Big ol' Liberty Star

Let me just take a moment to digest the fact that a few weeks ago, I said (out loud) I want to get back to blogging, because it lets me get my thoughts out, documents things I don't want to forget, and just feels good to share and throw my hat into the quilting/raising children/navigating life ring. And I am actually doing it. I mean, I say I want to do a A LOT of things.... haha! So high fives to me for actually doing what I say I want to do. (for now, at least....cough cough).

On to my big ol' Liberty of London star.

The origin of this was wanting to create a very minimalist design to really showcase this beautiful Liberty of London lawn print.

My husband bought me that, without any guidance, on a trip to Seville, Spain last fall. When we visited Spain last summer, we had intended on visiting this amazing fabric shop he had told me about (he goes to Spain often, and loves exploring Spain in between work stuff) that was 3 levels and packed with beautiful fabric. Well, my kidney's had a different plan for me and I ended up spending my birthday in a hospital in Spain, so I missed out on the shop. But every time he has gone since, he ventures out and brings me back different Liberty prints. He is more than I deserve, that's for sure.

Okay, back to the star. I wanted a great big wonky star set in white. Once the star was done, I decided I wanted to go a little further and either 1- frame it in linen, and then echo that frame in a soft shade of pink, or 2- do a few more wonky stars in a smaller size off to the bottom of the big Liberty star.

I shared as much on Instagram, and my quilty peeps weighed in and the verdict was more wonky stars. 

So that is what I did. Starting with 2 linen stars, in a smaller size.

Yall. Liberty and linen = a match made in fabric heaven. I don't believe in arranged marriages, but I believe in this one. 

For the smaller stars, I debated either doing the 2 smaller stars on the top left corner of the big star- this option would have been MUCH easier for me. Or. Removing that white rectangle by the 2 linen stars and putting the 3 smaller stars across sort of staggered on an angle, with the middle of the 3 stars being where the white rectangle was.

I didn't want to do the second option. That would either require Y seams - NO. NO. NO.- or a lot of seam ripping and a lot of math to calculate sizes to get it how I wanted it to look.

This is where I had the epiphany that I have on just about any quilt I am working on that isn't basic patchwork. The epiphany that reminds me -- It would have been much simpler and less stressful and easier on my brain had I just developed a plan and worked out design BEFORE I started. Shannon and the Hard Way, working hand in hand since 1977. Seriously. 

So, since I am DEATHLY ALLERGIC to Y seams, (I have a note from my doctor),  I seam ripped and did the math and then stitched it all, and realized my math was wrong so I seam ripped again and then stitched again. UGH.

But-- I got it! It ended up resembling the idea in my head. The third idea, in case you're keeping track.

Whew. My brain needs a trip to the spa now. That said, there is something very Tom Hanks in Castaway "I HAVE MADE FIRE!!!!!!" about having an idea and figuring it out all on your own. There may have been some chest beating and emphatic gesturing at my quilt top and some "Looookkk what I have created! I HAVE MADE FIRE!!". (p.s. I do this any time I figure anything out, so it's probably lost its luster on my family and I am sure they are soooo over it. oh well.)

I added borders, and voila! A completed top. Just need to figure out how I want to back it, and I am all set. I decided this one needs a linen binding!

If anyone is curious about star measurements or a general idea of construction, let me know and I can try and remember what I did. haha! A quick run down:

Liberty Star -- center block cut to 6.5 inches square; (4) white squares cut to 6.5 inches square and (4) white squares cut to 6.75 inches square, and (4) Liberty squares cut to 6.5 inches square. All of the star points squared up to 6.5 inches square. 

Linen Stars- center block cut to 3.5 inches square; (4) white squares cut to 3.5 inches square and (4) white squares cut to 3.75 inches square, and (4) linen squares cut to 3.5 inches square. All of the star points squared up to 3.5 inches square. 

Blue Star- center block cut to 2.5 inches square; (4) white squares cut to 2.5 inches square and (4) white squares cut to 2.75 inches square, and (4) blue squares cut to 3.5 inches square. All of the star points squared up to 2.5 inches square. 

Pink Stars- center block cut to 2.25 inches square; (4) white squares cut to 2.25 inches square and (4) white squares cut to 2.5 inches square, and (4) pink squares cut to 2.25 inches square. All of the star points squared up to 2.25 inches square. 

I was going to share how I make wonky stars, but a quick google search, and I found a wonderful tutorial already written on that HERE.