Making Tiny Stars

I am working on a new quilt pattern...very easy, but includes these tiny 4-1/2in stars. Maybe not one of my brighter ideas but it is for a small baby quilt. Need 20 of them in two different tones. Nothing complicated, just a bit fiddly. Have made 12 so far

Have the most gorgeous fabric to go with this...will be all light greenish with soft pink and apricot tones. Looking forward to finishing these tiny stars and starting on the other blocks.

As I get bored very easily, I am also continuing on my scrap reduction challenge. As part of Lisa Calle's Quilters Groove Creative Design Society we are making a scrappy log cabin quilt. Did a few blocks a few months ago but then got side tracked into other things. While I am doing these little stars I am also making scrappy log cabins at the same time. I usually make two tiny stars and a couple of scrappy log cabins.

I think everyone in the group is making them a bit differently. I settled on a random approach in terms of strip width and colouring. A little bit of thinking this through though is required in order not to be left with a tiny, tiny strip on the outside. Spent one evening though cutting some of my strips straight at 1-1/2in, 2in and anything in between. Goes quicker that way and helps me to make sure that I am sewing them on straight. You could of course also make this really wonky and not worry about the straightness of the components but I started off straight, so I thought that I better continue that way. Have made quite a few by now

Layout is yet to be decided...must say that I find the blocks a tad confusing to lay them out as there is just too much going on in terms of colour. Will have to concentrate when it is time to put these together. While I have been doing these I also thought that it would have looked really nice if I had just done one colour. Have seen a red/white scrappy one on the net and that looked absolutely fabulous. We'll see...no doubt I will have heaps of scraps left over even after this exercise.

Back to the tiny stars...

Karin

Taking Stock And Planning Ahead For 2025

I have been working on my background filler project

Finished a couple of sections and then I got a stye in my upper eyelid...inside of all places. So painful and obviously put a stop to freemotionquilting for the last week. My eye was so swollen I had to go to the doctor to get some antibiotics.

Managed to do a few little things though after a few days...not sure whether I mentioned it before, but I joined Lisa Calle's Quilter's Groove Design Society. It is very affordable and there is a bucketload of things to explore. Joining, I now have access to a very comprehensive class library, plus Decision Dilemma library (i.e how to quilt your quilt), guest tutors and zoom meetings. I cannot participate in the zoom meetings due to my time zone but I watch the recorded session afterwards. A very jolly bunch of ladies...very enjoyable to watch and to see what other people are working on. Must say there are some very talented piecers out there! Anyway, the group has decided to do a scrap quilt challenge and decided on a scrappy log cabin pattern. This is supposed to start in January. Log cabins are not really my favourite but I thought I give it a crack the other day.

OMG, how addictive that turned out. I could not stop making them...so very relaxing and enjoyable. Spent an entire afternoon just making these.

I followed a tutorial from 'The Diary of a Quilter'. No measuring, limited cutting, just putting strips together and making sure you stay straight as you do it. This little exercise prompted me to look at my scraps which are stored away all over the place. I got several shoe boxes full of them dating back to 2006! Must say that this was a trip down memory lane...discovered some really old favourites and also saw that I obviously keep every single little scrap. Perfect for this exercise!

In the meantime I finished the scrap quilt I was working on.

This quilt top came out at approx. 50in x70in and I must say it did not make any dent in the scrap department. I had a different sashing in mind originally and discovered that I did not have enough fabric to complete it...I nearly went to the shop to buy new fabric but then worked out that the orange fabric might just work if I planned it out. This made me nervous but in the end I just made it with the orange fabric, had maybe 1in of fabric left after cutting the strips and one strip had to be pieced together from cut offs of the other strips! I might even sew some yardage together for the backing rather than buy more fabric. The binding is already sorted as I can put scrap binding together to cover the dimension of this quilt.

I cannot believe how many scraps I have accumulated over the years...it is actually overwhelming. While making this I discovered some 'button' fabric from years ago when my daughter was younger and still at school. She bought the fabric to make pencil cases...remembered that activity and the pencil cases she made. We had to go and find cute little buttons and elastic...

She engineered a super functional pencil case, with the elastic for pencils, a zipper and inside are pockets for smaller things. There is another pencil case somewhere with the 'button' fabric where she tried out a lot of the decorative stitches on my Pfaff machine. Too cute! Can't remember how much fabric we bought but it is still hanging around.

That was just one example of my trip down memory lane. Discovered such odd fabric (strawberry fabric) and sometimes was left wondering where I had acquired it but with most pieces I could tell exactly the project I was working on.

What also happened...I sold one of my quilts in my Etsy shop a few weeks ago which is always great as I am running out of space and this week the lady send me some feedback. Must say it was the nicest review I have ever received and it gave me some renewed energy to keep making these baby quilts. Discovered that I still had some of that particular fabric and wondered why it was still sitting there.

It's very pastel which is probably the reason I have not done anything with it. Decided to use this up and make another simple pastel baby quilt/play mat...somebody will like it and maybe appreciate it like this lady did.

I feel completely overwhelmed with all the scraps, but as well with the unfinished things I have got sitting in my cupboards (I have three more panels to quilt up and put on Etsy), the new pattern that is sitting right next to the sewing machine and the UFOs that shall not be named.

So I decided that for 2025 I am going to concentrate on reducing the scrap department. I will make the scrappy log cabin quilt in a dark/light arrangement for the challenge and then probably do another one or two maybe concentrating on one colour or doing it completely scrappy. Once that is done, I will decide on a different pattern, maybe another house quilt. In addition I am undertaking to start clearing the fabric cupboard, starting with the panels...they just need to go. As for Etsy, I probably will list a few more actual quilts rather than patterns (although I do need to stitch out that pattern I got) as I am truly running out of room for storing them. It's getting a bit ridiculous.

So that is my New Years resolution...use those scraps (or throw them away...which no quilter is going to do easily) and start clearing the cupboards.

I am going to be super busy...😂 as I still will need to be doing my freemotionquilting. Get very grumpy if I have not stitched for a while.

Karin