Fr as lng as there have been peple trying t find their way, there have been stars t guide them. Stars dance in the heavens weather we see them there r nt. They warm the darkness f the night and fill us with hpe. They kindle rmance and inspire wnder. Janet Clare has captured it all in her new line, Ncturne. It seemed apprpriate t create a quilt fr this line using a classic "rad t" blck, hwever, a trip t the stars can nt be taken n any rdinary rad.
Fr this quilt I have adapted "Rad t Oklahma" - given it a twist in the crners and created smething new. I hpe yu enjy the pattern as much as I enjyed making it fr yu. This quilts finishes at 82 1/2" square 1 Fat Quarter Stack Ncturne ½ yard Inner brder I used SKU#1357-26 1 ½ yards Outer brder I used SKU#1382-15 ½ yard Backgrund supplement #1 I used SKU#1381-12 ½ yard Backgrund supplement #2 I used SKU#1384-12 1 yard Binding I used SKU#1357-29 5 yards Quilt Back Fr the scrappy quilt yu need t srt yur fat quarter bundle int three clr grupings Backgrunds (greys), Stars (darks), and Rads (lights). T make this quilt yu need Backgrund (greys) 3 ½ Yards = 14 fat quarters Stars (darks) 1 ¾ yards = 7 fat quarters Rads (lights) 1 ¼ yards = 5 fat quarters When I srted my fat quarter I set aside any fabric that read mre than ne clr. If yu have a hard time saying, This fabric is grey, then that fabric des nt belng in the grey pile. Set aside any fat quarters yu are nt using (I find it helpful t put them in a baggy marked "rejects"). Use them as part f yur back t add interest t the flip side f yur quilt. Remember that yu have 1 yard (4 fat quarters) f supplemental backgrund fabric. Dn t get upset when yur cunt f greys seems shrt. This is a scrappy quilt after all. A quilt made f just three fabrics chsen fr backgrund, stars, and rads wuld be stunning. I use EQ7 t draw my quilt prjects. This wnderful tl gives me an accurate idea f basic requirements fr each prject. It helps me draw the pictures and clr them with the fabrics frm particular lines. (Thank yu Mda fr prviding free files cntaining images f each line n yur web site!) There is nthing sweeter than designing a prject, making it, and having it lk remarkably like yur drawing when yu are dne. Dancing in the Stars started this way.
Three clr quilt in final clrway Three clr quilt in reversed clrway Cutting Directins All f the pieces in this quilt are either 3 ½ x 3 ½ r 4 x 4. T get the mst ut f yur fat quarters, cut strips the lng way and then sub cut. (4 x 21 r 3 ½ x 21 ) Cut the larger pieces first. If there is sufficient strip left t cut sme smaller pieces, trim it dwn and d s.
Cut the big pieces first. Alter yur cutting plan if yu need mre f ne type f square. My best advice is t jump in...if yu wrry ver hw many squares cme frm which fabrics yu will never get started. Backgrund greys 216, 3 ½ x 3 ½ squares 12* squares each frm 10 fat quarters, plus 36 frm 8 wf strips *Sme f my fat quarters yielded a third, 3 ½ strip. D this where yu can it will create a scrappier effect. Take the rest f the 3 ½ squares frm the supplemental yardage. 108, 4 x 4 squares (fr half square triangles, HSTs) 10 squares each frm 10 fat quarters, plus 8 Rad lights 72, 3 ½ x 3 ½ squares 14 squares each frm 5 fat quarters, plus 2 36, 4 x 4 squares (fr HSTs) 7 squares each frm 5 fat quarters, plus 1 Stars darks 72, 3 ½ x 3 ½ squares 10 squares each frm 7 fat quarters, plus 2 72, 4 x 4 squares (fr HSTs) 10 squares each frm 7 fat quarters, plus 2uh6 Inner Brder 8, 1 ½ x width f fabric (wf) strips Outer Brder 8, 4 ½ x wf strips Binding 9, 2 ½ x wf strips Befre yu g n t piecing yu need t step away frm the prject and rest. It tk me tw days t cut all f this ut. If yu have sme magic way t d it faster please let me knw. If yu dn't then yu will need t take a mment t stretch. What better way t d that than t g utside and lk up at the amazing display. Sewing Directins Dancing in the Stars is made frm 36, 12 ½ x 12 ½ (actual size) blcks set in a 6 x 6 grid. Each f the blcks is made the same way. It is perfectly acceptable t make all f the units fr the prject at the same time (this is hw I wuld d it, as it is faster fr me.) Hwever, it is als perfectly acceptable t make ne blck at a time. My suggestin is t d what seems lgical t yu. Yu will have the best chance f cmpleting the prject if
yu prceed in a manner that is cmfrtable. That said, my directins are written as thugh yu were just making ne blck. Numbers in parenthesis indicate the number f pieces fr the whle quilt. Half Square Triangles Gather 3 (108) 4 x 4 squares backgrund fabric 2 (72) 4 x 4 squares stars fabric 1 (36) 4 x 4 squares rad fabric Draw a diagnal line n the wrng side f all 4 backgrund fabric squares. Pair each backgrund square with a star square r a rad square. (If yu are ding a scrappy quilt, dn t think t much abut which fabrics yu pick. It can drive yu crazy, and des nt usually significantly impact the end result.)with right sides tgether, sew ¼ frm each side f the drawn line.
