Stars on Strings--An Original Design

This quilt began on graph paper. I have an EQ program, but I was defeated by triangles!

Stars on Strings--66" x 88"

I tried this more than once. My first experiment was to use regular, brightly-colored strings.

As you can see, the red stars are lost amidst the chaos!



I went to neutral strings which worked better to show off the stars.

Please forgive the camera strap in the corner!

 I stayed with this idea, though, for me, it was hard--I always want MORE COLOR!



The making wasn't too hard, though 60 degree triangles can be tricky to assemble. It was simple string piecing for the blocks.

8.5" paper foundation 60-degree triangle

4.25" red triangle (sorry the picture is so fuzzy)

Pieced triangle (ignore the partial to the right)

I didn't get a picture of the step of gluing the triangle to the foundation, but you can see its placement here. After the triangle was secured, I simply string pieced the three areas around it.


When I had finished the pieces, I assembled it in rows.

This is when the stars and hexagons show up--you have to keep the faith through the piecing; they will eventually be there!


The edges of a triangle quilt are uneven. I didn't want to trim off all the piecing work to make them straight, so I pieced some half-triangle for the ends.

Now you can look at the piece on the right!

I did these half-triangles with neutral centers, so as not to distract from the star pattern. I also used a narrow (1.5") coping strip (border) at the top and bottom of the quilt, so I could manage my triangle points better for binding. I didn't want to lose them. 😉

You can see both the half-triangle ends and the coping strip here.

I had intended to use a pieced backing, but with the weight of all the strings on the front, I was afraid it would be too much. Instead, I chose this backing fabric both because of the color and the pattern--the hexagons echo those on the front.

All in all, this was a successful experiment, though I must admit that I am heartily sick of neutral strings for now!

Now, please, bring on the color!

I'm linking with Jo's Country Junction String Challenge,  Fiber Tuesday 167 at The Quilting Room with Mel, and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Autumn Stars--Another Mystery Quilt

Okay--you can call me the crazy mystery lady! 

I love making mystery quilts. I have a friend who works them up for a forum to which I belong, and I love her designs. The forum thread from which this quilt is made begins HERE.

Autumn Stars 90" x 90"

Front (detail)

Corner (detail)

Back and binding (detail)

I'm done with summer--bring on the Autumn!

I'll be linking with Fiber Tuesday 166 at The Quilting Room with Mel.

Sampler Project

I have always enjoyed looking at sampler quilts, but I've never made one. I have decided to change that.

I chose Barbara Brackman's Civil War Sampler.

I may not make all fifty blocks, but I hope to complete enough for two quilts. I'm doing each block in two different color combinations, so I can divide them into two groups of different blocks.

I have a box of Civil War reproduction fabrics that I am using. I'm not very familiar with the fabrics, or the way they should be combined, but I'm enjoying the process.

Here are the blocks I have so far. (Note: Each photo shows two blocks from the same block pattern made with different fabrics.)

White House

Star of the West

Barbara Frietchie Star

Catch Me If You Can

Hovering Hawks

Port and Starboard

Strength in Union

Fox and Geese

Peace and Plenty

Yankee Puzzle

Blockade

Louisiana

Tennessee

Calico Puzzle

I am making 12" blocks. These are larger than I normally do, but the cutting instructions for the blocks are clearer for the 12" size rather than the 8" size. The instructions are different from those I prefer, in that there are no unit sizes for the parts of the block. I usually rely heavily on those measurements to keep things uniform. I also have used some different techniques than the book shows--but, to each his (or her) own.

I'm enjoying this new experience and experimenting with some different fabric prints than I have used before--lots more to come! 

Strings and Furrows

Yet another string quilt! I do love them.

This one is a simple arrangement of string blocks and alternating white/beige HSTs that create furrows across the quilt.

I pieced the back from scrap 5" squares, and I used the trimmings from the back to make the binding.

I love the look of the scrappy binding, but with all those seams (thick!thick!thick!), it took me quite a while to hand sew it down to the back!


I love all the things you can find in a scrappy quilt.

A fox and a hedgehog

Scooby Doo!

Pastas and valentines

Vegetable names, sock monkeys, and ruby slippers

I'm still sewing lots of string blocks, so there will be more string quilts to come!

I'm linking with Jo's Country Junction String Challenge, Fiber Tuesday 164 at The Quilting Room with Mel, and Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Final Two Leaders and Ender Quilts

These are my last two Two-Rail Fence leader and ender quilts for my year-long project. I have enjoyed making and donating these. I've experimented with colors, fabrics, layouts, and quilting methods. And after making 11 of these, I'm done! 😅

 Easter Eggs (#10 for donation)--62" x 74"--all solids

 

Jimi Hendrix (#11 for donation)--64" x 68"--batiks and blenders

Next year's leader and ender project for me will be simple 3.5" square patchwork. I'll also check out Bonnie Hunter's L&E project (Here's the link to Jewel Box Stars, the new L&E project from Bonnie Hunter), but I have a large number of 3.5" squares in stash, and I'd like to use them. I plan to start with four-patches--we'll see what comes after that!

I'll be linking with Fiber Tuesday 163 at The Quilting Room with Mel, Jo's Country Junction, and Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.