Starry eyed

I made my first quilt in 2003.  I didn't think quilting was ever going to be my 'thing' until I found Jan Mullen's Slender Starz quilt pattern.  This wasn't a traditional quilt pattern, there weren't any rules that had to be followed, and I loved the bright colours.

I still have that first quilt.  It isn't perfect - the quilting is boring, the binding is too fat, the navy thread I used to piece the stars shows through on the lighter fabrics - but I am attached to it in much the same way as a child clutches their favourite toy with the missing eye,  the stuffing showing through, and food scraps embedded in the fur.

I've always wanted to make another quilt using this pattern and when one of the woman at work delivered a very premature baby I had found the perfect reason to get sewing.

There are 35 stars and a free form lattice border

Because of the way the stars are created, each is unique

And I tried to use a different colour in each of the strips in the lattice border.  Hooray for the stash!

And I quilted it in a random spiky star-like pattern in a variegated King Tut thread (Superior threads).

I was really pleased with how this quilt turned out and also how quick this was to create. I managed to quilt the top in just one day although I think I took just about as long to hand-sew the binding!

And it made my day today to hear that the recipient was putting the quilt to good use now that her baby is home.