Quilt top finish and a new start

I finished my goal of making the star quilt top mentioned in my two previous posts.  It turned out to be so beautiful.  The different stars just seem to twinkle.  I call the quilt "Choices."

I didn't have enough yardage for the setting triangles.  I just had pieces of a early Judie Rothermel fabric.     

The selvage isn't cut in half in the picture, it was poorly stamped.

I had used this piece previously for backing and so I just had large pieces.  The pattern said to cut a large square of fabric and then cut it diagonally for the side triangles.  I was afraid I wouldn't have enough large pieces to do that.  You probably all do this but I thought I'd explain what I did.

I cut a square the correct size out of paper.

Then I folded it in half.

And folded it in half again so it was the same size as it would have been if I'd cut it out of fabric.

I used this triangle as a template to cut out my side triangles making sure that the long side was on the straight of the grain of the fabric, (not bias).

I love the way this quilt turned out.

Look what was delivered today.  It is a Betsy Ross Panel by J Wicker Frisch from Riley Blake

Not sure what I'm going to make it into but she sure is a cutie.  She is quite large, the actual sewing part of the panel is 42" high.

.

 I already have a quilt on the frames so I started another quilt.  It is the one called Star Attraction.  

October 2006 American Patchwork & Quilting

I wanted to cut our a number of reds so I decided to use Sue's method  FROM SMALL THINGS on  youtube.com .  She rinses her fabric in hot water and keeps changing the water till it rinses out clear.

I only showed two of the reds but all three released dye into the water.

I've cut out all the colored pieces for the 72 stars and now I'm working on the 534 diamonds I need from the backing fabric.  (Who's idea was this anyway?)

I'm calling this quilt "Road Trip" because I want it to look like the quilt you sit on to watch fireworks, or wrap around you at football games, or throw in the car.  I want it to be used.

Have you noticed lately that not only are we paying more for fabric but it isn't as wide as it was 6 months ago.  

This is measured from the outside edge of the selvage to the fold.   41 1/2"  I mention this because if you are buying background fabric for an older pattern, you may want to buy extra.

I'm notable jealous of all the snow that is falling in the east.  I know it hasn't been easy for everyone but it's still a blessing.  

I'll close with my grandson's recent artwork on my kitchen wall.

I think that's a reindeer upper left, can you see the antlers?  The reindeer appears to be pushing the sleigh rather that pulling it.  Don't you love it?  

Jingle Bells,

Robin

(I'm not sure what the green thing is - it might be Romeo his turtle.