Brilliant Star Blocks

Eleven more blocks made


Would be great Christmas fabric

I made a maternity dress for my third pregnancy in 1966 from this fabric

  And a maternity top from this.  Wasn't I fashionable...turtles...seriously?????

One of my aunts had a dress from this brown

 

Isn't this a great stripe?

 

Grandma had a dress from this fabric

 

 

 I made a lap back pillow from the green colorway of this fabric for 4-H.  My sister used this red colorway for a project.

 

I think my aunt had a dress from this???

Love this green print

 

A pretty blue

 

I made a dress from this yellow.  Always hated it!

 

It Never Fails!

I start the new year telling myself I will NOT get involved in any new BOM's.  This year I really, really meant it!  I have so many tops that need quilted and so many other projects I  want to do. 

On the other hand my biggest goal this year is just to do whatever I WANT to do and not the things I feel I MUST do.

So what did I discover today?  Barbara Brackman's new blog.  I love Civil War fabrics and one of the things I really did WANT to do this year was another sampler quilt using those fabrics.  I just hadn't decided if I was going to use some one's pattern, or come up with my own.

So, while I may feel as if I'm caving by starting Barbara's Civil War Quilt BOM, I'm really not.  I'm doing exactly what I intended...right? 

That's my story and it works for me.

Barbara plans to post a new block every Saturday, for a total of 52 blocks inspired by the Civil War along with stories to accompany the blocks.  I think I'm going to love it!

So an hour after finding her blog, here is my first block. It's called "Catch Me If You Can".  Be sure and read the story that accompanies it on Barbara's blog

Happy New Year!



More Blocks

I've been busy making blocks and haven't stopped to post the pictures.  They are going pretty quickly and easier with each one.  Some of these aren't pressed perfectly yet, but pieced better than they might look.

One of the things that is fun about using these scraps from Grandma...a fabric like this would never find it's way into my stash any other way. LOL.  I just don't buy large florals.  But isn't it pretty?

This fabric makes me think of apartment buildings.  Tom sees dice.

I used this fabric to make a portfolio for 4-H in the late 1950's.  Even though it is clearly yellow roses,I always see ears of corn when I look at it.  Must be the Iowa girl in me.

Believe it or not I used this fabric to make pajamas for my two oldest sons in the late 60's.  What fun to be working with it and reliving those memories as we wait (not so patiently) for both of them to have grandchildren born in the next few days.

Grandma had a dress from this material.

And I'd like a few yards of this yummy green.

Would like some of this red print as well.

Several blocks use fabric with embossing for the star points..like these blue ones.  The print is a feedsack.

These are almost perfectly fussy cut.

Another of those prints that would never make it into my stash under normal circumstances.

Ditto

I LOVE the movement in this fabric.  Would take a few yards of it too!

It feels good to be finally working up these cut pieces.  I don't want to die without making them into a quilt. 

Crazy weather happening in this part of the country.  I hope all my Midwestern blog friends stay safe.  And to everyone..Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!



Siggies

I've been remiss posting some siggies I received this month.

Mother and daughter, Margo and Suzanne from The Netherlands  sent matching heart blocks.

And Flavia from Italy sent this cheerful cherry siggy.

I truly love receiving these little gifts from all over the world and I wish all my siggy friends a wonderful New Year!



Brilliant Star

My good friend,Crispy, came to the rescue and identified this block as either Brilliant Star (Nancy Page) or Pointing Star (KC Star) according to Brackman's book.  Thank you, Crispy!  And today while digging through some more of Grandma's templates I found an envelope with another hexagon template marked "used this for RNA quilt" (a fraternal organization she belonged to) and a date in 1987 corresponding to the same date she had marked on the cut out pattern pieces.  She also wrote "pattern from Workbasket" so my guess as to where she got the pattern was correct.  Of course she might have used hexagons for many patterns, but with the same date marked on both sets I found and also the "RNA" notation on both sets, I know they belong together.

Today I counted the number of block sets she has strung together and get 67 give or take a couple.  I could make a good sized quilt from all of these. 

I pieced a few more last night and had already figured out what Crispy also suggested...getting good points is definitely about the pressing too.  And I discovered that Grandma's pieces weren't as badly cut as I had thought.  Guess I pulled one that was a little off and assumed they were all that way.  But she actually did a really good job with her cardboard templates and scissors.  And I marvel at what a good job she did piecing the larger blocks since I see no drawn sewing lines.  She obviously just eyeballed a quarter-inch seam line.  I can do that sometimes, but in a block this complicated I really need to draw the lines on at least one of the two fabrics I'm joining. 

I think these are cool fabrics..mostly from the 1950's and 60's.  I'm sure not all are 100% cotton but I'm going to use them anyway, just as Grandma would have done.  I recognize so many of them but I'm always surprised at the number of solid fabrics she collected for the star points.  We had a very little shop in our small town that sold fabric.  Not a lot of variety and I sure don't remember Grandma buying much there.  So I have to wonder how she came by all of the solids. 

I plan to share the blocks as I make them, hoping that others will enjoy looking at these vintage (and sometimes funky) fabrics.  If you get bored with that, let me know and I'll quit posting them.  I'm also labeling these posts so you can always search for "Brilliant Star Block" and pull them all up. 

These are the blocks I've done since last night. Still not prefect points..but passable for me at least.

Couldn't really find a good way to orient this stripes..so it's just....well.....interesting!

I love this plaid

I wasn't sure how to press this block but finally decided on this

Would anyone do it differently? 

Off to do more piecing.  I should be cleaning up my sewing room.....but piecing is more fun.