When I joined a local quilting group, I knew I would need a portable project I could hand-sew at meetings. I decided to make simple six-pointed star blocks, using fabrics from my stash. They were easy to create, using a single template I printed from EQ8, since each piece is the same.
Over the past couple of years, as I kept creating the blocks, I pondered how I would join them.
This was my first layout. I liked this a lot, even though those tiny triangles in the sashing were fiddly to sew. After getting the quilt to this size, I realised I wouldn’t be able to make even a lap-sized quilt because I don’t have a lot of the background fabric (a cream fabric with tiny green spots) and am unlikely to be able to buy more. I unpicked these blocks from the sashing.
This is my second layout. It was an attempt to make the quilt larger by using hexagons of the aqua spotted fabric surrounded by the blocks. After looking at it for a few days, I decided it was boring. I unpicked the stitching joining all the blocks.
This time, I decided to add larger six-pointed star blocks. Not only does it use more stash fabric, but it means I need fewer of the small blocks (remember my limited amount of background fabric!). The finished size of the edge of each small block is 4 1/2 inches, so I printed out another template to make the larger stars, with the edge of each piece that size.
I’m happy with this layout because I think it provides the quilt with more visual interest than the other layouts. The stitching is simple and it is growing steadily in size. I have yet to work out how big to make it and how to finish so it is square (though as I look at this photo, I see an option).
It didn’t worry me that I unpicked so many seams. I enjoy the process of creating an article that didn’t exist before so it’s important that it makes me happy. We all make quilts for different reasons – what’s yours?