It's Bee'ginning...

     December 1st.  Time for cookie baking, holiday decorating and Christmas carols.  Quilting elves all around the world are beginning to feel the stress of finishing up holiday projects intended for gifts.  Machine quilters are working into the wee hours to provide happy holidays for customers.  I am tucked into my sewing room working on.... bumble bees.

        My latest package from Jaftex arrived.  This bundle of fun is soft yellow and green mixed with black and white in cute bumble bee prints.  The group is called Bee You, by Shelly Cominsky for Henry Glass Fabrics.  It includes this large panel.  If you know me, you also know that if I am going to work with this panel, it won't be used in one piece!  I have several ideas simmering, but I'm putting the panel on the back burner for now.

        Let the decision-making process begin!  It's a bee themed fabric line.  Bumble bees go with honeycomb.  Honeycomb is hexagon shaped.  I have a Hexagon Trim Tool from Creative Grids.  Sounds like the perfect mash-up to me.

         You might be thinking that sewing hexagons together requires a "Y" seam.  You would be correct if I was planning to sew them hexi-to-hexi.  My plan is to separate them using a 60 degree triangle.  That will allow me to sew them in straight rows.  I want to include as many of the fabric prints as possible in this project.  Adding the triangles as a background fabric will keep my yellow background bees from bumping into my green background or white background bees.  Using the same print in the exact same color is always a challenge for me.  As a scrap quilter, I like variety!  As a Brand Ambassador, I try to stick to the script.

My first decision was to use the black flower print as my background fabric.  It provides the most contrast with the bee prints, allowing both of them to stand out.  You can't have a bee quilt without a little black and yellow stripe, but this one could easily overwhelm the other prints, so I will keep that to a minimum and use it sparingly.  The problem child in the group is this great looking plaid.  I love plaid.  This one is printed on the bias and it will make excellent bindings, backings and other fun items.    However, a plaid, printed on a 45 degree angle, cut with a 60 degree ruler?  That is just asking for all kinds of wonky trouble.  In this project I am going to limit it to the centers of my hexagon blocks.

    The Creative Grids Hexagon Trim Tool allows you to cut hexi pieces and half hexi pieces in 2", 4", 6" and 8" finished sizes.  I chose the 4" for my center blocks.  

    I am using the same 4" size to cut six half hexagons from 2 1/2" strips.  These will surround the center hexagon to create an 8" finished block.  The ruler has specific lines for cutting the half hex to include seam allowance.  It worked perfectly!  

    The half hexagons were added using the partial seam method so that they spiral around the center hexagon.  You probably won't notice that spiral on any of the non-directional prints, but check out that stripe!

    I have a dozen or more blocks to make in different combinations.  Then I will fill in the triangle spaces with the black floral print that I set aside.  By stitching the triangles to opposite sides of the large hexagons, I will be able to assemble the quilt in rows.

    Then I have to add some half triangles to fill in the ends.  Or maybe I will get a little more creative with the finish.  I will keep you posted!  Stay tuned!