Tuesday, February 08, 2011

It's a Party! A Quilt Story Block Party!



This is my block, entered in the "Traditional" category.


Of course, this block has a story behind it - a Quilt Story, if you will.

Years ago, I made the OnlyChild a Charm Stars Quilt using a pattern from the Oxmoor House book Quick and Easy Scrap Quilts. This is the pattern that made me fall in lve with quilting.

I saved fabric for years to make this quilt. I scoured yard sales, I pillaged my mum's stash, I subscribed to a charm square club, I bought random pieces of fabric at shops. I needed over 200 different fabrics. Not exactly the right choice for a "beginning" quilter without a stash of her own.

But I made it.


After making all those half-square triangles for the stars, you can bet I had lots of fabric left over. In fact, I had enough to make an exact replica of this quilt ;)  But that's not what I did with the leftovers. I made two other quilts.

This one, my Zig Zag quilt, was a baby gift for a colleague expecting her first son. The other one was just too ugly to finish. It's stuffed in a drawer somewhere.


And the block I showed above? I made two of them out of leftover HSTs that I cut in half again. I made mini-star blocks. One was used for the label on the back of the OnlyChild's Charm Stars quilt.

And the other I framed. It hangs in my sewing room - a constant reminder of that first quilt. And why I fell in love with quilting.


9 comments:

Barb said...

Both of these quilts are just simply wonderful and for a first quilt...truly amazing...

Vesuviusmama said...

Wonderful story and wonderful beginning to your love affair with quilting.

Pat said...

I loved your story and I say you should dig out the unfinished "ugly" one and do something with it. Your level of expertise has improved since you started quilting and I'm betting you could manage to salvage that project now!

Julie Fukuda said...

Those are great and the story is too.

Thimbleanna said...

Wow Rachel! They're beautiful! What a wonderful story -- I love that you framed the block!

PunkiePie (Jen) said...

I love that story! What a great first quilt. It's a beauty.

Regena@QuiltnQuiltthings said...

I like both quilts and good story
Hope you have a great day.
Regena

Dogwood said...

BEAUTIFUL. I love your story and your quilts are so over the top wonderful. You have a special way with colors. Yummy!
Have a fun weekend. Hugs, Cory

Quiltstory said...

Great blocks! Thanks for linking to our block party!