WIP's are more often ones that my daughter started, not mine! I'm usually a one quilt woman! Finding this 'ancient' EPP Star sparked my desire to get to work, finish this beauty and get my first finish of the year under my belt!
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| 20" x 19" |
I printed the templates, picked the fabric and started my new evening entertainment. I hadn't a clue what I was going to make with the stars, but did it really matter? Not then it didn't!
I began with one, two, three and it quickly morphed in to seven. Seven I could work with. Seven makes a circle. A circle for what never entered my mind.
Each star went together easily enough, each hexagon fit like a puzzle...perfect! This is the point where I hit a wall! What does one do now? Shoot!
With little in the way of options and a determination to make it work, what else could I do but draft my own template? What's the worst thing that could happen...it wouldn't work!
After a few tests I came up with a template that I was happy with. I was pretty sure it would fit and not look too hateful.
I got this far before it was pushed to the side like a piece of broccoli on a dinner plate.
Hidden away, forgotten and neglected. If it wasn't for my need to organize and poke around it might have spent another year in limbo.
Picking up where I left off presented one potential problem. Do I have any more of the background fabric? Thankfully I did.
With one more pillow needing a new cover for my couch, I knew this would make the perfect ending to that awful nightmare!
I had to draft pieces to make the round...square. This was the 'not fun' part. It proved very difficult with my limited experience. What's the saying? 'Close enough is good enough'?! In this case, yes it was!
Geometric dot-to-dot quilting was calling my name! I kept it simple and clean. Just enough to give some visual interest.
I'm a big fan of hidden zippers and use this tutorial all the time: S.O.T.A.K. Hidden Zipper. The last pillows I made with hidden zippers, I decided to try glue basting the zippers before stitching the fabric to the zipper. No matter how careful or how many pins I used, my back panels never seemed to line up. Glue basting worked amazingly well for me and seemed to solve my problem.
The star points are Studio E - Peppered Cottons. Heavyweight shot cottons that have a beautiful and unique look. I do love a good weft & warp! The background fabric is a linen or linen blend in oatmeal.
It's always fun to have a first finish of the New Year! It's like breaking the ice...once that happens feels like things can finally get started!
Have you had your first 2017 finish? I like the idea of starting off with something small and manageable!
UPDATE:: The source for the Star Templates has been located!! You can find the templates here: Nellie's Niceties Hexiestars!!
LINKING:
This is beautiful!! Love the colors, and of course the star design. wow. And like you, I prefer lapped zipper closures on pillows too. I HAVE had my first finish, but need to get a photo!! ;-)
ReplyDeleteAs always I’m excited to see your first (and all) finish! The hidden zipper would have scared me a couple years ago, but it is so easy and looks nice too!
DeleteIt's lovely ! Beautiful colour choice and I love your dot-to-dot quilting. I really have to try this tutorial for the closure.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful colours. I am not very brave with my EPP, and rarely go beyond hexagons and dresdens. x
ReplyDeleteYour project is gorgeous. I have some Peppered Cottons, but not in those colors. Looks like I need to order! Thanks for showing your process of problem solving and the result is just perfect!
ReplyDeletethat looks great! I have a charity baby top finished now I need to quilt it
ReplyDeleteLovely cushion! As usual I like your colors :) Bold and sharp!
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful. Nice first finish of 2017. I would love to see your step by step for that zipper with glue.
ReplyDeleteThe glue really helped me keep things lined up, I’ve always had trouble with the fabric slipping. I’ll see if I can get a tutorial together for that step.
DeleteThis is so Jayne, and gorgeous! What a great first finish! It is interesting you point out that Peppered cottons are "heavyweight"...I have a much-prized charm pack that is indeed weightier than the jelly rolls I am playing with from Rowan...something to keep in mind, in a note to self kind of way!
ReplyDeleteThe peppered cottons are pretty substantial. You might also want to know that if you iron (and I do usually with starch), the edges curl up!
DeleteIt is beautiful and you did a great job designing it into a square. The linen is so pretty with the other fabrics.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous and bright in colors that I associate with Winter. I love the way stars look in the Winter night sky. There's less light pollution in our area (No. VA), so you can actually see more of them during this season. Long explanation to say that your stars capture that feeling in one pillow top! Just lovely!
ReplyDeleteThe pillow is beautiful, Jayne! Did you find any other old WIPs you will be working on?
ReplyDeleteFrom what I can remember, I have two more WIPS and both are my daughters! I want to say that’s all she has, but I know better than that!
DeleteI KNEW you had to have a UFO somewhere :) This is a great finish for a new year. Great colors!
ReplyDeleteSo pretty!! I've been contemplating using a similar tan/beige neutral for some backgrounds, and your pillow stars show me how beautiful that can be with some clear brights. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteLooks great! Well done on working out the squaring up pieces - not an easy task.
ReplyDeleteMust you lie so much? You have posted four times FOUR TIMES since Christmas. How does that translate into -"I wasn't able to get much done"
ReplyDeleteI could say that your work is beautiful but that is a lie. It is stunning and inspiring and honestly outshines most others.
Hugs,
Preeti.
I'm glad you fell in love with the broccoli again! This was a wip worth going back to. Isn't it amazing how three dimensional the stars looked when pieced and from the back?
ReplyDeleteNow, that is the proper way to start the year off right! Glad you found this one, hiding in your drawer. I'm not sure I would have been patient enough to figure out all those little templates, but I'm sure glad you are :) Congrats on a rocking first finish for 2017!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful pillow to start off your year! Do you remember your source for the EPP star templates? I love the look!
ReplyDeleteIt was a good way to ‘break the ice’ on the New Year! I found the template on Pinterest, I thing. I’m happy to share the PDF I have of it if you would like!
DeleteIt's such a good feeling to rescue something from the abandoned pile and give it a happy, useful life =) Way to go! I haven't seen that style of EPP before. Really liked your quilting too.
ReplyDeleteLove the colours! Congrats on the finish. I use that zipper tutorial as well. Never occurred to me to glue baste the zipper....something to think about.
ReplyDeleteYour pillow is absolutely beautiful. Love your color choices!
ReplyDeleteHow stunning! Kudos to you for designing the extra pieces you needed to finish this!! Congrats on your beautiful pillow!!
ReplyDeleteI really like how you kept the color orientation of the blocks all in the same direction. With those peppered cottons, I'm sure this pillow is even more stunning "in person" than it is in your photos. Bravo for your drafting ability!
ReplyDeleteI can feel your joy and satisfaction at getting this UFO finished, well done, it's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI love the colors you chose. Is there a link to the EPP template pieces?
ReplyDeleteFor a project with which you were not happy, you did a wonderful job of finishing it into a pillow. The colours are beautiful. It must be very satisfying.
ReplyDeleteIf you found them on Pinterest I've got a feeling these are my Hexiestars EPP templates. Your version looks beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteI’ve wondered where I found the templates many times! With many things found here and there…sources sometimes get lost! I’ve updated my post with the link to your post about the Hexie Stars. I apologize that I didn’t give you the credit at the time I wrote my blog post. Your pattern is amazing and I loved making the stars!
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