Big Stars, Little Stars, and Keep Quilting!

My stars.  In the two photos below are different size sashings (if that's what they're called when they're in the middle of a block).  The "wing" blocks are the same size, only the stars and sashing are different sizes.

This star is 1 1/2" wide in the center.

This star is 1" wide in the center.

These are two blocks are side by side.

 

(The outer sashing is there so I could see the real size of the finished blocks.  I will probably use different fabrics in the quilt.)

It helps me to see more objectively when I take photographs and post them.  I don't know what it is about seeing them online that helps, but I think it does.

After I decide which size, I have to figure out how to cut and sew them.  I think the points are sewn like flying geese except at the end of long strips.  I just need to research or play with what size squares to cut and sew diagonally.  Learning is so much fun!

As I was trying to decide which size stars (and, therefore, sashing) to cut to connect these blocks, I decided to do some research to see if there's a "standard" or preferred proportion.  The "wing" blocks will finish at 4".  Is 1" too narrow?  Is 2" too wide?  Is 1 1/2" too narrow or too wide?

I came upon a blog post at Diane Gaudynski "A New Tradition in Quilting":  Embracing the Old, Exploring the New that did not give me an answer but gave me encouragement.  The post was about scale and proportion, specifically about how photographs can give a different impression of size than a real-life view gives.  Anyway, at the end of her post I read:

"Keep quilting! Your work gets better every day."

I really appreciated reading that.  This art and craft of quilting does not come easily to me.  My mind bogs down with colors, fabrics, scale, proportion, quilting designs....  I take heart in the thought that I'm improving!

I'm linking this post to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.

I hope all of your quilting efforts are going smoothly.
--Nancy. .