It's finally done! I've been working on this quilt pattern for a long time now. Many skilled hands and brilliant quilting (and grammatical) minds came together to make this pattern possible. I'm so proud of the result!
For ALL of the nitty gritty details, see my listing for the PDF pattern.
Obsessed? Nah, I just prefer to think of myself as thorough. :)
I wanted to put this free PDF out here in case you wanted the cutting instructions for making your No Y Seam Feathered Star block in rainbow order. These instructions are the steps I followed in the video tutorial series, just in a printable one-page guide. A companion to the pattern, if you will.
Thank you to everyone who has been sharing your own NYSFS block with us in the Friends of Threaded Quilting Studio Facebook group and on Instagram. I've made this block so many times, and your pictures just KEEP inspiring me! Thank you for that!
I couldn't stand the thought of someone wanting to make the No Y Seam Feathered Star and then not being able to because of the foundation paper piecing methods used.
Sooooooooo...
I recorded myself making the whole thing.
When I get excited about something, I tend to over-do it!
To make all of this information more usable for you, I created a 9-part video tutorial series that covers every aspect of making this block. There is over an hour of content broken down into manageable pieces that will teach you how to handle every single step. Watch and sew-along with me at your own pace.
Yay! I told you I was excited!
The videos can be found here on my site on the 'tutorials' page.
Enjoy and happy quilting!
I use Electric Quilt software to design almost every quilt I make. A benefit of EQ (version 7, in my case), is that I can easily play with block colorings, auditioning color/value/fabric ideas before I start cutting and sewing.
I wanted to see what a color-order feathered star would look like, so I created the image above. I think it's a winner! Now to actually sew it... but, you know? I'd be just as satisfied seeing someone else create it. ;) If you haven't received your free pattern for the No Y Seam Feathered Star block, get it here.
The process of coming up with additional color scheme ideas led me to create a simple, one-page PDF of the plain block, available for you to download. Print it, color your own to audition color and placement of your fabrics. There are so many opportunities to go "off pattern" here and be free with color!
Click image for the PDF download.
It's just another tool - not necessary - but fun and possibly helpful.
I've absolutely loved seeing the NYSFS blocks that are starting to hit Instagram - check out the hashtag #noyseamfeatheredstar to see for yourself the magic being created! You are also invited to join the Friends of Threaded Quilting Studio closed Facebook group for more examples and ideas. Just click to join and I'll make sure you get added.
The feathered star block is shown here at 16" square, I surrounded it with solid fabric to make a one-block baby quilt. Psst! I made a video showing how I draw/quilt those fancy feathers in the background here.
I've been working on a little project for you!
I wanted to make the feathered star foundation paper piecing templates that I've been enjoying so much available to you! Oh yeah, and it's FREE!! Get yours today!
I've had a lot of fun putting together different fabric combinations to make this block - some more successful than others - just being honest. ;) I've also tested out this block in three different sizes that are included in this one pattern: 8", 12" and 16".
Here's the 12" version of the block.
What I really like about this method is that it includes the precision of foundation paper piecing. As I get more experienced in quilt-making, I've come to expect a certain level of point-matching and perfection. To be honest (again), I don't want the burden of being perfect. I'm trying to shed that. But at the same time, when I can use easy methods to get a great outcome, I don't consider that problem-level perfectionism. :) Why am I telling you this?
Back to the pattern, so: foundation paper-piecing is accurate, that we know. This pattern breaks down the seemingly complex block into somewhat small, easy-to-sew segments. Those segments are joined by easy straight seams to form a 9-patch before the whole block comes together. As the clever (or not - ha!) name so clearly indicates: there are no y-seams!
Helllllo, cute & tiny patches! This is the 8" version of the block - THREE sizes are included in the pattern: 8", 12" and 16".
For me, I find straight seaming more comfortable and predictable, and I tend to get better results than when I sew y-seams. Better results make me happy!
I HEART SOLIDS! Solids are always a good choice for this block.
I'd absolutely love to see the fabrics you use and how you incorporate this block into your quiltmaking! Share on Instagram using the hashtag: #noyseamfeatheredstar and feel free to tag me too, I'm @threadedquilting.
