Hunter's Star: Part II

 You can see my lengthy post on my approaching the Hunter's Star for the first time here.  Here's the result from using 6" quarter blocks to make 12" blocks for this 36" x 36" baby quilt.  While this started as practice, it turned out so well, that I'm not ashamed to give it away.

Hunter's Star Baby Quilt

I started with the turquoise and white, but I did not have enough fabric to make more than 5 complete blocks.  I had some other fabric (that came in a mystery print box from Hancock's of Paducah), that picked up the colors.  I used that as fill in block.  I'll make a baby quilt from this. This finished at 36" x 36".

For those who LOVE stars such as the Lemoyne, the Hunter's Star may be more approachable. The construction methods are VERY different, but you end up with a beautiful eight pointed star inside of a block.

In my prior post, Mary provides a scrappy version, and I think that it looks lovely. 

I see several posting on how to make this using half square triangles. By doing so, you break up prints.  With Deb Tucker's construction method, there is no need to use cheater methods to avoid dealing with sewing diamonds to trapezoids.  Sewing the trapezoid to a diamond strip is so easy and accurate.  I'm not great quilter, but I feel that my results for first time speaks to the ease and efficacy of the method.

 

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Inkscape Redux

 In working with my "baby quilt" Inkscape drawing more, I realized that I had an element that was not quite right.

Here's the original image.  I realized that the diamond centers in mid sashing was not quite right.

I changed (easily) a couple of elements note below and created  a more harmonious design.

And, my final design (after much futzing/stumbling about). 

 

 I did a complete takeoff, though I realized that my wandering eye to a finished v. a cut size caused me to become friendly with my Havil seam ripper. Check twice!  Measure twice!  Sew Once!  Avoid Unsewing!!!!!

When I complete the quilt, I will take a picture of it.  I will also post the blocks, measurements and take offs if any want to give this a try. This project provided me with twofold benefits:  (1) I was able to learn essential elements of Inkscape to allow me to understand in a structured way how to use the program; and (2) helped me understand the organic creation of quilt blocks AND their interplay.

 

 

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Finished Project | Baby Quilt

I completed this baby quilt last evening.  I took a picture before it was laundered. I had finished the top and basted (using homemade basting spray) it to the batting some time ago, but did not get around to putting on the backing and quilting it.  My skills have improved, but yes, you can see that wavy, wonky line in the right border.

This is my own pattern that is simply a 4 patch with pink, gray, red and white colors, set in a simple sashing (1.5" cut) with red corner stones (1.5" squares).   The 4 patch was from 5 inch squares that I cut from fabric.  This would be a lovely charm-square friendly quilt, too. I found this fabric at Tuesday Morning which had this little girl with bees on leash and colorful red and pink toadstools.  I had other complimentary fabrics (also from TM)  to complete.  I put a border on 2 sides and used a red-checked gingham for the back.  I made another quilt with similar palette/fabrics.  This gave me a chance to use up the balance of the fabric.  (Hmmm....as I'm looking at this quilt, I think that I had made binding strips, too, from the border...last evening I simply cut 2.5" strips of gingham...oh well...)

This quilt will be gifted to one of my daugher's friends who is expecting a baby girl in late December. I think it fun and fresh.

One thing that I was bound (pun intended!) and determined to do was join the terminal connections of the binding on a 45 degree angle.  For the spatially challenged, this is a tough thing to do. If you are not careful, you'll end up with an unwelcomed twist.  Once your brain gets it right, it will always be right, but until then.....

I sew my binding to the back and bring it to the front and use a reverse blanket stitch.  I'm not making show quilts--I only started this year learning this craft-- but rather utility quilts for parents and babies to use and abuse. I'm not going to handstitch.  This method allows for the binding to lay very flat on the front.  It works for me.

I no longer fear binding.  Sharon Schamber's quilt binding video set all fears aside.  From that video on, I became a serial glue baster.  Starching wrong side of fabric and then pressing creates a stable product.  Glue basting one side at a time to each corner (to include folding the corner) creates a sta-put no-pins-to-stick-you sewing line with a CLEAR visual on where to stop sewing as you approach you corner (the ironed crease!) as you approach the mitered corner. No more "guestimating"

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