My header quilt

I’ve had multiple inquiries about the quilt in my header, but most of them have been left by visitors that are no reply. I decided I would just post about it, so everyone would know. This quilt hangs above our King-size bed, so I pulled the bottom of the quilt forward over the pillows to take a picture of the whole thing. This, of course, made it keystone, but that’s the best I can do.

I was fortunate early on in my quilting hobby passion, to take a two day class at a LQS from Alex Anderson called Simply Stars. That class changed how I made blocks. She demonstrated how to make blocks “even” on the outside so you didn’t cut off points. She taught us a Split LeMoyne star, which is my favorite block.  I also learned how to make flying geese by just cutting them out and sewing them together – 3 triangles –and they turn out fine!

I had begun teaching a beginning class in hand piecing, but it rapidly changed to machine piecing. Then I started teaching what I learned in her class – stars. Every time I taught it I added to my collection of blocks, and I finally started assembling the center of my quilt. I didn’t like yellow at that stage in my quilting life, but I soon saw that this quilt needed some. I took the 3” blocks and used them as the centers of 6” sawtooth stars to add a touch of sun to the quilt, and it definitely improved. I assembled the center, then put it away for a while. I had figured out that it needed a border of 6” LeMoyne stars, but I just couldn’t face cutting out all those diamonds!

The LQS asked me to try out some Marti Michell templates to see if I liked them, then to teach classes with them. It was a “canned” class – a BOM, but we did it in 6 weeks. I then discovered set E. M Michell template set E is for 8 pointed stars – LeMoyne stars!! I started cutting out stars with that and never looked back, except when I needed a size other than 6 or 12”. I remember writing an email to M Michell  about being able to cut out all the diamonds for this quilt border in one day! 

I also like a lot of things Judy Martin does, and the border treatment is one of her suggestions (I don’t remember which book). I didn’t want to match points on 60 LeMoyne stars! By alternating adding a piece of border fabric or background to the border blocks, everything lays flat (I press seams open on LeMoyne stars).

I sent this out for custom quilting. I wanted circles, but instead got freehand spirals. I have since learned that you need a Circle Lord to make the circles I wanted, so I am happy with the quilting, but one of these days I’m going to replicate this quilt and quilt it myself. I have a small star quilt that I quilted with circles and I love it. Yes, circles are a lot of work, but so is making all those stars.  This quilt is my masterpiece so far, although the Timberline log cabin that we made as an opportunity quilt comes close to the stars. I want to remake both of them, once I finish some UFOs!!

Happy quilting,

Becky