Tag: Blocks

I did something a little different for this week’s blocks. I didn’t have a lot of time last weekend, so I cut the pieces for each block out in advance and had all the pieces on the design wall ready to sew. I did this, because I thought I might have a few minutes here and there to see, but really I only had various bits of time to cut. I didn’t have any sewing time until late in the day on Friday. I am not sure if cutting in advance made any difference.

I added in the Michael Miller teal dot fabric, which I also used on the sewing machine cover I made a couple of years ago. I needed some more dots and I really wanted to use this fabric in a quilt I could admire regularly.

At least I thought I cut all the pieces! Part way through I realized that I still needed to cut out the last star.

Aunt Addie’s Star looks a little backgroundy to me, but I think it will be ok. What does “Backgroundy” mean? I think it means that that big square in the center gives a look of a lot of background and not too much star. I think it is fine, but I will have to look at it in context and see if I need to make others with more background or that see through look. One of the Rising Stars has background in the center.

I do have all the stars on my design wall and think they are looking fine together.

The Taj Mahal Star will go really well with the Austin Star from last week. It has, as you can see, the same kind of corner treatment. I need to find one more block or make another one of these two so the quilt looks on balance. I like, as I have said before, to use threes – three of the same blocks, three pieces of the same fabric, three design elements, etc to make the quilt look right. You can use 5 or some other odd number, but I use three as my starting point. I am pretty sure I talk about this concept in more depth in the Design Series. Perhaps the episode on Balance?

Finally, I made the Square in a Square Star. While I was cutting for it, I was thinking of the green dot I talked about in the last post about the Star Sampler. I decided to use it in the center of this star. I wanted to make sure that there was enough of it in the quilt so one or two pieces didn’t look weird. It works GREAT, because it is enclosed and not touching the background.

I also like the Square in a Square pattern. I think it looks really good in the Sawtooth Star format.

I finished all the blocks on Saturday and started cutting for the next Basic Star.

TFQ has already selected blocks for Week 4, so I need to get going on those.

Also, take a look at the original Quilt-a-long instructions. You can see all of my posts on this topic by searching the tag “Star Sampler.”

I just realized it has been about two weeks since I posted about the Star Sampler. The last post was March 10. It is not an abandoned project and I have been working on the blocks. I know the week of March 11 was really busy for me. I had two meetings in the evenings that week and must have gotten off track with writing about the blocks.

The first thing I did last week was redo the Hourglass Star block. The previous version didn’t work. I used that great yellow-green dot for the arms and it was too light. I had two of the centers, so I used the same center and just put a Michael Miller Dumb Dot as the arms.

I think that yellow-green has to be contained on the inside of a block. I think it is too close to the background to work effectively next to it.

If I keep screwing up blocks. I’ll have a second quilt on the back!

I included some of the yellow-green in the Checkerboard Star and you can see how well it does enclosed by other fabrics. I have to keep that in mind as I move forward on the rest of the blocks.

I saw TFQ’s version of this star on Flickr and noticed that she lined up the fabrics she used for the arms so they were the same.

I like the Plaid star. I like the look of the piecing. I am not 100% on board with the fabrics I chose, but I don’t dislike them enough to re do the block right at this moment. Also, I chose the colors to go with the Bard of Avon block. I didn’t want the Bard of Avon to be sitting out there with these fabrics alone.

I do love that turquoise I used for the arms, though. It is hand-dyed or some kind of special surface design by Stitch ‘n Dye fabrics. It is a very special fabric, but I thought I might as well use it. I am pleased with how it looks with the other fabrics.

Someone pointed out on Twitter that the Austin Star block looks really different from the others. The squares in the corner are quite prominent. They enhance the X effect of the block. I haven’t decided if this rendition of this block will make the cut for the final quilt. It is a little on the dark side. I know there is another block similar in layout that might make this work.

I am playing with lavender/purples since I ran out of that perfect lavender with white dots by Lakehouse. This one is pretty good since there are a number of different dots made up of different colors.

I am really enjoying working on this project with someone else. Seeing the placement of fabric and fabric choices some one else makes is so interesting. It also inspires me to think a little differently.

We have started the 8″ blocks this week. We are doing 4 each week and one of them will be a Basic Star. Being honest, I did the green one as a test when we started talking about the project.

