A Mini-Version of the Super Star

I joined Deanna at Wedding Dress Blue  to make two Super Star cushions.  I had some leftover jellyroll strips of Civil War reproduction fabric and thought this pattern would be a good one to convert to a small size to fit my table topper rack.  I cut the strips into 2-½ inch blocks for half-squares and then trimmed them down to 2 inches to use with some 2-inch white squares, following Deanna’s instructions.  The center block measured  6-½ inches unfinished.

I had seen a pattern somewhere that used a Lemoyne star center surrounded by portions of the star to form a frame.

I used 2-inch half-square triangles and squares to do this.  It took awhile but I finally got these portions all in the right position.

I put the top and bottom portions on first…

…then added the side sections.  This made an unfinished 12-½ inch piece.  I used a few strips to make a top border which made it exactly the right size for my table topper.  I quilted in the ditch and used some decorative stitching in the background blocks.

It would have been difficult to do a traditional Lemoyne Star in such a small size.  This easy pattern gives me similar results.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Super Stars and Sofa Cushions

Wedding Dress Blue has an interesting quilt-along and tutorial for an easy version of the Lemoyne Star called Super Star that is fun and quick to put together.  Click here for her tutorial.  I have a large, deep-seated sofa that requires large cushions behind my back if my feet are going to touch the floor.  I had salvaged two large foam cushions from a discarded couch and the 16-inch star was perfect when I added some strips and additional half-squares to make the block larger.  I made the block for the front and back of each cushion and chose not to quilt the covers which will have to be laundered frequently.

I used only scraps in these two cushion covers, including a large bag of white scraps I had bought last fall in Ohio Amish country.

I made a total of 80 half-squares that were 2-½ inches and for this many pieces, I turned to my Wonder Cut Ruler which made quick work of them.

I also used scraps for the side sections, cutting 6-inch wide strips of various lengths of fabric.

I had salvaged two long zippers from the original cushions and didn’t have to buy anything to complete the project.

My dog, Addie, wondered when I was going to be finished taking pictures so I could fill her dinner bowl and also when I was going to get out of the way so she could get back to her favorite spot on the couch.

LeMoyne Star Blocks

I love LeMoyne Stars but have never felt completely satisfied with the ones I made.  I decided to devote some time this week to making some LeMoyne Stars and trying to get more comfortable with them.

I have a piece of software by one of my favorite designers, Judy Martin.   Stars and Sets has over 200 blocks for several types of stars – Ohio, Variable, Lone Star, Compass, Spikey Star and LeMoyne.  The software is difficult to find but the patterns I chose are also in her books as noted.

The patterns are rated 1 to 4 stars, with 1 star being the easiest.  There is no one-star LeMoyne block so I chose four two-star patterns to try.  I made all them in the 8-inch finished size.

SALSA – I combined rotary cutting and templates and it went together fairly well.  There are a couple of points that are a little short, but otherwise I like the block.  This block also appeared in Judy’s book, Block Book, pg 38

LAKE OF THE WOODS – I used Judy’s suggestion of cutting the center triangles from the same pattern of fabric to form a kaleidoscope.  The block went together well and I really like it.  Also in Judy’s book, Scraps, Blocks & Quilts, pg 33

BUILDING BLOCK – Made this block completely from templates.  Judy provides piecing diagrams for all of her blocks which made it go together fairly easily.  The center hexagon was quite small and difficult to sew with a partial seam.

While I was working on this block, it didn’t look promising but it was like a puzzle and other than wishing I had made a couple of different fabric choices, the block is impressive.

Also in Judy’s book, Judy Martin’s Ultimate Book of Quilt Block Patterns, pg 31

THE RIVER JORDAN – I used both templates and rotary cutting.  A nice pattern and not too difficult.  Also in Judy’s book, The Block Book, pg 34

I had a fun, challenging week, but now I’m ready to piece something a little easier.  Some day, I hope to actually make one of the 3-star or 4-star versions.