Sunday, May 6, 2012

From Scraps to Stars

 This is what I've been working on this weekend instead of important stuff.  It is a little quilt top of friendship stars that measures about 13" X 18" that I made from a pile of scraps.  I know I saw this on someone else's blog, but now that I'm looking, I can't find it.

Interlocking Friendship Stars

This all started  with a pile of leftover 2.5" strips from the piano key border I showed you a few days ago.


I needed some 2.5" squares for a Signature block swap, so I chopped up some of the strips into squares.  (Many thanks to my friend Jackie of Canton Village Quilt Works for the speedy service.  I ordered the Kona white on Wednesday night and it was in my mailbox on Friday!)

The tutorial for these little blocks is here at p.s. i quilt.  
 

This method produces a big pile of tiny triangles.   But if you sew across the corner twice, like in this Weed Whacker tutorial at Quiltville, you end up with a pile of tiny half-square triangle units.  I made 60 signature blocks which left me with 120 bonus HSTs!
 
1.75" HST will finish at 1.25"

 I used all but 8 of the bonus blocks in the friendship stars.  I could have spent all night rearranging those colors, but I didn't.  I was anxious to sew them together, so I let them fall where they may.  I wish I had moved a couple, but it's just fine the way it is.  

Now I need to sign 60 blocks.  I'm using a super fine piece of sandpaper to stabilize the blocks while I write.

3 down, 57 to go!

In family news...
Pete's band, Attractive Dan, won the high school Battle of the Bands!  Not bad for 2 juniors and 2 sophomores.  They are trying to decide how to spend their cash prize of $75.

Pete on drums with Attractive Dan

Julia sang the National Anthem at opening day of her recreational slow pitch softball league.  She did a lovely job and it was a good warm up for her gig at the PawSox on Mother's Day.

Oh, say, can you see...

We've got a busy week ahead, so there might not be much sewing going on.  I actually just packed up my machine so I could clean up around it.  If I do have any free time, I will be prepping applique pieces.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

The quilt looks great!! So glad the Kona arrived quickly. Yay, for Pete and how cool for Julia!!

Debbie said...

great looking project annnnd....what a proud mama you must be! ;-)

MulticoloredPieces said...

Hi, Tina. Just happened upon your blog and have enjoyed looking at your quilts. Your scrap stars are so cheerful--delightful fabrics thrown together. And the 3x3 swap with piano key border is sensational.
best from Tunisia,
nadia