The stars at night

Hello everyone! I hope you are all feeling well and healthy, and that no one is going too stir crazy yet. This is a weird and challenging time, isn't it? It's like a slow-motion science fiction movie right now. Lots of stress and lots of strange things happening. Who ever thought we would live through a time when half our country is locked down? I hope you're all coping okay.

Well, I'll bet you can figure out my coping strategy! I've made myself a schedule since I'm teaching all online now and I want to be sure I get outside and eat enough and take breaks and such, and one thing on my schedule is "go to sewing room." Somehow I always find something to do there!  Here is what I've already finished up this week:

What? It's the completely finished and bound Constellations quilt! At long last! The sunshine is washing out the colors a bit, but it's finished and is bright and happy in spite of the dark background.

I made this quilt top as a quilt along project for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge in 2017. I know I'm way behind getting it quilted, but a little while ago I sent it off to Alycia, and she quilted some stars into it for me. Since I made the binding two years ago, it wasn't that hard to trim it up and put the binding on it, then de-stress by hand stitching the binding down.

This turned out to be a very cute lap size, as it's about 56 by 66.  I love this picture of the backing, mostly because it's a great color, but also because you can see the fun stars. The back looks almost as good as the front!

I like this little quilt, and I'm happy it's finished, but I'm not sure what's going to happen to it. Sometimes it's fun just to make something without a real plan. I'm sure that something will come up. Most likely one of my kids will make off with it. That seems to happen a lot around here.

I hope all of you are safe and are getting some stress-free stitching time. Or really stressed stitching time! Either way.  Stay healthy and take care of each other. We're going to come out of this, sooner or later, though I'm not sure things will ever be "the same" again. But they'll be better, I know that!

Sharing at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Brag about your Beauties, and Finished or not Friday.

Constellations Quilt-- Purple

Hi all, and welcome to block one of the Constellations quilt!  This month's color is purple, which is good because I have a bunch of purple scraps hanging around from another quilt I'm working on.  I've chosen this lovely block for this month:

This is the Wyoming Valley Block, and it is not nearly as difficult as it seems.  It's mainly made from half-square triangles that finish at 2 inches, which we all know how to make, so let's start sewing!

For this block, you will need scraps of two different purples (I used a light and a medium), a green, a little bit of yellow or another accent, and the background (mine is the dark blue).

Helpful tips:

Just a few things to note before we start sewing.  I'm going to assume that you all have some experience sewing and that you know how to make basic units like half-square triangles and the like, so I'll leave out those specific instructions.  If you need a tutorial for some units, I'll do my best to link to one.

*It's really helpful to read the whole tutorial before cutting anything.  

*I don't press seams open, but you may find that you get the flattest block by pressing your seams open.  Otherwise, press toward the darker fabric or toward the least-pieced units.

*It helps a LOT to square up as you go and make sure that each of the units is the correct size before proceeding.

*It also helps to use a slightly smaller stitch length.

*Accurate 1/4 inch seams make life easier! 

Cutting:

From the background, cut:

6 2-7/8 inch squares (for hsts, so can oversize to trim down later, if you do that)
12 2-1/2 inch squares

1 2-1/2 by 12-1/2 inch strip
1 3-1/2 by 12-1/2 inch strip
2 2-1/2 by 17-1/2 inch strip

From the lighter purple:

6 2-7/8 inch squares (for hsts, so can oversize)

From the medium purple:

8 2-1/2 by 4-1/2 strips
2 2-7/8 inch squares (can oversize)

From the green:

8 2-1/2 inch squares

From the yellow:

2 2-7/8 inch squares (can oversize)

Now to sew!

Making the units:

First we're going to make a bunch of half-square triangles.  Use the 2-7/8 inch squares to make the following hsts.  All of these hsts should be squared to 2-1/2 inches to finish at 2 inches in the block:

8 of the lighter purple/ background
4 lighter purple/ yellow
4 medium purple/ background


To make the corner pieces for the block, take the light purple/background hsts, the light purple/ yellow hsts, and the 2-1/2 inch background squares and lay them out as shown:

This is the last of one of my favorite purples ever!

Make 4, and be sure that the light purples are positioned correctly, with one pair "kissing" in the center of the unit.  Each unit should measure 4-1/2 inches square.

Next, take the 4 medium purple/ background hsts and arrange them as shown. 

Stitch and press.  This is the block center and should measure 4-1/2 inches square.  [Alternate method: This unit can also be made as a square in a square, using a 3-3/8 inch background square and 2 2-7/8 inch squares.]

