Star Upon Stars #5

Star Upon Stars #5

Hands down, the best part of making this quilt has been the surprise of what each star will look like! I've become a bit of a kid in wanting to see it as soon as the first star point has been sewn, too. The magic folding mirror is amazing! How did I ever live without it? You can see the original fabric pull for this block in my post, First Side Setting Block for Star Upon Stars.

I love the heavy, dark ring of blue and brown. The 2 green-blue diamonds show nicely against the background too. 

First Side Setting Block for Star Upon Stars

1st Side Setting Block 

Using the leftover strips from the last block I made, I flipped the points around to see if I could give it a different look. I really love the red squiggles in the outer points in the block above! The background is more cream than white, and the turquoise stars are solids instead of a mix of fabrics. It works for me, and was a great use of leftover strips so a super short cut!

Star Upon Stars #4 Finished

Star Upon Stars Block 4 Finished

It goes without saying I'm ready to have this block done. Summer has been long, and aside for a tiny dry spell it has been green throughout. Nice weather meant less time I could sit inside guilt-free to sew, and more spent with my head and hands in garden beds. It's not even every other day now I get to sit down to piece, and that certainly slows a big project. But 4 are done with pieces to do some half blocks already stripped from leftovers, and I hope to do a few of those before moving on to a whole new block.

Stars Upon Stars July

Plugging Away

If I was going to make progress on this block, I had to give something up. So the minute I finished breakfast, I was at the sewing machine in my pajamas. Yesterday I squeezed in 2 half blocks, and today the same plus a corner. The final 3 are underway, and I should be able to finish it by tonight. We've had house and garden projects without end to work through this spring, and sometimes I'm just too tired to work on something hard. 

More Tools for Star Upon Stars: Mirrors and Pins

Next Star in Progress

April and May are the busiest months in my year. If I'm starting seeds for the garden, I'm paying as close attention to them as I would a baby. Well, almost. But it does take a lot of time to get everything ready to get your own seed starts into the garden at just the right time, and I'm still figuring that out. Last Sunday I decided I needed a lot more space than I had planned, and we tilled another plot inside the fence. I'm a no-till gardener at heart, but conditions weren't optimal to go that route now. It's rained ever since we tilled, and I've used that time to catch up on the next block. Let me show you that along with a neat tool and technique.

Star Upon Stars 4: 3 Tools that Rule

Third Block in Star Upon Stars

Let me say this block was a trial to see if I liked the two color stars. I did! I think it helped tie the red, white, and blue theme together well, and will definitely employ the technique again.

This quilt is not fast paced for me. I have a greenhouse full of seedlings and plants, and am quilting for customers several days a week. Forgive me my gaps in posts. I have a sewing space at home that affords me the convenience of popping in to work a few minutes here and there, and that time adds up to a new block every few weeks now. It will get better next month when the garden fills up, and I'm not so busy. Now let's talk tools.

Star Upon Stars: Block 3 & Color Process

Block 2 Is Finished

I finished this block up Sunday morning. It was completely fiddly, and I was lucky it came together. The outer circle of stars were all off enough to make me sew and rip, sew and rip. I will say I'm developing a sense of how to see where I need to mismatch seams a bit to make it fit. That's good progress. 

Star Upon Stars: Block 2 and Backgrounds

Star Upon Stars: Block 2 and a Background Fabrics Discussion

A beautiful star in the end, but not exactly what I was looking for. And that is the whole question when we create any block. "What exactly do you want it to look like?" Being so new to this pattern, I'm was still not completely sure. Remember I said I knew I had a lot to learn by making this quilt. Watch the video below as Edyta explains her theory for picking colors, and method for construction.

While Edyta Sitar was explaining her take on the quilt, she remarked about the setting stars being darker than the center star. That says to me that the center star is the focus, and the outer stars are in more of a support role for the block. The outer stars should include some of the colors from the center, but ideally be a darker shade. This one is the same shade as a green within my star. Let's get into backgrounds, and see what happened.

Star Upon Stars: One Done, One In Progress

Block One: Star Upon Stars

Pink and Brown

There were a several people that said this was their favorite combination with pink in the center, and blue on the tips. And to be fair, it was my original intent so I sewed the block this morning. It was quite a relief to see it come together the way it should or nearly there. If the rest fit this well, I'll be delighted.

The star itself was about 13.5" tip to tip before adding on the corners, and I was nervous. While I assembled each corner star to the large star, I checked against my cutting mat markings. When I had both corners in, I needed to be fairly in range to 12.5". If I wasn't, I ripped and readjusted until I was.  Adding the half stars took it down just to where it needed. 

FYI: A shocking amount of each star tip got swallowed into the seams. 

Star Upon Stars

Star Upon Stars

Pattern by Edyta Sitar inspired by an 1846 antique quilt from the Grand Rapids Public Museum. 

Re-created with permission.

I am tentatively saying this 12" block is the first of many, but I'm honestly not sure yet. I've never done such a labor intensive block. It took days, and isn't together yet. I had decided a few months ago to do a challenging project this year, and first bought the pattern Common Bride by Edyta Sitar. While I gathered my ideas for that quilt, I came back again and again to look at Star Upon Stars. I wasn't sure I could actually make it, though, as I had practiced those pesky stars for months, and still wasn't great at it.