Seeing Stars

Every once in a while I like to post a quilt or two from my files. This time it's New Jersey Stars and Variable Stars on Point. 

New Jersey Stars is my interpretation of a quilt that was made in NJ c. 1870. The original Variable Star was published in the Quilt Engagement Calendar 1979. I started this quilt in 2005 and finished it in 2010. Note the yellow cross in the center.

There are 85 blocks. I quilted 'zig-zag' lines in the sashing and chevrons in the stars and the edge triangles.

I think I've mentioned before that my all-time favorite quilt book is Calico and Chintz.  I've reproduced at least 4 quilts from this book and made Variable Stars on Point in 2000. Sometimes I'm okay with all that blue on the right and other times it bothers me. I guess it's because I like things to be balanced and this isn't. Note the "mistake" block in the lower right. The ribbon is an Honorable Mention from the Garden State Quilters Show in 2000. 

I remember buying the setting block fabric in CT on one of our (HQPNJ) road trips. 

 A closer view. I love this fabric!

Have you visited Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilts blog lately? If you like working with reproduction fabrics make sure you read about her Stars In A Time Warp QuiltAlong. Every Wednesday she will give you a lesson on identifying fabrics from different time periods beginning with Turkey Red Prints. Well, it's no surprise that I have quite an assortment of Turkey Reds :) What better way to use some of them than to make 6" Sawtooth Star blocks as Barbara suggests. Imagine making 1, 2, or 3 stars a week for a whole year??

And those of you who subscribe to the Quilt History List have already seen this announcement about a new exhibit at the New England Quilt Museum. A Passion for Prussian Blue curated by Anita Loscalzo runs through April 4, 2015. 

I think I'll have to go :)



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Copyright 2015, Barbara Schaffer