The next units to make are the "rays" of the star. You should have 8 2-1/2 inch squares of background and 8 2-1/2 inch green squares.  Draw a line from corner to corner on the back of each piece, as shown:

Take the 2-1/2 by 4-1/2 medium purple pieces and position the background squares at one end as shown:

Notice that these go in opposite directions.  Stitch right on the line, then trim and press.  Make 4 in each direction:

Next, take the green squares and position them on those same pieces as shown:

Notice that the lines on the green squares go in the same direction as the stitched lines on the background squares.  Stitch right on the line, then trim and press.  You should have 4 of each of these units:

[Alternate method: Make 8 purple/ green and 8 purple/ background hsts that measure 2-1/2 inches to finish at 2 inches in the block.  Arrange to make units that look the same as those above.]

Stitch together the units as shown above, matching the points.  Make 4.  Even if you don't press seams open, this one is a good choice to do so because it is quite bulky.



Units should measure 4-1/2 inches square.


All the units are made, let's make a block!


Assembly:

That's it for the units, so let's put this block together! Lay out the units you made as shown, paying attention to the directions of the hsts:

It's essentially a 9-patch block now, so join the units into rows and the rows into a block.  Press, stand back, and admire!

Completing this section:

This quilt was designed as a "progressive" quilt, where one section is completed each month and the sections are joined as we go.  You can also just make the blocks and lay them out any way you choose, or finish assembly of the quilt at the end. 

To complete this section of the quilt, stitch the 2-1/2 by 12-1/2 inch piece to the left side of the block, and the 3-1/2 by 12-1/2 inch piece to the right side. 

Attach the 2-1/2 by 17-1/2 inch pieces to the top and bottom.  Press well and admire!

Congratulations!  The first section of the quilt is done!

Have fun creating this first section, and come back on February 7 for the next exciting installment of the Constellations quilt!

Sharing at Let's Bee Social, Oh Scrap!, Finished or Not Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and soscrappy for RSC17!

Constellations, a new BOM!

Hi everyone!  It's the last day of 2016! We are at my parent's house for a couple of days after spending time with the grandson, then it's home to start the new year.  Lots of traveling, but we get to see everyone.  Way better than the years we would pile all the kids in the car and head for Grandma's, too.  Less fighting in the back seat.

Since it's closing in on the new year, it's time to start on 2017's projects.  For next year, I have designed another block of the month quilt that will be my major project for the Rainbow Scrap challenge over at soscrappy.  Why not?  I like doing them and the quilts have turned out great so far.

As we know, I don't draw so well (and I don't have the expensive software), but you get the idea.  I've designed this one a little bit differently, so that each month one of the 10 sections will be completed, and then joined to the other sections. For example, in month 3, section 3 is completed and joined to sections 1 and 2. When 4 and 5 are finished, they're joined to 1, 2, and 3 and half the quilt is finished. This way, when you've made the last section, your quilt is complete except for the borders!  The sections include the blocks and the sashing, all of it designed to fit together just right.

Not to worry, I did the math!

The working title for this quilt is Constellations.  Why? Because all the blocks are stars!  The quilt includes both 12 inch and 6 inch blocks, all of them somewhat uncommon--no Sawtooth Stars or Ohio Stars-- but none of them very complicated.  I promise, none of them is as difficult as the Intricate Stitches blocks!  You know I love vintage blocks, though, so these stars are also from our quilting heritage.  And there's only one block to make each month!

For my quilt, I am using some of the many, many fat quarters I have accumulated.  In keeping with my resolution to take more chances with color, I've chosen a lovely blue as a background:

UPDATE:  I had originally chosen Kona Nightfall (a beautiful color) as my background, but then I found the above blue in yet another box.  The pattern that it was with was from 2008, so I think it's safe to say I'll never make that quilt.  There was exactly 4 yards if this, so I've decided to use it instead.  The selvage says that it is Krystal by Michael Miller, but has no date or color number.  It's actually darker than it appears in the picture and looks like the night sky.

So that's the plan!  If it sounds at all interesting, come on along and try a block or two.  I'll be putting up a page for Constellations later this week, and the first tutorial will be posted sometime the first week in January.  After that, new tutorials will be posted on the first Tuesday of the month.

 Hope everyone is having a great weekend and that you have a wonderful new year celebration!  Bring on 2017!

Sharing at soscrappy for RSC17 (!!), Linky Tuesday, and Let's Bee Social.