Some More Merriment and Merrily

I've been sewing more frequently this year but not with much enthusiasm, but that's OK, I'll get there, and I am finishing some projects which always feels good.

After I pieced my Wooded Whimsy tree quilt I noticed I still had a lot of Merriment and Merrily fabric by Gingiber for Moda, particularly the animal panels.  I couldn't think of another quilt that I wanted for my house using that fabric, and I already pieced 3 quilts for family members from those lines, but I do get requests for quilts for auctions and raffles and the like so I decided that making a donation quilt would be a good use of my time and the fabric.

For the pattern I decided to use Starry Eyed by Angela Mitchell.  It's a free Moda Bakeshop pattern from 2011!

This is my first Starry Eyed quilt using Countdown to Christmas by Sweetwater for Moda.  One of my top 10 favorite Christmas fabric lines of all time. 

I added a few of the small animal panels to Starry Eyed II because they're my favorite aspect of these lines.  That Gingiber really knows how to draw some  endearing winter forest animals. 

So here is Lifetime Quilt Number 296

I've named it Starry Eyed II

The pattern is by Angela Mitchell and available here. 

It finished at 80" x 80"

The blocks finish at 16"

The pattern called for 5 rows of 4 sixteen inch blocks (20 blocks total), I went 5 x 5 (25 blocks total), because I like square quilts. 

It has approximately 951 pieces. 

Here's Starry Eyed I, Lifetime Quilt Number 78!!!  It's still one of my favorite Christmas quilts and gets used every holiday, an oldie but goodie.  It's hard to believe I've pieced over 200 quilts since piecing this one.  

I used some of the bigger animal panels for the backing of Starry Eyed II, it's ready to be quilted and when someone says "Hey Thelma, do you have a quilt to donate to our cause?", instead of panicking and sewing 20 hours a day for a week and begging a quilter to quilt the top to meet a deadline,  I'll happily say, "why yes I do".  

I am so behind on my blog but am determined to get all my quilt finishes from the last couple of years documented, so be on the lookout for some posts about quilts you may have seen on Instagram but not here.  

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First Finish for 2012 . . . . .

My Starry Eyed quilt is done. Although, I'm not calling my project Starry Eyed, mine is called Countdown to Christmas. That's just what I've always called it in my head, I know, that's the fabric name not the pattern name, but when this quilt is out, I'll be counting down to Christmas so I think it suits.

The last time I blogged about this quilt someone left a comment about my wonky stars not being so wonky! I followed the directions to a "t" but somehow mine all came out looking the same!! I'm a neat freak even when I'm not trying to be a neat freak!

Just in case you missed my earlier posts regarding this project here's the lowdown:

I used Angela from Fussy Cut's Moda Bake Shop pattern, Starry Eyed. The pattern called for 16 inch finished blocks, 4 across by 5 down. I increased my block size to 18 inches and went 5 blocks across by 5 blocks down. My quilt finished at 90" x 90".

The fabric is Countdown to Christmas by Sweetwater for Moda. It took an entire fat quarter bundle plus almost 4 yards of background fabric to make this quilt.

This is Lifetime Quilt Number 78 and my first finish for 2012.

This quilt has exactly 999 pieces.

I usually come up with some change for most patterns I sew, sometimes just a little tweaking, other times a complete overhaul. I felt that this pattern was perfect just the way it was, so other than changing up the size a little, my quilt pretty much looks like everyone else's, which drove me crazy. So I made one little change, just to be different, but I won't tell you what it is, see if you can spot it.

I made my quilt bigger to fit my guest room bed, once it's quilted I think it will be a near perfect fit.

One of the reasons I bought this bed was the interesting feature of being able to change the fabric in the headboard. I bought additional yardage to cover the headboard when I have this quilt out.

I decided to go with this piece of fabric.

I looked forward to making this project from the first time I saw it, last summer. It was a fun project and went together quickly and easily. I asked Angela about creating a site where we can see all the quilts made using her pattern, a popular request according to Angela. She plans to share the photos as soon as she has time and will blog about it when it's ready. I can hardly wait to see some projects made with fabric other than Countdown to Christmas.

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Starry Eyed Progress . .

I had no idea how popular Angela's Starry Eyed pattern was until I blogged about my project. There are many Starry Eyed quilts done and many many more on your To Do Lists. I'm in good company. Most folks, like me, are going with Countdown to Christmas by Sweetwater for their quilts but some folks have used different fabric, I've not seen any pictures, just heard tell, I would love to see some Starry Eyed quilts in other fabrics. I think this is one of those patterns, like Swoon, that will look good using any fabric.

Angela of Fussy Cut has asked folks who make a quilt using her pattern to send her a picture. Maybe she'll create a Starry Eyed Flickr Account so we all can see.

So here's my progress . .

Star blocks, all done.

4 patch blocks nearly done.

Several folks ask for my cutting directions to make the blocks bigger, since this is a free pattern I'm happy to pass the information along.

In the original pattern the star blocks squares are 4 1/2 inches, I made mine 5 inches. For the star points I cut my blocks 5 1/2 inches and cut once diagonally. For the patches, the pattern calls for 2 1/2 inch blocks/strips, mine are 2 3/4 inches. Just a half inch here and there and you get a block that finishes at 18 inches instead of 16.

Since I'm making my blocks bigger plus making more blocks you pretty much use an entire fat quarter bundle of fabric and you need almost 4 yards of background fabric to get a quilt that finishes at 90 x 90.

I had a great week last week, the Christmas decorations are all down ( don't get that confused with packed up!) and I got to spend some time in my sewing room. I'm a girl who likes a schedule, it sure felt great to get back into my normal routine.

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Christmas Countdown . . .

Christmas came and went far too quickly for me. It seems like I just got all my before Christmas To Dos done and now it's time for my after Christmas To Dos. I was hardly home to enjoy my decorations and wasn't even tired of them, but I packed them all up just the same. Someone PLEASE remind to get an earlier jump on Christmas for 2012, a reminder note after Labor Day would be much appreciated!

Time to move on. Well not totally on. Back in July, when that Countdown to Christmas fabric by Sweetwater for Moda came out, I got all excited and started counting down to when I would make something out of that fabric.

Then this free pattern showed up on the Moda Bakeshop website and not only did I have my Countdown to Christmas fat quarter bundle I had my pattern.

Here's a nice closeup view of Angela from Fussy Cut's Starry Eyed.

But I like to work with Christmas fabric when it's Christmas. So I just sat my fat quarter bundle on my shelf, printed the pattern, and started counting down to Christmas.

Well a funny thing happened on the way to Christmas, I got busy, but after waiting 6 months to make this quilt I decided I wasn't going to let a little matter of Christmas being over stop me, that's the thing about Christmas, it will be back, and I'll have a new quilt when it is.

So my daughter went back to California, my husband went back to work and Cooper went back to daycare. What's a girl to do but get back into her sewing room. And I did.

Here are my inspiration blocks. They could not have gone together any easier, I think this will be a fun and fast project.

Angela's Starry Eyed quit finished at 64" x 80", four 16 inch blocks wide by five 16 inch blocks long. This quilt is going on my guest room bed and needs to be a little bigger than Angela's finished quilt. I decided to go with 5 blocks wide by 5 blocks long, but still came up a little short so I'm making my blocks 18 inches square which will give me a finished quilt of 90" x 90", just right I think. I've cut the entire quilt out and pretty much used up that entire fat quarter bundle! Nothing left to do now but sew.

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