Super Stars Update

Those Super Stars Quilts are coming together. It is very exciting to see your beautiful fabrics and hear that you are enjoying building these large blocks.

Julie sent pictures of her first blocks all the way from Australia.  Love the grey background. She says:

Here are the first 2 blocks I made to-day. I had a little time to do them. I will get more done this week. They come together so quick.

Lori is building a scrappy one completely from fabric she has on hand, just what I want to do with a future quilt. She says:

They were easy and fun and I made them using 5″ charms from my charm box.  I found a large piece of white background in my basement so maybe it was meant to happen. These finish to 16″–a generous size block, simple but striking.  I will make several at a time and swap out each quarter section to have more random color placement.

Keep those pictures coming!  I will wait a week or two and have the setting and assembly posts up for your finishing pleasure.  Thanks for quilting along with WeddingDressBlue.

If you are just joining us and would like the previous steps, here they are

Introduction and Fabric Requirements

Step One: CUTTING

Step Two: SORTING

Step Three:  BLOCKS

Mother’s day

Ah, Mother’s Day!  We keep it simple here and, with little pressure and few expectations, it generally goes well.

I wanted to recognize mothers.  We ALL have one.  And, to share a few thoughts I have heard so far today:

“Life doesn’t come with a manual.  It comes with a mother.”

“Every time a child is born, so is a mother.”

“Sooner or later, we all quote our mothers.”

And, here is a present to each of you who is a mother, or who has a mother:  VIEW HERE. WARNING:  Get a tissue.

Happy mother’s day!

QUILTALONG: Super Stars Step 3

Today is the big day when we  take  our lovely fabric and really get sewing. Welcome to Super Stars Quiltalong Step 3: BLOCKS

We are about to make this!

I hope you like stars, but the name of the quilt, Super Stars, should have given you a hint where this was heading. “Super” because the blocks finish at 16″, and “Stars”, well, because they are stars.  Not very creative, but we have to call it something. 

Let’s get to work!

Get one of your sorted stacks. Set aside the 4-1/2″ squares. They will get their turn shortly.

1. Take the colored squares and arrange them in a circle. Make sure you have nice color distribution and like the look of each color next to the other. This was my original idea, but later on I switched two of the colors because it was too red-orange on one side and too blue-purple on the other, but this gives you the idea.

2. Take the fabric from the circle and lay it in two straight lines starting with Fabric 1. In this picture, the floral at the bottom is number 1.

Now is the color arrangement issue more obvious?  It was to me, so I changed things up a bit.

Ah, much better.  Ultimately, it probably doesn’t really matter.  As far as I can tell, every block is going to look great in the end, so don’t stress about it, just think about it a little bit.

3. In the top row, take each fabric and sew it to a 5″ back ground square to make Half Square Triangles (HST). I like to use the draw-a-diagonal-line-and-stitch-on-both-sides method. For a full explanation of this technique, check out THIS tutorial. She does a great job. When finished you will have 16 HST.

4. In the bottom row, take each fabric and stitch to the one next to it–match up 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8. You will again make HST. When finished you will have 8 HST.

5. Square up. Yes, I know that noone really likes to do this, but it makes such a difference in the results, particularly if you are using precut fabric, which never is exactly-precisely cut. You might have noticed a fringe of the colored fabric peeking out behind the background square in the picture above.  Now you know why I wasn’t worried about it.  Squaring up is your friend.  You don’t need a 4-1/2″ ruler, but, if you happen to have one, it is really nice. This one came free with a batting purchase.

6. Separate the HST into two matching sets.  In each set you will have four color-color HST and 8 color-background HST.  Add 4 4-1/2″ background squares to each set. (Note to self: I need to add a picture here.)

Using one set, lay out the pieces to create a faux-Lemoyne star.  The center is a pinwheel shape and then the background-color HST form the points. Notice those 4-1/2″ squares have their turn in the corners.

7. Assemble block.

8. Do it again with the other set.   Yes, this is a two-for-one deal!  When you compare the two blocks you will see the color arrangement isn’t exactly the same.  It is fun to try different combinations.

9. Ta-dah!  You have two beautiful Super Stars blocks.  We are going to do this 10 times to create 20 blocks.

The blocks go together quickly.  I am thinking I will get several done in the next week or two.  Please check in and let me know how you are doing.  I hope to be ready for the sashing and assembly in a few weeks.  How does that sound to you?

