’m sure, totally sure, that I will love a quilt concept when it comes to fruition. Other times I do second-guess myself, cutting and sewing with long stretches of satisfaction tinged with moments of concern. I absolutely adored cutting these exquisite floral fabrics, but along the way I couldn’t really visualize how it would look put together. A leafy green is nature’s accompaniment for flowers, but how would it serve as the background color in my quilt?

But good, it is these sort of questions that fuel the process. The best way to discover is to keep on moving - cut, sew, p… Read more

Honeycomb Stars!

What began as a photo of basketweave, snapped during a trip abroad, turned into machine-sewn patchwork fall of 2020. Sewing the snazzy hexagon shape without fussy y-seams and at the speed of regular patchwork - well, I ate it up and you were pretty intrigued as well. That’s my favorite way to come by new quilt patterns. The designs I make spontaneously and for no reason at all can become the best ones to share… Read more]]> new pattern release - Honeycomb Stars Simple Quilts Rachel Hauser Fri, 17 Sep 2021 09:58:08 +0000 https://feedpress.me/link/21457/14758366/jade-ikat-a-finished-quilt 58aa4fc51e5b6ce697e5bf40:58be42b3365ffa5001380eb6:614454062e62684206c85204 Block by block, step by step - someone’s been closely monitoring the journey of this quilt. Someone who was veeeerrrry excited to discover her blocks becoming a quilt top, when she returned from school the other day!

pssst - - - are you sewing along with #Ikatquilt? Don’t miss the reminder at the end of this picture-packed post to put your hat in the ring for our sew-along prize.

It’s a quite day in my longarm studio. I’m standing by the window, listening to the rain fall while meditatively folding and pinning the binding on my almost-finished quilt. It’s restful, the simple quiet work, the rhythmic rain, even the drizzly view makes me feel cozy.

For all my readers in the European Union (and United Kingdom readers too!), I have something I think you might like. September is the beginning of our coziest season. Take advantage of these rainy days to restart your creative rhythm. Make time for what you enjoy and space for new ideas - I’d be delighted to help yo… Read more

Our family was shopping for a new home country! So bazaar. We took a serious look at several Northern European countries, which felt like a match and actually began formulating plans to immigrate to Finland and then Germany, each time coming up against big obstacles after months of work. I struggled with Finnish, so changing course to German was no big loss. For me the German language was much more doable, and I was sad to give it up when a pathway to Germany closed for us. Around the time I wrote this blog post, we had… Read more

That’s how these triangles came to me - quite the lucky patchwork accident! I love that about our hobby, how leftovers can surprise you and transform themselves into beautiful things.