The Winter Sunshine Quilt

 

The Winter Sunshine Quilt



     Earlier this year, my sister-in-law visited, and kept me company as I quilted my Darling Starlings quilt.   She mentioned that she would love a quilt.   I had a new project! 

      Right now, I am on a crazy modern quilt kick, but her style is more traditional.  As I was mulling over various options, I discovered a stack of 48 yellow star blocks I had made in 2008, with the intention of making a two color (yellow and white) quilt for myself.  I found some pictures I had taken when planning out that quilt.  

The star blocks all in rows.

Auditioning the blocks set on point.

Trying out the blocks, set on point, on top of a white cloth.








      I liked that look, and cut white setting squares from various white on white prints and sewed one to each yellow star.   I had a big stack of stars and setting blocks.

      I have no idea why I didn't finish that quilt, but I didn't and those blocks ended up in a drawer.  Now they seemed absolutely perfect for a center panel for a quilt for my sister-in-law!  

Laying out the center panel.

      I was still considering a yellow and white color palette for this quilt.  I had the yellow and white print for a wide border and cut a solid yellow band for a narrower inner border. 

The yellow band and border material.

     As I was assembling the quilt, I just didn't like the yellow inner border.  Either the yellows weren't going together right, or it now seemed boring, but I thought the quilt needed a shot of another color.  I found a bright green which was in one of the more prominent yellow star fabrics and decided to use that for the narrow band.   I was happy that I did.

         

       In the past, I have hauled my heavy laminate cutting table up a flight of stairs from our basement to the living room in order to have enough room to open it up fully for pinning.  I have recently managed to clean out enough space in the basement to open the cutting table there.

 

      I found a nice orange, yellow and green floral for the back.   I use big binder clips to pull the fabric taut, and then pin that portion of the quilt.









It is nice to have the wine nearby while I pin the quilt top!



     I use my dining room table to quilt, and juggled holiday quilting with holiday entertaining.   

The dining room table the day before Christmas.



The dining room table the day after Christmas.

    I decided to do a diagonal cross hatch quilting on this quilt, using white thread.  I used a walking foot and quilted at one inch intervals.  I used a straightedge and water soluble marker to make sure the first line was straight, then relied upon the walking foot guide.  Sewing the lines going one way was slow at first, because I had to remove the pins.  Sewing the other direction was a breeze! 



   I completed the quilt on New Year's Day, and sent it off , but not before making my husband stand outside in the bitter cold!  Here is another shot of the quilt, and the frozen lake. A little bit of Winter Sunshine, indeed.



 

I wish you all some sunshine this winter!

Take care,

Gretchen