Sunday, December 3, 2017

'Super' Star Thistle

This quilt has been in the works since May!  I was shocked when I realized that, but not to surprised considering what the last half of the year has been like.  

The block may look familiar to some of you.  I designed it over a year ago and have fiddled around with it on many other projects since then.  'Star Thistle' is a paper pieced block that is available in my Craftsy Shop:  Star Thistle.  

Because I love the block so much...I had this idea to super size the block to 18" and play with the background by using different shades of gray.  I used Moda Zen Gray, Kona Slate and Kona Graphite.  


SUPER STAR THISTLE
52" x 70"
There were many different ways I could have taken this design and and even now I see what I wished I had done or could have done.  I'll save those ideas for the next one!  



I've always love magenta and orange together and when I came across the print with the exact colors I knew it was a match made in heaven and where I'd start.  They were all in my stash and pretty much scraps.  Therefore...I haven't a clue what the colors are let alone the manufacturer.  (the print is Art Gallery)

 

I had the quilt pinned and collecting dust for a long time before I decided it was time to do something about it!  It seemed like it needed something special, something I could handle on my domestic machine.  And I'll admit, I knew it would be geometric!  

Auriful provided me with the thread as part of their Aurifil Artisan program.  I'm so thankful to be a part of the group and thankful for the opportunity.  

The star thread is Aurifil 50wt #2530 Blossom Pink and #2535 Magenta.  Thanks to my thread card I was able to match the colors exactly.  

The background received a combination of grays.  #2630 Dark Pewter, 2610 Light Blue Gray and #2600 Dove.  



The first areas quilted were the star and from there I echoed around the points, marking with my Hera marker along the way.  

Nothing planned.  I would figure out what I wanted in certain sections, mark it around the quilt, quilt it and move on to another section.  Over and over...one section at a time.  It all happened over the course of weeks!  



You all know I love geometric quilting!  For the most part turning and twisting the quilt to accommodate the quilting wasn't as bad as it looks.  Although there were a few tough spots here and there.



The top picture is the front of the quilt with So many converging lines!  It did get interesting and super dense but worked.  The bottom picture is from the back where you can see the Magenta thread.



More quilting detail!  I just kept going and going and going!  



Until every single space was filled.  Dense, geometric, symmetrical.  I have to admit I thought I would never get it done!  Over the course of weeks and with determination it was over!  Except the back...



Pieced together using each gray from the front and of course, the extra block I had.  I finished off the quilt with a binding of Kona Graphite.  



If you'd like to see other projects I made using the Star Thistle Block, here's a list of the blog posts I've done about it:

Star Thistle Blog Hop
A Pattern Comes to Life
Christmas Party Fun
The Stars are Shining Brightly
Finishing Mini Mini WIP's
Get The Point

Hmmm...I guess I do love this block!



Do you have a favorite block you use over and over?  Maybe one that you change up depending on the project?  

It's exciting to see what can become...the magical wonders of quilting!


LINKING:

21 comments :

  1. The print unifies the quilt so perfectly, Jayne! Congratulations on the finish, it is stunning.

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  2. Love the design and the quilting!

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  3. Oh this is really lovely! I love this block supersized! And beautifully done with the quilting...really lovely!

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    1. I couldn’t be happier with this one and look forward to trying some other ideas one day!

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  4. Looks like a potential QuiltCon entry.

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  5. What beautiful colors! I never would have tried orange and magenta together, but they are wonderful, and especially with the gray background. I just downloaded your pattern so I can play with it, too!

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    1. Yay! I’m glad you downloaded the pattern and I hope you get a chance to try it. I couldn’t be happier with this big finish for the year! It took a while to get there, but well worth it to me!

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  6. Faaaabulous quilting!!! And magenta is definitely my favorite color!

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  7. Nice!! All those lines converging together look fantastic, and it's impressively flat instead of wavy. Lots of good work there.

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  8. Your quilting on this one is amazing! So much detail. Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!

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  9. Wow!! You did an amazing job. This block is still in my queue of things to make.

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  10. Beautiful quilting Jayne! I love the print and this block is great.

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  11. It is beautiful Jayne! Love the quilting design!

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  12. Lovely finish, beautiful color scheme and I do love that block design. I am also TOTALLY SMITTEN with your cute hedgehog pillow! :-)

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  13. The quilting is fantastic Jayne, and I love those colors! This quilt is so you!

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  14. That print is just perfect with all those grays. I love the magenta and orange, too.

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  15. Your block really is the block that just keeps on giving, this is beautiful Jayne, another fine creation, well done!

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  16. Hi,
    Stunning Quilt! Love the color
    combination. Have a great day!

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  17. Very pretty. I like the quilting. The colors are great!

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  18. That print really was a great jumping off point for the colours and the whole thing is just gorgeous, Jayne! The quilting is the perfect complement to the piecing.

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