Oh, My Stars!

 This week I started a new quilt project. Oh, My Stars from American Jane Patterns is a bit challenging and will make a great multi-day project for students who want that immersive experience of several days with one teacher.

My FAVORITE PART is the FABRIC PULL--also called "shopping in my closet":

The first pile, way more than is needed

These were pre-washed, notice how much dye is on the Color Catcher

Everything that wasn't pre-washed, still more than needed but lots of choices

While the pattern calls for 1/4 yard pieces cut into Width of Fabric strips, about 42" long, Fat Quarters can be used. I have lots of them and will be using them, along with Width of Fabric cuts--much more instruction about that will be provided in class. 

There are full stars and half stars, and even 4 quarter stars for the corners:

There are 132 small Evening Stars; these are great to use as "leaders/enders" while sewing the larger stars or other projects:

The piecing will require our best work. All the important aspects of piecing quilt blocks is at play here, the CUTTING, the SEWING, and the PRESSING. Each will be taught in detail in the class.

All the DIAMONDS have a bias edge so it is important to keep them straight and true. Here are just a few photos of my process:

The units are sewn together so you get a perfect seam alignment match:

Then you get to choose which fabric arrangement you prefer:

Light points on the Outside

Dark points on the Outside

As usual, I even get to show WHAT NOT TO DO:

OOPS, time to get out the stitch ripper and fix that middle segment--I sewed the orange to the WRONG FABRIC

When the top is done I will start offering this as a Workshop for extended day classes. It is big, 94" x 94"  square as the pattern is written. I am planning to add an additional border to make it King size. So I don't think I will quilt it before teaching the workshop--a King size quilt can fill a suitcase by itself.

So tell me? Would it bother you to see the sample as a top only? I can make a very small additional sample and quilt that to provide quilting suggestions for the final bed-size quilt. 

I am also considering a different pieced border. Do you like the long Sawtooth border or would you like an optional alternative?

Making a quilt for a major workshop takes a lot of time. I write a lot of notes about pressing instructions, notions that will be helpful, how to speed up the process, how to achieve maximum accuracy. All the things I have to consider and think about get written down while the quilt in in progress. There will be an additional handout for students with all the "Tips and Tricks" to being successful with this quilt. 

Let's Quilt!

Barbara