When it came time to choose a quilt to share in the Blogger's Quilt Festival, I chose one that is in fact, quite simple. It began with five star blocks that had been languishing in my stash closet for a while with an uncertain future. I loved them, but didn't know what to do with them.
There was always the option of making more blocks to keep them company in a quilt, but in the end, I decided on a more modest approach. And as I explained in my original post, I did trade out one of the original stars to improve the cohesiveness of the color palette. Soooo, I proceeded to stitch the stars in a vertical row.
And I chose a couple of solids to really set them off - Marcus Fabrics Royal and Kona Zucchini. I swear I had every blue and greenish-yellow bolt of fabric out on the floor at the fabric shop to 'audition' them with my quilt blocks! But when I added the large swaths of solids to my column of blocks, it was clear my final choices really pulled everything together.
So you see what simplicity was there in the construction of the quilt? I kept it fairly simple with the quilting too, though by doing something unique in each section, it added alot of interest. I machine-quilted horizontal straight lines in the blue and vertical in the yellow-green. Then one big zig-zag down the blocks, echoed at 1" increments.
For the binding, I revisited a technique I had done just a few times before.
And that would be matched binding, which I really love on certain quilts, this definitely being one of them!
So in the end, I used those blocks that had been set aside and made a quilt I really love, exploring new territory by incorporating more negative space than ever before. With the quilting pattern variances, and the matched binding, it has a style all its own.
Blogger's Quilt Festival stats:
Name of quilt: Stars of Summer
Completed quilt measurements: 48" x 60"
Special techniques used: Matched binding (tutorial here)
Quilted by: me
Name of quilt: Stars of Summer
Completed quilt measurements: 48" x 60"
Special techniques used: Matched binding (tutorial here)
Quilted by: me
Best Category: Lap Quilt, Home Machine Quilted Quilt
Entry # 110
Linking up with Blogger's Quilt Festival and End of the Hallway 2012.
Entry # 110
Linking up with Blogger's Quilt Festival and End of the Hallway 2012.
How clever is that? I have some orphan blocks that I love so much but don't know what to do with - this is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant...thanks for sharing the whole concept in a story. I was just thinking about this quilt yesterday!
ReplyDeleteI still love how this one came out! Glad you took the time to find just the right colors to set the blocks. And as always, I love the matched binding. :)
ReplyDeleteI love this quilt, a great choice for the festival.
ReplyDeleteI love matched bindings. They can be tricky, but done right, they're just awesome!
ReplyDeleteYou covered so many design elements in this quilt Debbie. A fabulous finish.
ReplyDeleteI love your quilt! I am intimidated by super complicated blocks, so this would be a great way to try a few and end up with a great quilt.
ReplyDeleteI love the simplicity of your quilt - even though it's not that simple. =)
ReplyDeleteMatched binding is new to me, but I LOVE it! And your quilting is perfect.
I love your quilt! You were absolutely right about the matched binding for this one...it carries the simplicity to the end and makes it a beautiful piece. Lovely choice for the festival.
ReplyDeleteLove the quilt, and think the quilting really makes it special. Sets those blocks and the solids off so well.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see this one again Debbie! I think you're one of the queens of straight line quilting. I love the mixture of horizontal/vertical/zigzag. Fabulous! My giant granny square quilt is going to look like this one day, whenever I get back to it!
ReplyDeleteDear Debbie, your quilt is so beautiful! This is a great example that less is more and how big role the quilting has in every quilt! I don't think I could make the matching binding match. x Teje
ReplyDeletesuch an awesome quilt. you're terrific! i LOVE the matched binding, how clever. good luck in the festival!
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely quilt with just the right amount of little detail in the quilting and bigger design elements in the stars. thanks for sharing your process and congrats on a great finish.
ReplyDeleteYou know I love this one!
ReplyDeleteGreat pick for the festival Debbie! This is one of my favorites of yours too, just so pretty and simple, focus on the five blocks and some great solids! Nothing better than that!
ReplyDeleteGreat pick for the festival, it is a stunner of a quilt!
ReplyDeleteI remember this one! Loved it then, and love it now!
ReplyDeleteSuch pretty blocks! Love the way you quilted it!
ReplyDeleteDebbie, this s a beautiful quilt. Love your quilting as well.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Simple, yet elegant.
ReplyDeleteGreat quilt!
ReplyDeleteGreat choice, Debbie! This one is such a beauty!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great quilt that came from the orphan blocks. I love the simplicity of the whole quilt and the quilting you have done really suits it. Thanks for the tut on matched binding- on my to do list to try now.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful quilt - love the fabrics, the blocks, the matched binding and of course your fabulous quilting!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Great work on the binding, too - good call.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful twist to the traditional blocks - the alternating quilting is a great idea on the solids. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat way to bind the quilt. I've done scrappy binding, but never deliberate matching. I'll have to try that one day. I love the colors as well!
ReplyDeleteWow Debbie, it's beautiful! Such a great idea. I love stars in quilts and the colours you used just make them even more pretty!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful quilt. It's so fresh and airy with all that negative space. Such a brilliant way to use special blocks. I really like the binding too.
ReplyDeleteDebbie - I really love this quilt! You did a super job, and the colors/negative space/binding all just work perfectly! This is my favorite quilt so far of the festival! Way to go!
ReplyDeleteSo, so beautiful - I LOVE the solids!!
ReplyDeleteThis is lovely - I love the back too. Thanks for sharing. #263
ReplyDeleteThis quilt is just the scrummiest I have seen. I LOVE IT and thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea!!! It's traditional yet totally modern. SO nice! And I love the way that you did the binding - brilliant.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea. And you're right, the 2 solids are just perfect.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful quilt! Great idea for using your blocks.
ReplyDeleteI love the simplicity of this quilt Debbie! I think that is the beauty of it. Your quilting is a brilliant way to finish it!
ReplyDeleteI love simple, modern quilts like this. Excellent job - and the quilting is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteFrom Rachel of Stitched In Color:
ReplyDeleteI like your "simple" entry. All that negative space is so effective and it really seems like a quilt that would find a way into many living rooms.
Rachel
Very clever and very effective. I love the clean design and the matched biding works perfectly here.
ReplyDeleteLove the simplicity of your quilt and the color palette is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI love how fresh the colours are in this :o)
ReplyDelete