Good Morning, Quilters!
Do YOU have a quilting mistake you make over and over again?
I have several, but one of the most frustrating is that I make quilts that look great in books or in patterns but don’t look good in my house! I am always drawn to bright colored quilts with rainbow colors, but my house is much more muted. (A compromise with my husband–probably for the better or my house would look like a Disney cottage!)
When I saw this new book –I Love Star Blocks edited by Karen Burns -with a title I can not deny…I decided to use colors from my house.
Okay…there’s not a lot of purple or magenta in my house…but I found a little bit in the rug!
The book is a compilation of star quilts from ten different designers. The patterns are for all skill levels and from Modern to traditional. I choose the pattern, Woven Star by Amy Ellis because it includes a lot of negative space–and we all know what negative space is good for!!! (I’m already designing the machine quilting!)
There are several other patterns I would like to make because I do LOVE star quilts! Find the book at YOUR local quilt shop or from Amazon HERE using my affiliate link. (There is no extra charge to you for using this link.)
I am using a collection of shot cottons and mixing them with solid fabrics. Shot cottons are fabrics woven with two different color “yarns”. The fabric has a beautiful luster–almost iridescent. 
What about YOU? Do YOU love star quilt blocks?
Do YOU pick your quilt colors to match your house?
Do YOU ever make the same quilt mistake more than once?
We’d LOVE to hear!
Happy Star-Gazing!
Lori
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Thanks!
31 comments
Linda Hess
I do the color thing too- I love working with bright colors, but my home is more neutral and earthy- the last quilt I made for myself is aqua and purple and lime (neon) and sunny yellow! I make more baby quilts for others as a result, but just finished drapes for the living room- much more muted! I am also a Lefty, so when I get tired, I tend to mirror image or get things backwards….I try not to do complicated when I am tired,lol
Christine
I use all colors in the quilts about my house. I do tend to change a few of the numerous lap quilts seasonally by putting out more muted colors during the fall/winter, brighter ones spring/ summer. I’m an advocate of the ‘:more is merrier’ school of color thought!
Sara S
I like star blocks too. If the points aren’t perfect, so what, it’s not the end of the world. I once heard a lady say you should only rip it out “if it can be seen by someone riding by on a horse at a gallop.” Works for me! About color, I am not going to worry about the quilt matching my house. If the quilt is pretty, who is going to notice the house. (So you know that my home will never grace the covers of Architectural Digest or Southern Living. LOL) Usually I find the pattern I want to try and then let that speak to me about which fabrics to use. Sometimes I find a fabric I just love and think “now what pattern will that look good in.” My problem is I see too many quilts in my head that I can never get them all made. To me quilting is an art form, like a blank canvas I can color and it will keep you warm. 🙂 Scrappy quilts can be fun, but really hard for some folks. You have to just sew the bits together and not look at color. Like if you are making a scrappy squares quilt (for example), put the strips in a paper bag, shake it up, reach in- eyes closed, and what ever you pull out gets sewn together. Takes discipline to force yourself to do it. The biggest thing is don’t be afraid to make mistakes!
June
I’ve always liked star blocks & your are beautiful together!
Janet Licari
That is beautiful fabric! The colors look great together. Colorful but not overly bright. Is the brown and green with the cream placed correctly? Does the pattern make a secondary design?
Louise Haddon
I painted my living room to match the quilt I have hanging there. It needed painting and solved the problem of where to put the quilt. I also love star quilts!
Linda Kennedy
I love star quilts, also, but struggle with how to quilt them. Especially how to quilt an Ohio star. Could you give some examples sometime?
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Sure!! Anything for you!
Chris K.
The mistake I make over and over is sandwiching my quilt before marking for quilting. It always works out okay, but I suspect the marking would be easier on one layer.
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I usually mark after basting.m because the marking tools I use wipe off too easily. Also I design as I go. There are pros and cons to each method.
Carolyn Block
Star quilts are among my favorite!
Susie Wolcott
I also make bright quilts that would look good in Hawaii but are out of place in Montana. But so fun to make.
Kay
Hi
I like stars, however I find perfect points a challenge. On the other hand, if not 100% perfect, it ‘s ok, I’ve learned something in the process of making the quilt and want people use my quilts!
Once a friend told me my house is a mix of may styles and they work! I make quilts based on the colors I like – batiks, bright colorful, reproduction and lots of purple.
