Just Two Charm Packs--Star Rays times 2

 

When I heard that Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs was coming out with a follow up book to her Just One Charm Pack book I was a little more than excited.  I LOVE pre cuts!

When I participated in the hop for the release of the first book, I chose to make a pattern called Star Surround.  (You can read more about it here)

When I saw the pattern for Star Rays, I instantly knew I had to make it. Actually, I knew I would make two.   

For my first quilt, I used charm packs from Moda'a Country Rose by Lella Boutique.

This pattern is perfect for beginners as well as fun for a seasoned pro.  All of the star points are perfect for showing off all the fun prints in a fabric line.  It truly pieces up like a dream.

For the second quilt, I chose to work with a layer cake of Strength in Pink by Riley Blake.

I began by chopping up the fabric into the 5 inch squares.  

The best part is now I have enough to make a second quilt.  With help from my supervisor my second quilt pieced up super quickly.

My head is spinning with all kinds of ideas for the quilting.  I wish I had time to quilt them before the hop, but I was so in love with the patterns in the book, I made a total of four quilts, in three different patterns!  

I even bought mini charm packs in Moda's Sunwashed by Coriander Quilts to make a smaller version of Star Rays.  All of the patterns in the Just Two Charm Packs book are easily converted into a larger or smaller sizes, after a bit of quilty math, to incorporate layer cakes and mini charm packs.  Technically, you are getting even more bang for your buck.

Make sure to check in each day with Cheryl to see all of the different versions of the quilts.  Each day she will feature a different quilt (or two) from the book and show all of the different versions we came up with.  I've even heard there are several opportunities to win a copy of what is my new favorite book.  I hope to see you next week when I share with you the two other quilts I've pieced.

Allison Glass Star Quilt Finish

Today I am celebrating a quilting finish!  I LOVE the bright Allison Glass prints that make up these stars!  Unfortunately, I cannot take credit for picking them out or piecing this quilt.  I can take credit for demanding to quilt it.  

When I picked out threads for this quilt, I chose spools of Aurifil 50wt thread that matched the outer points of each star.  There is so much going on color wise, I feel like any color would have melted perfectly.  The motif's for each star was inspired by Natalia Bonner at Piece N Quilt (I can watch her quilt for hours and do on her PNQ Academy videos) and I used her 4 in 1 quilting rulers and book Let's Stitch a Block a Day to create the designs.

I started quilting on this quilt in March of last year.  Over the course of 2-3 weeks I got all of the stars quilted.

Black fabric really shows lint like nobody's business.  

Somehow I didn't manage to get a picture of the lime green star in the early quilting stages.  Sadly, I did the thing I always do.  I got inside my head about quilting the background.  I froze.  So, this little gem was folded and set aside for...a year.  

After a year of pondering and worrying about what to quilt in the background I realized, it really doesn't matter what I quilt.  I'm going to use black thread on black fabric...you're not really going to see it.  The main purpose will be to quilt something very densely so that the background allows the quilting on the starts to pop.  I decided enough was enough...let's quilt this background!!

I chose to use swirls and pebbles...heavy on the swirls, lighter on the pebbles.  I have to say, the more I practice the better I get, but I think that is what is suppose to happen when you practice.  All in all, the filler did exactly what it was suppose to do.  It's a fun little feature that helps those bright stars shine.

I'm trying to keep the quilting momentum going.  Overthinking is the biggest killer to finishing a project.  I've already got another one under the needle and can't wait to share it with you when I'm finished.  So for now, the Star Quilt and I wave goodbye but not for long.

Diatom QAL--Block 7

 

I have to say I've impressed myself by actually keeping up with Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirls's Diatom Quilt Along.  Last week Block 7 was released and it pieced like a dream.  Below are the blocks for the full and throw size versions.

My favorite moment of sewing was attaching the first six blocks into two rows.  That means the first half of the quilts are pieced!

Above is the throw size version.

And we have the full-size version.  I somehow managed to get the top row of blocks out of order, but I am completely okay with that.  This is supposed to be a for fun no stress quilting project for me, so I refuse to whip out the seam ripper for that.  I absolutely can't wait to finish these tops and quilt them.  Stars are one of my favorite things to quilt!

Not Turning Twenty Quilt Finish

 Can you say UFO finish!  I'm jumping up and down because I can.  I affectionately call this quilt The Not Turning Twenty Quilt.  I know that seems strange.  At the time my husband wanted to make a quilt for one of his good friends using blue and cream fat quarters.  

My suggestion was the super easy Turning Twenty (not an affiliated link) quilt pattern.  It's fat quarter friendly and a great beginner quilt.  Above is the one I made...my very first quilt ever (you can read more about it here).  He loved the sound of it until he started laying his cut pieces out, and then he hated it.  He ended up landing on this quilt layout.

And that was 2017 and then the quilt sat.  And sat some more. Then in January of 2018 I decided I was brave enough to start quilting this project and I had a plan.

In all of the rectangle sections I quilted a woodgrain pattern.  Since it was for a guy it seemed manly.  And I was really loving the texture it was creating.  The problem?  I got all of those parts quilted and realized I had no idea what to quilt in the squares.  And the quilt creator and I had a falling out and my motivation really just went away.  And that's all I have to say about that.

Over the past few years I have watched many videos by so many talented quilters.  I'm forever grateful for quilters like Angela Walters, Judi Madsen and Natalia Bonner (and so many more) who share their quilting knowledge.  And all those that share on places like Instagram and provide inspiration for others.  Because of hours watching and learning and a rekindling with the quilt maker, I decided it was time to finish this quilt and get it to the gentleman it would belong to.

To offset all the curves of the woodgrain, I decided to go with straight line quilting in the four square sections.  Two would get random triangles with straight lines and the other two would get an X's with echos.

I'll be honest, I was so happy with the quilting, I kinda didn't want to give it up.  It was texture galore!  But at the end of the day, it's not my quilt.  I didn't piece it and it wasn't created for me.

I am happy to say the quilt was delivered to the lucky fellow in fall of 2022.  The quilt maker was supper happy to find that I had kept the quilt and wanted to finish it.  Of course, I kept it.  We do not throw quilts out EVER!  

Diatom QAL-Block 3 and first Row

 

I'm giving myself a huge pat on the back for keeping up with Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl and her Diatom QAL, going on as we speak.  Like the crazy person that I am, I decided to make both the throw and twin-size version of the quilts.  

Luckily there has been no more fabric changes, which made the blocks come together much quicker.  Ms. Carmella is loving being in the middle of things.  She's such a huge help...well in her mind she is.  

Since I have a little bit of time before Block #4, I decided to go ahead and sew what would be the first row together.  I needed some instant gratification, and it will be less to stress about at the end.

And I just realized looking at the picture, I have a corner block in the first purple block turned wrong....but I think it is staying.  No more remakes :)