Kind of like people, in order to appreciate what you see, you have to understand what you don’t see. It’s easy for us to look good, even when we’re not feeling all put together. Quilts are like that, especially with this quilt that I’m calling “Oh My Stars!”
I started making this quilt around 1997 (that was the date on the Jan Patek fabric selvages). This technique is called English Paper Piecing. The fabric pieces are cut about 1/4″ larger than the paper pattern piece. You wrap and stitch the fabric around the cardstock piece to hold its shape. Then you stitch the pieces together with a whip stitch.
I got into trouble with this quilt when I just started sewing stars and the green joiner pieces together without a plan. The quilt grew into a very odd shape. I had to figure out how to finish it with a top and a bottom and even sides. That’s why it’s taken me so long to finish it. I’ve put it away more times than I started it.
This quilt even traveled with me to Germany and Poland in 2009 when John and I traveled with my German Professor and his wife, Roger and Jeanne Minert, on a research trip. I stitched in the car as we traveled across those countries. In Poland we found the first LDS chapel in Poland in Selbongen. This building was constructed there in just two months during the year 1929. After the outbreak of World War II in 1939, it was the only meetinghouse owned by the Church in Germany or Austria. This quilt was there.
This week I got it out Again. I only had a few pieces left to stitch–one corner and a few triangles along one side. Then it was finished.
Next I had to pull out all of the paper pieces. It felt like I was removing the skeleton from the body as the quilt fell limp in my lap.
Here is the back of the quilt without the paper.
I ironed it flat and laid it out on the piece of fabric that will go on the back After cutting the batting today, it is ready to go to Penny Stephenson to be quilted. A hand-pieced quilt to should probably be hand-quilted, but I will not live that long.
Later: Here is the finished quilt, showing the beautiful quilting pattern. Now I will trim the edges and hand sew the binding on the zig-zaggy edges. Soon it will be absolutely completed!!
I hope that I’ll be able to finish all the quilts I’ve started before I die. I’m going to have to live a long long time!