For this challenge, we were to make a Lone Star style quilt, using the surprise fabric we received in our second 2022 Ambassador box, lap size or larger. I have never made a Lone Star quilt before, and I was a little nervous about it. I usually do my own patterns, but for this challenge I consulted a book in my sewing library, All-Star Quilts by Helen Frost and Blanche Young.
The fabric collection I received is Chicken Coop. It's all black and white with a barnyard theme. I do love it, but I was a little worried at first. One of the characteristics I associate with Lone Star quilts is a bright burst of color. I did ask to be challenged when I was asked what colors I would like to work with this year. This collection for a Lone Star quilt certainly met that request!
Here's another look at the collection. You can see the chicken wire, fence posts, chickens, and more. It's really cute!
At first, I thought about adding a punch of solid color to give it more life, but I ended up dividing the fabrics by their value, mixing the designs up within the value groups, and going from there. The pattern I chose from the book is called Broken Star. Instead of making eight pieced diamonds, it required 32, enough to make four large lone stars. My Prairie Spirit Alpaca pressing mat really helped to keep all those diamonds in shape.
As I pieced the diamonds, I played around with them on my design wall to see how they looked together. This is not my final star. The one I went with used all the same fabric for the center part of the star. I used Island Batik solid gray for the background of my quilt and gave it a floating look by sewing a gray border, and then a black border. It came out bigger than I expected, 76" x 76". That's what happens when you add borders nilly willy without doing the math! The backing I prepared for this quilt was originally 72" long. I'm glad I measured the top before I started quilting.
I took the photos yesterday, and it was rainy outside. I found out it is approximately 76" between the columns on my front porch. It just barely fits!
Lone Star
Quilt Stats:
Fabric: Chicken Coop by Island Batik
Thread: 6724 by Aurifil
Batting: Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Black
Pattern: Broken Star by Helen Frost & Blanche Young
Needles: Schmetz
Giveaway! Island Batik is having a giveaway this week for two new fabric collections, Chickadee, and Bamboo Blooms. Click here to visit the Island Batik blog and enter the giveaway.
Be sure to visit all the Island Batik Ambassadors during the hop to see the new fabric collections and the glorious variety of Lone Star quilts we have all created. I hope you will be inspired to make your own Lone Star quilt. Here's the list for the blog hop:
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