Dazzled by the Beauty

I love, love, love this!

You are seeing Mildred Agena's version of my Star of Beauty...and it's just fabulous!  Mildred is a member of the Des Moines Area Quilters Guild and made this as part of the 2015 President`s Challenge.  There are approximately 500 members in her guild, and Mildred`s quilt was one of 8 chosen to be submitted to the AQS show in Grand Rapids.Mildred added bling to her quilt with Swarovski crystals, which makes me think of  fireworks. As you can see, she has cleverly omitted the top block from the quilt so that it forms a heart shape.  Because of this, she is calling her entry, "Heart Star." (the extra block was made into a placemat for her local Meals on Wheels group :) .

Isn't this gorgeous?  

Thank you, Mildred, for bringing your creative touch to the design.  I hope viewers get to see this at the Grand Rapids show in August.

Star Of Beauty

Yesterday, the November issue of AQ Magazine arrived, and in it is my New York Star Of Beauty. You can see why it is so named, as the blocks meeting in the centre form a secondary star design.

Amazingly, this quilt only uses one block, but drawn in different orientations on a 60 degree grid. It is quilted with radiating lines in a gold metallic thread.  Alternate rays are stippled to allow the neighbouring one to pop up.  I just love the blue centres for the New York Beauty blocks.

For fun, Hubby and I took the quilt to be photographed at the Gemini Observatory at Mount Allison University.

In person, it appears that the outer row of NY Beauty blocks spins around the centre.

Except for the blue, the fabric is from a gorgeous Hoffman collection called Narumi. (The blue is actually a Fairy Frost).

Narumi contained a stunning border print, which I used as the background for under the spikes and also in its entirety for the backing.

Here's the cover of the magazine;  locally, it is available at Chapters and Superstore.  You can also purchase it directly from AQS here.

If you'd like to see the quilt in person, I will have it with me Saturday at the Zonta Bazaar.

Why Not Y?

Some folks shy away from tackling Y (or inset) seams but in truth they are no more difficult than sewing a mitred corner.  In the picture below you can see the Y shape formed at the intersection of the three seams. 

Whether your angle is 45°, 60° or even 120°, the method for stitching the Y seam is the same.

At the intersection of the three seams, the stitching stops the distance of your seam allowance from the end, in this case 1/4". You can see X's marked 1/4" from the edge of each section to be joined. I don't usually mark the X's but just eyeball the distance, however if you are new to doing this a mark helps.

You sew the first piece to the correct side up to the marked X.

At the X, lock your stitches and clip your threads.

The seam allowance at the end is left free.

Repeat to sew the second piece in place, again stopping at the centre X.

Place the side pieces (which will join to form the tail of the Y) right sides together and stitch from the X. Press the centre seam open, and the side seams down over that centre seam.

Pressing the centre seam open reduces the bulk of the seam allowance at the intersection allowing your work to lay perfectly flat.

Voila!  A perfect Y seam.