I was able to finish the other three blocks this weekend. I am pleased with them. I have added a couple more lavenders. I am not sure about them, but I will use at least a few more pieces so they don’t look odd.

I chose the blocks this week and they are Basic Star (top, left), Hourglass Star (top, right), Four Patch Star (bottom, right), Four Patch Variation (bottom, right).

We have 40 total of these blocks to make and I might make some of the Basic Stars in advance.

I have been doing some prep of the 4″ blocks, cutting the backgrounds and the corners in readiness for when I need some leaders and enders.

I finally got this block together. I made it differently this time; I used half square triangles instead of rectangles and squares. I don’t like the look of so many seams, but I couldn’t get the piece together in the correct size doing it any other way.

I am not giving you the pattern this time, because even in EQ, it wouldn’t come out right. I don’t want you to be frustrated either.

The other thing is that TFQ and I had a disagreement about the grid of this block. I drew it on the same grid as the other Sawtooth Stars. I found, though, that she was right once I started to make it. It is really a 9 patch. I shouldn’t have disagreed. She is usually correct about such things.

Finally, this is the last 12″ block.

This is the last 12″ block.

This block might be a little bit disappointing for you after the wonders of all the other complex blocks. I am posting it rather than just quietly putting it in the quilt, because I think it is a good example of how to use special fabric effectively.

Yes, I have used the Martha Negley fabric in small doses in other blocks, but I really wanted to show off as much of blooms as I could. Perhaps I could have fussy cut a little better, but I wanted to use the fabric in a reasonable way and I liked the off center nature of the fabric in the large square.

I can always make others in the 8″ size, if I want to use more of different sections of the fabric. Here’s the Basic Star pattern.

Also, take a look at the original Quilt-a-long instructions. You can see all the posts on this topic by searching the tag “Star Sampler.”

This block was kind of a pain to make, but the effect is really good. I am glad it came out well in terms of contrast, because if it had been a pain and looked bad, I would have been really disappointed.

I think it was a good choice to use the background fabric in the center of the larger star around the smaller star as it sets off the smaller star.

If you’d like to make one of these, here is the Star Sampler: Shelburne Star pattern. You can also find it in EQ7. Check out the Oh My Stars! Flickr Group to see all the other renditions of the final project. You can see all the posts on this topic by searching the tag “Star Sampler.”

Don’t you like the name of this block? I think it provides ‘scope for imagination’ and evokes mystery. That is one of the things I like about vintage blocks. They, often, have great names.

I thought that background fabric in the middle might look like the viewer was looking through the block to the background, but I don’t think I achieved that semi-goal.

If you want to make a block like this, review the Star Sampler: Wheel of Time pattern, which can also be found in EQ. Also, take a look at the original Quilt-a-long instructions. You can see all the posts on this topic by searching the tag “Star Sampler.”

I feel like this block came out really well. It is pretty, but has a delicate feel, too. The purple is from an ombre print, so I don’t have much of it left. I’ll have to use it judiciously.

If you’d like to make this block, I am posting the Star Sampler: Gypsy Dancer pattern. This project is from the Oh My Stars Quilt-a-long from the Thought and Found blog. Join in the fun and make some blocks.

One of the things I like about this block is that there are two sets of Flying Geese units in it and because of the way they are colored, they look really different and do something really different to the look of the overall block.

I realized around the time I made this block that I am going to the same fabrics over and over. I need to broaden my palette. It isn’t easy, but I have to try.

If you would like to make one of these blocks, I am posting the Star Sampler: Chevron Star Pattern. This whole project is based on the Oh My Stars Quilt-a-long from last year.

I know there are a lot of posts about this project, but we are working on it fast and furiously. This post is a milestone, I think, because I have 12 blocks made and you can see them all together.

One of the things I like about seeing them all together is I can see what fabrics I need to repeat.

I also like seeing them because it makes me feel like I have been making some progress. I *know* I am making progress, but it is great to see the progress.

I actually have an additional 4 blocks made, as of this writing, but I am experiencing a shortage of design wall space right at the moment so you will have to wait until that clears up to see them all.

I have to say that I am tempted to start sewing all the different blocks into chunks just to get them in some kind of order. The layout is pretty clear; it would just be a matter of deciding what goes where. I’ll need a lot more 8″ squares before I can make any real progress in the layout, though.