AKA
A Hot Mess as Pam or Tanesha would say. We don’t use that phrase here, but it seems appropriate.
![Section 3](https://artquiltmaker.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/PICT3484sm-300x189.jpg)
It is certainly true that projects look worse before they look better. This Star Sampler and my workroom are both in the Worse stage right now.
All the parts, which I have sewn together, look great, but the parts are all over the place. Discards are in a pile. Fabric is in another pile. I don’t know how I work under these circumstances. Really.
Making all of those blocks in advance, though, makes it really easy to put together. I have all the parts, so I just need to grab them and sew. Nota bene: If you make this project, I would recommend making all the blocks first. I know I don’t always do that, but in this case, it works.
As I thought, I love the layout. I love it that it is difficult to see how the blocks were set together. I love it that there are 3 different sized blocks used in the quilt. I guess I just like my secrets. 😉
![Section 1 Section 1](https://artquiltmaker.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/PICT3479sm-141x300.jpg)
It is fun deciding which blocks will go with which other blocks. We are getting some of our summer weather so the photos have the foggy look to them. I had all the lights on and used the flash, but still…the foggy look.
I think the blocks with the strong (non-background) corners look ok. The one in Section 1 (lower right) doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb, which is a relief.
I thought the Basic Stars might look like big un-pieced blobs in the middle of the sections, but I think I chose fabrics wisely and placement wisely. I think the Basic Stars may provide a slight resting spot for the viewer’s eyes amidst all the pieced blocks.
![Section 2](https://artquiltmaker.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/PICT3480sm-300x160.jpg)
The 12″ blocks are working well, too. 12″ blocks are so….big. I thought they would dominate the quilt, but the 8″ and 4″ stars soften them up a bit. I do like that Rising Star in the upper left hand corner. That might be my favorite block.
Do click on the photos to see them larger. They look better larger.
![Star Sampler - 1/2 of the top](https://artquiltmaker.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/PICT3485sm-300x213.jpg)
Believe it or not I had to tidy the whole house including my workroom, which meant tidying that mess I talked about earlier in the post. All of the pieces and parts had to get off the floor.
I put everything up on the design wall. It promptly fell off. All that piecing is heavy and even my super sticky design wall fabric was no match for this baby. I had to resort to pins.
The above photo is half of the piece. HALF! Half does not completely fit width-wise. The blocks on the bottom are still blocks. They had to go somewhere and I did not want them sucked into the vacuum!
I am thinking it looks a bit chaotic. Please tell me I did not go through all this work to end up with chaos.
Remember: if you want to know more about this quilt, the pattern and the project, check out the Star Sampler Background post.