Irn flat. Cut n drawn line t create 2 HSTs. Irn seam allwances pen. Trim each HST t 3 ½ x 3 ½ Yu shuld have: 4 (144) backgrund/star HSTs 2 (72) backgrund/rad HSTs Rad Units Gather 4 (144) 3 ½ x 3 ½ squares backgrund fabric 2 (72) 3 ½ x 3 ½ squares rad fabric 2 (72) 3 ½ x 3 ½ backgrund/rad HSTs Arrange ½ f the gathered pieces t lk like the fllwing picture. Sew tgether in rws Irn seam allwances twards rad fabric in each tw piece unit. Sew units tgether
Pp spin seams. Irn flat. Trim unit t 6 ½ x 6 ½ square. Repeat with remaining pieces fr 2 (72) identical rad units. Star Units Gather 2 (72) 3 ½ x 3 ½ squares backgrund fabric 2 (72) 3 ½ x 3 ½ squares star fabric 4 (144) 3 ½ x 3 ½ backgrund/star HSTs Arrange ½ f the gathered pieces t lk like the fllwing picture. Sew tgether in rws Irn seam allwances twards HST in each tw piece unit. Sew units tgether Pp spin seams. Irn flat. Trim unit t 6 ½ x 6 ½ square. Repeat with remaining pieces fr 2 (72) identical star units.
Dancing in the Stars Blcks Gather 2 (72) Rad units 2 (72) Star units Arrange pieces t lk like the fllwing picture. Be careful t make sure that all f the HSTs are leaning the right way. Sew tgether in rws. Irn seam allwances twards the rad units. Sew rws tgether. Pp and spin seams. Irn flat. Trim blck t 12 ½ x 12 ½ square Repeat with remaining pieces fr 36 identical Dancing in the Stars blcks. Quilt Tp - Center Big blcks
Giant 9 patch Gather 36, 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" Dancing in the Stars blcks Divide int 9 grupings f 4 blcks. Arrange blcks like picture, being sure t get the rads ging in the right directin. They will make an n pint square arund a big dark star. Nestle seam allwances tgether (if yu ppped and twisted the seams back at the fur patch stage they shuld all g tgether nicely nw) Sew int giant 4 patch blck. Pp and spin seams. Irn flat Repeat with remaining pieces fr 9 identical big blcks. Gather 9, 24 1/2" x 24 1/2" big blcks. Arrange blcks in a 3 x 3 grid. Nestle seam allwances tgether. Sew int a super giant 9 patch. Pp and spin seams. Irn flat. Inner brder Gather - 8, 1 ½ x width f fabric (wf) strips inner brder fabric. Sew 4, sets f 2 tgether at the 1 1/2" edge. Irn seams pen. Attache t 1 set each t tp and bttm sides f giant 9 patch. Trim excess fabric. Irn seam allwances twards the brder fabric. Attache 1 set each t right and left sides f giant 9 patch. Trim excess fabric. Irn seam allwances twards the brder fabric. Outer brder
Gather - 8, 4 ½ x wf strips uter brder fabric. Sew 4, sets f 2 tgether at the 4 1/2" edge. Irn seams pen. Attache t 1 set each t tp and bttm sides f prject. Trim excess fabric. Irn seam allwances twards the brder fabric. Attache 1 set each t right and left sides f prject. Trim excess fabric. Irn seam allwances twards the brder fabric. Backing Gather 5 yards backing fabric left ver fat quarters and r scraps I recmmend that yu make yur back between 6 and 8 inches bigger than yur tp. If yur quilt tp measured 10 x 10 (this ne desn't, but hang n fr a mment.) then yur back shuld be smewhere between 16 x 16 and 18 x 18. In this case my tp measured 82 1/2 x 82 1/2. I made my back 88 x 88. While there is plenty f length in 5 yards f fabric t cver 88", there isn't quite enugh width. T supplement my backing material, I cut 5, 10 1/2" x 18" strips ff the fat quarters that didn't get used n the frnt, sewed them end fr end (alng the shrt dimensin) and sewed them t the lng edge f ne wf x 88" cut. I then trimmed the secnd wf x 88" piece t 36" x wf and attached it t the ther lng side f the pieced clumn. Dn't frget yur label! Embrider it n ne f the cuts frm a fat quarter befre yu start piecing the back. When yu sew the final stitch n yur binding yur quilt will be finished indeed.
Finish and enjy! I quilted my sample with Seascape blue thread by Signature Threads. The quilt pattern is Avacad b2b by Anne Bright. I wuld lve t see yur versin f my pattern. Please pst a picture f yur wrk in my Tps t Treasures grup in Flickr. One 82 1/2" x 82 1/2" quilt - big enugh t put n a twin sized bed, with a bit f verhang at the sides, but n pillw tuck; t artfully drape ver a cuch, clse at hand fr late night snuggling; r t take n an evening star gazing excursin! Cindy Sharp {www.tpsttreasures.cm}