Bursting Star

I have a new subscription to McCall's Quilting. In the November/December 2014 issue there is a wall quilt called Bursting Star.  There are three different color combinations featured and all are pretty but I wanted to be able to create the pattern in Electric Quilt so I could play around with different colors, too. I've made Lone Star quilts so I knew I could make this wall hanging. In the Bursting Star, or starburst quilts there are eight star segments and coloring the different rings is what makes these quilts so amazing and fun. 

I belong to an Electric Quilt group called Steppen and I asked the members if they could help me create the design. Two women who appear to be regular contributors responded quickly and showed me how. A third member sent me her technique a little later. All three had a different approach and I learned a lot. I had fun working on the design and choosing colors. The combination I liked the best, and this is to go in my living room that has soft yellow walls, is this blue and white version. 

I chose a blue batik which is alternated with three different white/light batiks. Lots of bias edges so the tight weave of the batiks helps combat the stretchiness of bias edges.

Construction of the segments is a bit different from the Lone Star but each begins with strip sets that are then cut into 45 degree angle strips. The McCall's instructions show how to pin the diamonds successfully. The seams don't nestle together. In order to get the points exact you have to pierce a pin through the 1/4 inch seam line and then put pins in on either side of that pin. Remove center pin and sew. I thought I could bypass that step and went ahead and just pinned my pieces together. After several sessions with the seam ripper, I decided to give the McCall's technique a try. Well, don't you know, it worked! Perfect match up every time (well, almost).

Here's the wall quilt on my design wall. Five segments done, three more to go. By the time I finished today I had seven done. These segments aren't sewn together yet. The blue diamonds at the outer ring will be cut in two and then a large triangle will finish off the corners. The corners will be in blue so it will look like the white is the final row. It is a beautiful pattern. You will see, I'll post the finished top soon! The finished quilt will be 41 inches square. It will replace a Lone Star quilt that has been up for a few years and I'm very tired of looking at it.

What are you working on? Christmas projects? Is this the time of year you stop quilting and wait until after the holidays? I like this time of year to sew because in the summer my sewing room often is too hot. Now the weather keeps me inside and I can sew comfortably in my room.