Creation Date: 2014

The creative process is so interesting...

It’s hard to explain what sparks an idea, what you draw inspiration from, what you’re trying to express or what happens to the concept as you bring it to fruition. The final product of your efforts is rarely exactly what you saw in your mind's eye when you began. Sometimes it’s better and sometimes it’s a disappointment. At least this is true for me.

I have undertaken some projects that were way beyond my skill set and led to frustration and an underwhelming product.  But I can look at those creations and know that they were good teachers.  I’ve also worked on things that were easy and fun and quick - like eating a sweet piece of favorite candy.  These projects might have given me momentary gratification but they did not particularly make me any better for the experience.  Then there are projects that are a little bit of both, they present challenges but also have aspects that are simple and filled with delight.  Making this big black and white quilt, that I called “Follow Your Star”, was one of those.  It was a complex combination of creative experiences.

I had promised my niece the gift of a quilt to honor her graduation from college. She and I traded a few Pinterest images back and forth of quilts that she liked and that I was interested in creating.  She specifically wanted a black and white color palette and we were both drawn to several variations of a lone star.  I had never tried a lone star pattern.  Information I found on quilting sites made it seem a little daunting with its tight geometry and intricate Y seams.  So the first thing I did was a mini sampler of a lone star made of scraps from my stash.  It was challenging but I was pleased with both the process and the result - so onward I went to selecting fabrics and laying out my design for what I then called, “the big black and white”.

I should say here that I have yet to create a quilt from someone’s pattern or from a kit.  It’s kinda on my bucket list, in an odd sort of way.  It would probably be much faster than my process but I don’t think I’d enjoy it as much.  Maybe someday when I just want to crank something out I’ll buy one and do it - or maybe not.  I like doing the layout and the calculations.  I like figuring out the pattern and borders and determining the final quilt size and design.  I especially enjoy shopping for the fabrics.  I like to use my own design sensibility to combine patterns and colors and come up with my own concept.  My ideas can be evaluated, changed and updated on the fly as I stroll through one or more fabric stores.  I have very good color retention, so even if buying fabrics takes place over several days, weeks or even months - not to mention multiple stores - I am able to find fabrics that work together for a current or future project.

All that being said - this lone star pattern was no joke!

I could come up with my color and pattern placement but figuring out the component sizes, seam allowances and the complex geometry of the figure itself was more than I could handle on graph paper.  Enter my hero  - my husband, the architect, and resident AutoCAD aficionado!  Jim worked with me on the overall size of the quilt, how large the finished lone star figure would be in the quilt body, dimensions of the outlying borders and squares and then laid it all out in the computer aided drafting software program and VOILA - printed out my pattern pieces for me!

Most of the fabrics featured in this quilt are from Jinny Beyer’s collections.  They lend themselves to strong geometric borders and beautiful fussy cut features.  At the time, Jinny Beyer’s retail store and studio was located near me in Northern Virginia.  I was actually able to take the finished quilt top out to the studio to show the staff there.

I paid a wonderful, talented woman, Marlyn Leebove, to do the quilting for me.  She was so gracious with her time and talent.  She and I had several conversations over the quilt top about how to quilt each section in order to highlight the fabrics and the lone star pattern.  The result of our collaboration was spectacular.

One other interesting note about this quilt...

I designed and created it while recuperating from hip surgery.  It was truly a labor of love.  As with any of the quilts that I have created, I encouraged my niece to USE IT!  I’d rather see the quilts I make become tattered and torn from being used and LOVED than squirreled away in a closet or chest.  If they’re out and being used, then the person using them is hopefully thinking of me just as I thought of them as I sewed every stitch!