I think this quilt looks calm, comforting, and warm. I'm still struggling just a little with the symmetry. I know if I put this quilt on a bed I will not be happy with the fact that the vertical center is a square with a star to its upper left and a star to its lower right. On a bed, to my eye, a strip of stars should be in the center.
The fabric for the squares and sashing came from thrift shirts in neutrals and several pieces of fabric from my sewing days. For the stars I used leftover blue fabrics from another quilt. The binding will also be blue, from a thrift shirt, and I think it may be wider than the usual ¼".
I'm happy with the stars but I realize now that they could have been bigger. The squares finish at 7½" and the sashing finishes at 2". With wider sashing, the stars would have been bigger and, therefore, stronger. If I make another of these quilts sometime in the future I'll try cutting the sashing at 3".
The symmetry (or lack of it) must not bother me enough to add another strip of blocks on one side or the other because I pieced the back today.
I had two pieces of wide fabric that I thought would work for the back, neither more than a yard and a quarter. Then I pulled out a shirt in a similar blue I recently found at the thrift store. I left the curves of the shirt bottom on the outside edge of the back. No sense cutting it and then cutting it into even smaller pieces when trimming the quilt before binding it.
I hope to lay out the batting tonight so I can layer and baste tomorrow. Finally I will have something to hand quilt! And I'm super thrilled to have a finished top and a finished back all in one week!
I'm linking this post to
> Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts
> TGIFF at Musings of a Menopausal Melon
> finish it up Friday at crazy mom quilts
> Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Thanks for hosting, ladies.
--Nancy.
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I love the asymmetry of it, Nancy. Some things just work really well that way, and I think this is one of them. The stars in the sky are not symmetrical, and this just twinkles like those stars, to me. Good job!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your encouragement to accept this quilt as it is, Janet. I've begun quilting it, with no changes, and I suspect by the time it's finished, I'll be glad it's done and probably pleased with it.
DeleteI agree with Janet. You'll learn to love it, too.
DeleteThank you, Tammy.
DeleteThis quilt is so soothing to look at, I don't think the asymmetry is even an issue. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Shirl.
DeleteWhen I look at it I see the stars in a diagonal line so the asymmetrical arrangement doesn’t bother me. I’ve got two teenage kittens. Nothing is safe from them. Love them though and they keep me entertained
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, Susan. Since I'm already hand quilting this I have to just forget about the asymmetry and focus on the diagonal!
DeleteI had kittens as a child and once when I was an adult and I don't remember them being as busy as my daughter's kittens. With little experience, we're still trying to figure out why they're so busy. We wonder if it's just their age or if it's because there's two of them and they energize each other. Or maybe it's just their temperament. Agreed: nothing is safe from these two, either. And they love to sit in the middle of my quilting hoop.
I agree with all the comments above and the description of the stars appearing to 'twinkle' is just right! It is a lovely quilt and the blue binding will look just right I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts and observations about this quilt, Allison. I hope the blue binding works. I'm keeping an eye out for a good blue to use in case the one shirt I have isn't enough.
DeleteThat flimsy looks perfect to me! I do agree with you going a 3" sashing would make those stars shine even more.
ReplyDeleteI pinned your star to my quiltalicious board.
Thank you, Tami, for your kind words about this quilt.
DeleteI love this quilt. I agree that it is a calming quilt. Good work. Hugs
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Cathy. I appreciate your kind words about this quilt top.
DeleteIt will make a marvelous cover the lap for a nap quilt.
ReplyDeleteI think so, too, Gypsy Quilter, though I hope, just maybe, it will be big enough for a twin bed.
DeleteAhhhh! It always feels so good to have something finished. The backing looks like a project in and of itself. The quilt top looks great. I like the stars just the way they are.
ReplyDeleteYes, a finish, even if only an interim finish, feel great, Robin. Those pieced backs always feel a little like another quilt, or maybe like a jigsaw puzzle without a photo for guidance. I left the stars and am already quilting the top. If I'd left it longer I probably would have changed my mind.
DeleteI like this quilt. The stars are small just like when we look to the heavens. I find it restful. You are a master of using what you have and thrift. I need to take lessons!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jennie. I think "restful" until I've quilted on it a little too long and then I think "boring." The quilting is simple but I think it will add a little interest to the quilt. And restful is great, too.
DeleteI don't know about master at using what I have but it somehow is easier for me to use scraps than it is to cut into new fabric. I think I should take a few lessons from you on buying and using beautiful, bright fabrics!
I am loving this quilt. I have made a similar but but I really like your small start.
ReplyDeleteAnd my favourite kind of backing!
Thank you for your kind words about this quilt. I love pieced backs, too.
DeleteA very pretty quilt! It does have a calm, peaceful feel to it. Love your backing too!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Rebecca. As I hand quilt it the adjectives I think describe it go back and forth between peaceful/calm/subtle to boring/dull. When it's finished I hope it will just look cozy.
DeleteI love this quilt - the stars twinkle perfectly! (And the fact that the back has shirt-tails makes me giggle just a little!)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gayle. The humor of the shirt-tails hanging out the edges escaped me until you mentioned it. Now I'm chuckling about it.
DeleteWell I love this quilt! I think the stars are the perfect size, not in your face, just twinkling calmly, and the lack of symmetry (I think it IS because stars on the left stars on the right, boom, good wink) is not evident at all. Grinned at your last comment about 'not bother me enough because...' I am going to bookmark this for a future quilt idea. :-) Thanks for linking up with TGIFF!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts and observations about this quilt, Sandra. I'm glad you like the idea enough to think of making one.
DeleteThanks for hosting TGIFF. I appreciate it.
I like it also. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Judy.
DeleteGorgeous! Just beautiful! Sometimes we can struggle a little too much with symmetry. This is perfect!
ReplyDeleteWendy, you are too kind. Symmetry gets me into trouble too often: quilts that are 75" wide and 100" long or almost square when I want a rectangle, etc. This quilt is in the hoop now. It was one I could make a back for but I knew if I folded it for future quilting I would probably have changed it. It will be fine with whatever symmetry it has!
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