Lone Star Week, Day One

The Lone Star is a traditional, vintage pattern that has universal appeal. From my early days as an editor with Quilt Magazine (1993-2007) we never ran out of beautiful options to feature in just about every issue. We had many loyal readers who would send us their lovely quilts to be photographed and then we patterned them. They came in all sizes and colors and had a wide scope of variations.

Here is one from a recent student of mine from last year's One Day Lone Star workshop in Hershey, PA. Lisa G. wanted to add the bias strips (which we learned as a variation in class), but then decided to add these beautiful flowers.

Lisa G's Lone Star

And her creative addition to each corner

Lisa's floral addition in each corner.

This is based on my One Day Lone Star workshop and pattern. I've made it several times. It also appears in my 2012 Calendar of Quilts on CD (with 12 other quilt patterns). Check it out (free postage!)

Holiday Lone Star. 35" center!

Again, in blues and purples. This is where I added the bias trim which I saw in several vintage quilts.

Lone Star with bias in outside setting squares and triangles

This is what it looks like before the trim. This is a 35" center Lone Star block!

Lone Star before I added the bias trim

Yes, you are right (see; I know what you're thinking)! Those seams are all sewn. Don't you add the bias trim BEFORE you create the last seams? Yes. And, I had to open all those seams and insert the bias trim - but I was determined and I did it. This is NOT the way I teach the class, btw!

One more set of samples. These are my teaching samples (new) since I couldn't find the ones I had in a box when I moved. I tore my whole house apart. So, because I couldn't find them, I created new ones. And - yes. Once I got this far, guess what I found?

I used solids for this sample. Yes, there are seams in the white fabric. This way I don't have to set in (ie, using a y-seam) the outside squares and triangles. This is certainly an update to the traditional method - and my students love it!

Here is a digital quilt I designed for Windham Fabrics using a collection named Marguerite. (It wasn't used). Isn't is lovely in black, gray and yellow?

Marguerite Lone Star

I have more Lone Star quilts this week. Tomorrow is NOT part of Lone Star Week. I'll be featuring a new fabric collection from Benartex. Hope you'll be back to see more.