Monday, March 23, 2009

Excavating

I don't know if this can be considered ancient but Saturday and Sunday I dug my feathered star blocks from a back drawer and sewed them together. I have no idea when I made my first block but I know that I was already working on hand piecing them before I entered the blogging world! So some of these blocks have been around since before the fall of 2006!

Mrs. Furui and Mrs. Harada and I were goint to make feathered star quilts together and Mrs. Harada finished her one star wall hanging. Mrs. Furui is still in the cutting/piecing stage (she is going to be upset to know I'm working on this again!)

My original goal was to piece a block a month but after making 12 blocks I put them away in a drawer where they stagnated. I got involved with other things for awhile and then brought it back out in April 2008 in order to put in the lattice. BUT... when it was mostly sewn and laid out I decided that I didn't like the fabrics I'd chosen!!! Too bright and the lattice overpowered the blocks! So the quilt got taken apart again and has been fossilizing in the drawer ever since.

Last summer I bought a lot of light colored blue fabric in the States but didn't get around to thinking about this quilt until Saturday morning. So those fabrics have been buried in a box for 7 months too. But once I get on a roll I really get with it and for the past two days I've lived upstairs with Velvet and have been cutting and ironing and sewing. I have used up almost all of the very lightest fabric. I think I need to put one more narrow strip to even out the corner blocks but I'm not sure I even have enough fabric for that... I don't know what I'm going to do about borders or quilting except that I plan to hand quilt this. I guess this is going to be another 4 year quilt...


17 comments:

JBH said...

I'm glad to have found your blog for a number of reasons. I'm a beginning quilter - love your feathered star block!

I also lived in Japan for 12 years and thinking about graduation in the spring is so "natsukashii"! The cherry blossoms will be out soon where I live in Pennsylvania.

Thanks for sharing!

Janet C said...

Great work! Hope you will finish it soon!

dianne said...

your feathered stars are so, so,so pretty! and i really like the new lattice ... i know it is a pain to reverse sew, but the new combination is gorgeous!

Vicky F said...

Hi Tanya
I really like your new setting for your beautiful feathered stars. Did I read right that you did the stars by hand?
Very nice all-around look.
Vicky F

Anonymous said...

This is just beautiful! You do wonderful work. I like the setting with all the little squares, very different.
Kathy Boehm
Northern Ca

The Calico Quilter said...

You did a wonderful job on the stars. And, even though the "unsewing" is a pain, it was the right decision. The new sashing is a nice counterpoint and lets the stars take center stage. This quilt will be exquisite when it's done.

mamaspark said...

Oh so now you are making me feel guilty for not finishing my one lonely feathered star block. Maybe I can do it this weekend. I took the class but it is a difficult block. Knowing this I certainly appreciate how much work your quilt must have been. This is my all time favorite block and your quilt is just gorgeous. I like the new sashing much better too!

Pam Harris said...

Stunningly beautiful! If it becomes a four year hand stitched quilt it will be worth every moment you put into it. Your color choices as usual are excellent. I just love this one.

Rae Ann said...

And you say I am "Quick". Seems and you and I have something in else in common....when we set our minds to something, we don't stop until it's finished. You did a wonderful job and I love your feathered stars. Rae Ann

Colleen formerly of South Africa said...

Love the light blue sashings...and I so enjoyed the t shirt folding lesson..I learned how to fold exactly like that back in South Africa! Had to laugh at how you weaned your baby.... too funny.

dot said...

Very nice.

Shasta said...

It's gorgeous! I love how the cornerstones have the diamond shape. I can't imagine unsewing that much - I've never done that before - but those feathered stars deserve the star treatment.

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

Be careful stitching through fossilized fabrics, yo might just break a needle! ha!! Tanya, it's breath-taking, I simply adore this work of art.

Sew Create It - Jane said...

You can never go wrong with feathered stars...so pretty...especially in blue.

Jay said...

Hi Tanya, Your feathered stars are gorgeous! The new sashing and corner stones really look great. The quilt just feels / looks right. Happy Quilting! Jay P.S. - I haven't forgotten about the batiks that I promised you. Life has gotten in the way. My other half was hospitalized and he had to have back surgery. So, that has really turned life upside down in our house. Take care, and if you would, please say a prayer that he makes good recovery. The doctors are still non-committal about how well he will do. He could be just fine, or be in pain for the rest of his life. So, I know that prayer can only help.

anne bebbington said...

Just love the new setting for these blocks - positively perfect in every way - as Mary Poppins would say!

Chookyblue...... said...

wow so beautiful..