The colors you are using are great! If you need a home for an extra quilt. . . . LOL
Maureen B. in B.C.
I LOVE colour. Working with many colours makes me happy happy happy. I once made a wedding gift quilt for a friend’s daughter in cranberry and cream … I was ready to tear my hair out with boredom when it was finally done. I had to keep another colourful project on the go to escape to for sanity now and again. I live with a lot of colour, but have never had anyone describe my house as a Disney house … I might even have thought that was a compliment ???? My kitchen and diningroom are all teals and greens, I have red leather chairs in my living room, and multicoloured quilts wherever I can hang them. My fishy quilt that hangs in the hall is my all-time favourite. It has 100 fish (from Joan Ford’s Scrap Therapy book), and each fish incorporates two different coloured fabrics plus the background.
My recently recurring mistake is getting to the quilting stage after pinning a quilt and finding one corner or one side is off … either the batting is short or the backing is short. One side has lots of fabric left over, and the other is short up to a half inch. I’ve had to cobble on bits before binding at least three times in the last few months. GRRRRRR!!! What a dope! Luckily they are donation quilts and I can hide the booboos under a nice big label. Methinks I’m a bit distracted. Get with it, M!!
And YES, I do love star blocks. They’re happy blocks to make. Thanks again, Lori, for timely postings.
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I have made the too small back mistake–but only once! Now I way overcompensate by making my backing and batting much larger! I usually trim a lot–then use it for practice. That is a very painful mistake!
Catholic Bibliophagist
I don’t have a color scheme in my house. But if I did, I’d probably change it to match my quilts. 🙂 Seriously though, my walls are a nice neutral slightly off white. The floors are wood. And the main decorating element is shelves and shelves of multi-colored books. So any color quilt would fit right in.
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I did change the color of my bedroom to match my quilt!! Its a very bright room!
boe77
LOL, I had to smile at your comment about choosing too bright colors when making quilts. This resonates with me. Choosing fabric is hard and I try to pick up every hint or guideline I can, so I can get better at it. I also write up the take always after the completion of a project. What went well and what should be done differently. Thinking through this helps.
P.S. I am not a scrappy quilter, though. The eyes need a place to rest.
Mich Ke
Stars ARE my favorite. For perfect points I pin just a hair outside the point as a reference as i sew the patches.
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Thank you! Nice tip!
Lori Hope
My mistake is that I keep making quilts for other people and not for myself. 😉
I do make a point of choosing colors and patterns that I know the recipients like, though.
I love that star block you’ve made…the colors and the way they are laid out: looks like a gorgeous, iridescent plaid!
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That is definitely another common mistake!! But I bet your family and friends love it!
Andi Cushman
I. Love. Stars!
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#constellationquilters!! Lol
Chrysanthemum
I do love stars to see, but have a difficult time getting the “points”to point… Are these flying geese? Or HST? Thanks for all your encouragement with the designs, I work on doodling when I travel and don’t have access to a sewing machine! And I’m improving my FMQ…
carol
I have the same problem of making quilts that don’t go with my color scheme. That’s why I was do excited when I got the chance to make 16 twin bedspreads for a new project. Turns out that’s not easy either. I’m trying to use what I have and am finding out what I really want to make are Scrappy quilts that have lots of pieces, not easy, quick finishes. It’s kind of like going out to dinner and wishing you had ordered what others at the table we’re eating.
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Vet interesting discovery!
Mary B
I can’t get enough of star blocks!! There are so many interesting variations, too. I also love bright colors & they just don’t fit in my house either. So, I’ve made a few mini quilts, table toppers, etc. and included a few splashes of color. That seems to keep my need for color under control and livens up the colors in my house at the same time.
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I need adopt your plan!
Aileen Kline
I look forward to your post everyday. I have learn a lot about artist on Saturday Post and have borrow a picture or to for my desktop computer when I am blue and you post something that warms my heart or makes me smile. Currently its the Trolley.
I am writing because I am quilting a pattern with a dashshund. I wanted to do a dog bone motif. The video of the pattern showed a long arm design of a bone. I drew it and drew it and couldn’t get it to flow. So what did I do? I looked in your search tutorials button for dog bone! I knew you must have done one by now. You didn’t disappoint! Thank you so much Lori!!!
Aileen in Florida
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We aim to please! Glad it to help any time!
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