I am no help. They are both attractive. It does seem to me, though, that the octagonal quilt has more angles within each section. As I pondered the difference, I noticed that for whatever reason, the angles of the flowers/leaves, whatever they are, were more pronounced. There was a white one with a red diagonal that went across each piece ... I couldn't find anything like that in the hexagons, so I have to conclude that the accentuated angles are created because of the increased number of seams and pieces. <wave>