Also, if you want to send pictures I will be glad to share them in future posts–let us know what fabric you are using and send a snapshot or two of your blocks as they come together.

If you are just joining us and need the previous steps, here they are

Introduction and Fabric Requirements

Step One: CUTTING

Step Two: SORTING

Remember, the entire quilt will be posted as a tutorial when the quiltalong is finished.

I See Quilts Everywhere

Browsing, I spotted this one.  Doesn’t it look like the woman on the left is wearing a quilt?

Oh,  for the days when swimwear was really wearable!

ps–Picture courtesy this article: http://www.weather.com/travel/rare-vintage-beach-photos-20130501

QUILTALONG: Super Stars Step 2

How did your cutting go? Ready to share pictures? Here are  mine:  colored and background.

Now we are ready for step 2: SORTING.

This isn’t a big step, but it is an important one, and the last step before we get serious about sewing.

Today you need to sort your fabric into 10 piles. Each pile needs to contain

1. 8 5″ background squares
2. 8 4-1/2″ background squares
3. 16 5″ print squares–2 each of 8 different fabrics, or very close matches.

As you create the piles of print squares, you want to keep color distribution in mind. As my colors are very bold, I wanted to make sure the colors were distributed as evenly as possible. Because I am a little obsessive, I created an 8-by-10 grid of color to try to keep a nice mix of color and pattern in each pile. You don’t have to be this picky about it. But, just looking at fabric makes me happy, so I actually enjoy this process.

If you do not have a safe place to put your piles, you might want to get 10 ziplock bags or other storage item and put the piles in there. Label the bags Super Stars Quilt, or you might accidently use the fabric for something else. Put the bags, or safe piles, with your leftover background fabric.

I’ll be back with sewing directions in a few days (Friday). Yay! I am having fun. Are you having fun yet?

 

If you are just joining us and need the previous steps, here they are

Introduction and Fabric Requirements

Step One

Remember, the entire quilt will be posted as a tutorial when the quiltalong is finished.

Gratitude Giveaway Winner

Whoops! I messed up. I forgot to announce the winner of the Gratitude Giveaway.

Our lucky winner is Lynne, who said:

well what a little blessing!!!!  i love giveaways!  i never win, but i still love them.  there is a bit of a thrill in the entering, and the waiting, and then the opening of the drawing date’s post….then, the sigh.  and then, with the next breath the happiness for someone else coz you know they are experiencing a big thrill….

i just have to say that i love your blog.  i love your creativity, and your generosity in sharing so much of that with us…..

Thank you all for participating.  I hope you are enjoying the Super Stars Quiltalong.  The next step will be posted tomorrow!

QUILT RESCUE: A Final Look

The Rescue Quilt is back from the quilter, binding attached, and delivered to its original maker, who will stitch the binding down.

If you review back several posts, you can see the whole story, taking the quilt from this,

through this,

to the final product, destined for a grandson’s wedding in the fall.

People have asked several questions:

1. “Why did you do that?”

Well, my first answer was that I may need someone to finish a quilt for me someday.  But,  it is more than that.  I am really paying forward for all the people who helped me as I learned to quilt and sew.  That is how quilting works.

2. “What did you charge?”

Nothing.  She bought the fabric and paid for the quilting.  I can give away things it would be impossible to charge for.  Service is good for the soul.

3. “Why wasn’t she happy?”

She originally thought she was making a Boston Commons quilt.  What she got back most certainly wasn’t a Boston Commons quilt.  But, now that the quilt is finished, she really does like it and she is pleased.  It was such a shock at first.  When I took it back today she was smiling and happy, and said it was beautiful, and her husband looked and asked questions and told her she had chosen nice colors, and all was well. (Yes, that is a terrible run-on sentence, but how else do you explain the flurry of activity that went on in that house when the quilt came out of the bag?)

4. “Would you do it again?”

Well, I need a break right now, but, yes, I would do it again.  I am trying to become a certain type of person, not really a certain type of quilter.  Service and acceptance and tolerance and love are critical to that journey.  Quilts like this help me as much as I hope they help the person I finish them for.

*****

Finally, a big thank you to all of you who followed the journey and were so encouraging.  It would have been much harder without you.