One more thing! As an extra bonus, I've created a closed group on Facebook if you'd like to join up and show us what you've got going on, ask questions or just chat about quilty things. I'd love to have you : Friends of Threaded Quilting Studio.
In this post, I'm covering my makes from the latter part of 2015. It's part of a greater effort to count up the quilts I've made over my life.
127:
I like to think that every quilt has a story, but the story behind this quilt just happens to be a GREAT story. :)
In 2008, my husband's grandma passed away... we're not to the great part of the story yet, bear with me. Her name was Ada and she did some sewing and other handwork throughout her life. Because I'd already established myself as a quilter at the time of her passing, her daughters wanted me to have these blocks that she had embroidered. I'm not sure if it's called needlepoint or cross-stitching, the roses are done in a cross-stitched pattern, but the design/guide was printed on a muslin-like fabric.
Anyway, jump ahead with me to last year, 2015. My husband's cousin and his wife were expecting their first child, a daughter. To the delight of everyone, they revealed that they would be naming their little girl Ada, after what would have been her great-grandma. I did not remember that I was in possession of Grandma Ada's embroidered rose blocks until the week of baby Ada's shower! When I suddenly remembered, I knew that I had to sew it together quickly, making a scrappy sashing/border in coordinating fabrics from my stash. The above picture was the result and it was so sweetly and warmly received by the proud parents!
128:
I made this quilt for an extremely fun, artistic, wonderful couple having their first child. I knew I wanted to try something bold, original and unique - a truly one of a kind piece that even I couldn't duplicate again. Improv quilting seemed to be the obvious choice. I'd been listening to podcasts and seeing social media makers talk about and produce beautiful improv quilting, I just didn't have much experience. I decided to limit myself to black and white fabrics for the improv part and as I was making my blocks I had the idea to offset the action-packed improv with some calm solid fabrics to give it a little balance. I took the same approach with the quilting: regularly spaced straight lines in the improv section helped to unify and calm that part down, while the solid gray showed off some spicy quilting. Yes, I just used the word 'spicy' referring to quilting. Or maybe it should be savory.
129:
As I said early on in this series, mini quilts count! My aforementioned modern quilt group held a holiday gift exchange. This is the mini quilt I made for the occasion. I love feathered stars!
130:
Man, I really loved making this quilt. We had a need in our community which prompted the organization of a silent auction to benefit the family involved. I couldn't resist making a quilt for it even though I solemnly vowed to myself never to make a quilt to be auctioned again. People just don't know the value of how much fabric and all of the materials cost, let alone the labor and time involved. It's just that I had an idea... in Iowa, our beloved Iowa Hawkeye football team had a stellar season and was selected to play in the Rose Bowl. I had the idea to make a commemorative quilt (that's what the one red block is all about).
131:
This quilt, unlike the others, gets two pictures! I was really enthralled with these feathered star blocks. I reworked a feathered star foundation paper piecing pattern in EQ7, making the assembly easier (for me) by eliminating y-seams. At the same time I was brainstorming ideas for a wedding quilt to be gifted to a young friend of mine. I really wanted to use the feathered stars, so I set them in a fun overall layout and made it. Also at the same time, submissions for QuiltCon '16 were nearing the deadline and I thought it would be a great idea to get this quilt done in order to submit it for that show. I did. It wasn't accepted, but it seems pretty traditional compared to the quilts that did get accepted into the show. Live and learn. :)
132:
It wasn't a conscious choice to repeat a lot of the same colors in this quilt as in the one just before, but sometimes that's the way it happens. This was a gift I made for another special young friend of mine who had her first baby, a girl. She doesn't like the typically girly colors, and I can't blame her. How can a gorgeous color combo like this discriminate?
133:
Image used with permission from Quilts and More and Meredith Corporation, 2016.
Even though this quilt wasn't published until 2016, it definitely falls within the list of quilts I made in 2015. This is the first quilt of mine that was published! I couldn't be happier with how the process unfolded. I thought the team at Quilts and More did a wonderful job of making my quilt look good! The instructions were wonderfully done and the photography was outstanding. I look forward to submitting more ideas to publishers in the future.