It takes me a long time to make a quilt. My plan was to make this one by Christmas 2023. I just now finished cutting the pieces, almost April 2024. The plan is alternating saturated color / non-saturated / saturated / non-saturated etc. Each star will be red alternating with red + mixed. This will depend on if I have enough fabric for those, which is a complicated calculation. The block is a triangle plus a trapezoid plus two diamonds, which will become star points. Sort of like this which is just for example purposes. I made the trapezoids to reflect the triangle fabric, without being identical. I made this more complicated than it needs to be. I really don't know how it will turn out. It's sort of a bucket list quilt pattern for me. The idea is nostalgia after opening presents, with wrapping paper and ribbons in a jumble. Hunter's Star is a traditional quilt pattern. I'm using a measuring template and method from 180 Design, by Deb Tucker. https://www.quiltingdaily.com/re-th...t-pattern-deb-tuckers-hunters-star-made-easy/ Next - sew the diamonds to the trapezoids.
Really nice star design, and nice patterns and colors. Looks complicated. With your sewing experience it will be beautiful .
Daniel where do you do your patience ? Where did you learn how to make these quilts ? I still can’t get over the hat you made.. very professional !
Thank you Pac. When I retired, I wanted to do woodworking like my dad did, or fishing. He was really talented and I have a lot of his carved animals. I don't have that three-dimensional talent. I thought maybe refinishing which I learned in high school I was pretty good with a lathe, but never got a good workshop built and it's too messy to do indoors. I like that too. Then some medical problems happened. I can't do the heavy woodworking, plus the chemicals and dust affect my breathing too much. When my parents died, I inherited a quilt that my great grandmother made. This is her, probably in 1890s. I think she was born in a place that was alternating between French and German conquest, based of family lore. Given the era, I bet she made that dress. This was her quilt. I posted it before on another quilt thread. I'm trying to find a way to give it to another of her descendants, but that's been frustrating. It's too fragile to actually use. So I decided to learn to make quilts and do other sewing. For me it's a form of meditation. It gives peace of mind and is calming. I like taking apart my old sewing machine, tinkering with it, oiling it and tuning it up. Sometimes I look online to see if I can find a similar one to do the same. Almost everything I really know is from books. The sewing too. I'm self taught sewing, gardening, cooking, home repair. I was thinking some of my quilts are too subdued. The next few will be more colorful. This method was from the internet. The lady who developed this version of Hunter's Star is Deb Tucker and has a lot of youtube videos. Like anyone who sews quilts, mine is quite a departure from her designs, but in this case I learned by watching her videos. I made up my own pattern for some quilts, and others are from magazines. Now I have a pile of patterns, so not collecting more. Thank you about the cap! I like wearing those. Comfortable, launder-able, and they protect my scalp. The original pattern was a cap that I took apart by the seams. My current pattern is evolved from that, more comfortable and useful. Today I was able to calculate how much more fabric I need for the Hunter's Star quilt. I ordered more fabric via the internet. Meanwhile, I got out the pieces that I cut for an entirely different quilt. Thanks again Pac! That was a nice compliment!
It is good to teach ourselves when we want to learn something. I like your quilts. I am working on that one that someone else made the top, but when it is done, I will make ones of my own making. I don't know yet how 'fancy' they will be. I like the photo of your great grandmother. I have photos of several great grandmothers, and a photo of one great great grandmother and great great grandfather. And a wedding photo of a great great uncle and his bride, he is a son to the great great grandparents.
Daniel Great pics enjoyed them very much. It’s an interesting tale of necessities and hobbies that turned into works of art. Lovey dress on your great grandmother. I too have some quilts and other handcraft items by my ancestors. It’s all so nice to have these prized treasures. Hats too… they are an important part of my daily gardening. I wear them all the time. Most of mine have a saying on the front , my fav is “Barn Goddess”. Not many can claim that honor..hehe..When I saw your beautiful hat you designed I was gobsmacked. So many unique talents you are blessed with. I’m sorry to hear of health issues that popped up as it can really challenge us to develop new strengths and over come these challenges with new skills. I remember the beautiful wooden box you made last year . Even anything made in your garden is always high quality and so well designed. It seems that some of your talents are handed down from family members from the past .
Some people use quilts--new or old--for wall hangings as a piece of artwork. I have a couple of 'vintage' quilts but they are not as old your great grandmother's quilt. I need to mend both of them. Both were wedding gifts, one each for my two marriages.
I have a few items from long gone family members. Except my Mom. She did give me a kettle I still use, and I have a few of her recipes I cook. Those are nice gifts. The challenge with really old quilts is they can be so fragile. So they wind up stored in a plastic bag.
The oldest one is in my cedar chest. It was made a by 90 something lady who was friends of my first husband's family. It is beautiful. It is a bit over 50 years old. The second one was made by the ladies at my church, it is about 38 years old and in a tote when not in use. They used yarn ties on this one. I am tempted to take them off when I get to mending it. Some of the squares have torn, so I think I can use my portable sewing machine to apply new squares, and it will tie things down. I would not use a 'plastic bag' to store linens and such, as this old house sometimes has rodents who ruin things.
Those do sound like treasures. Cedar chest is probably a good place too. My great grandmother's is actually in a plastic bag in a steamer trunk, I put it in the plastic bag during the summer, Summers here are bone dry. I think I made a mistake by having mothballs in there. I read somewhere that mothballs are acidic and can damage or yellow some fabric. Last year I got it out and aired it out - not in sun - then hand washed in cold water with mild detergent plus oxyclean, and air dried. It didn't seem to fade, and the yellowing improved. Not aiming for perfection. I realized that the trunk came from a great aunt who didn't get along at all with the great aunt who I inherited the quilt from. She was pretty bitter about her and cried if she found out we visited the other great aunt first. I don't know why. She was a sweet, loving person. Anyway, the karma of that quilt in that steamer trunk might have been dangerous LOL.
