Each star block is 14″ finished, and the quilt itself is 74 1/2″ x 84 1/2″. Perfect for a twin bed with drape!
A Long Time Coming
While I have more than a dozen patterns I have designed, pieced, quilted, and published in various places, it’s long been a dream of mine to release a line of quilt patterns of my VERY OWN. Today, that becomes a reality with my first release, “Star Line”! This quilt is pieced with a combination of foundation paper piecing and strip piecing, and is a quick and satisfying project! You can find the PDF pattern for sale in my shop for the introductory price of $10 (available until 5/23/2018).
Star Line Quilt, the back. Choose a solid color for the backing and you can have a beauty on both sides.
I wanted to create a design that allowed for interplay between the background and the stars, and which also allowed the maker to play with their own ideas. Want to change the layout? You can, it comes with two in the pattern! Want to try different colors? This looks great in patriotic red white and blue, or with Christmas colors! Want to fussy cut? The top of each star is perfect for showing off your beautiful stash!
What I Used
My personal fabric choice for this quilt was a variety of Essex Linen by Robert Kaufman. I love bed quilts made with linen, and wanted to use these colors for their gorgeous texture and intense color. Linen can be “shifty”, though, acting more like a fluid than a fabric with that luscious drape. Using freezer paper piecing makes using linen or “fabrics with floppiness” a total breeze, since they’re stabilized by the freezer paper piecing method. I used a variety of Aurifil 50 wt threads that really blended well color-wise with the linens.
The Quilting
“Star Line” also can be quilted a bunch of different ways! I picked a fairly modern look for this version, but it’s one that can be simplified or punched up depending on your skill level.
First, I stabilized each of the stars and lines by stitching in the ditch (SID, for short). Then, I echoed 1 1 /4″ around the stars. I really love how this turned out so dynamically! Inside the stars, I echoed the interior twice at 1/4″ and then used those lines to eyeball the innermost bursts.
The white needed a bit of extra quilting, because the linen had a little bit of fullness to work in (normally I starch my fabrics, but I didn’t for this quilt and things loosened up a bit). I wanted a contrast with the linear designs for the grey and the stars, so I picked a favorite fill of mine.
I am so thrilled with how this project turned out! I hope you like it, and I’m here if you have any questions at all! When you make your own version, be sure to share it with me on instagram or facebook, using the hashtag #starlinequilt and link up with me @mandaleiquilts
Enjoy the journey!
Spark a conversation!