.Quiltscapes.: Oh, My Stars! (& Garters)! + A FREE Video Class (with pattern purchase)

I love this quilt. It's pretty wild, I know, but there are tons of reasons why it's special to me!

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The Inspiration:
Several years ago, I met a woman at a quilt show in Star Valley, Wyoming, who introduced herself and showed me a photo of the quilt she had made in a class I had taught a few years before.

It turned out that we both had relatives who had lived in the little town of Afton, Wyoming, who were quilters ~ my Great-Grandma Hulda Hoopes, and her Aunt Vilate. We figured they knew one another, as they only lived a few houses apart! As the afternoon progressed, my new friend invited me to her Aunt's home, which she had inherited, to show me some of her collection of quilts. Some she had made, others had been made by her Aunt.

One bright quilt caught my eye. My new friend had found a stack of vintage blocks and sewed them together. The blocks were probably from the early 1970s, made with bright paisleys, stripes, gingham, and other fun, bold, colorful prints set with a cheddar background. It was a gem of a quilt and I loved it!

Then I took a closer look and noticed the Y-seam construction in the corners and the seams through the middle of each block, and my brain kicked into gear, remaking the block in my mind, using much simpler techniques. Does this happen to you, too? Do you see a design and start dissecting it in your mind to envision how it was constructed? I realized that the block could be made so much easier!

I came home, dreaming about this quilt, then recreated it. This first one was made with "May Belle" prints designed by Jodi Nelson of Pleasant Home for Riley Blake Designs. The fabrics reminded me of my great-grandmother's aprons and house dresses. Well, really, it reminded me of my mom, my grandmothers, and great-grandmothers!

The centers of the blocks feature "Days of the Week" dish towel motifs to complete that theme. When I put my blocks together, a secondary star-like design showed up. That, along with a common old saying, "Oh, my stars!" or "Oh, my stars & garters!" that my grandparents used to say, became the quilt's name. Oh, My Stars! Isn't this a cute quilt? ♥

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The Blocks:

The quilt uses two of my favorite "Insta-Block" techniques of making multiple units at the same time. For the main star, you make four "no-waste" flying geese units with just a few squares. For the corner units (the "garters"), you make eight half-square triangle units at the same time with two squares (sometimes called the "Magic 8").

The blocks go together very quickly. The large open center block can be plain, fussy-cut, embroidered, applique'd, and so on! So many possibilities for creativity!

This one used a Prairie Sisters panel print by Poppie Cotton that looks like little seed packets.

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Other Projects:

I can't seem to get enough of this pattern! I've made table runners, a table topper, and a couple of throw pillows, too. I think I need a topper for every season!

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The Pretty, Ugly Quilt:

A few years back, I invited my quilt guild sisters to each make a block for me in a Friendship Block Exchange. I wrote up the pattern and supplied the cheddar background fabric. I told them to go wild, and wow, did they come through! I put the quilt together during the COVID pandemic.

It was pretty funny - I went to try and find a backing for my quilt, and the ladies at the quilt shop suggested that I put denim on the back for a picnic quilt. ?? Here's how you know if your quilt is ugly: The quilt shop won't even sell you fabric for the backing! 😄 I came home and pieced together some fabrics from my stash for the backing, then used bright scraps to make a yummy scrappy binding.

I love everything about this quilt! The cheddar/mustard background, the crazy fun prints, the scrappy binding, and the fact that my guild friends made blocks for me! It's pretty groovy, and it just makes me happy!

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Free Video Class:

During the COVID pandemic, the Utah Quilt Guild invited me to teach an online class, and I chose this pattern. In the video, I review all the steps to make the two different block styles, tell you how to calculate the pieced borders, and show how to assemble three large blocks to become a 24" x 62" table runner.

Now through May 31st, 2025, anyone who purchases the Oh, My Stars! pattern from Quiltscapes Etsy Shop will receive the exclusive link to view the supplementary Video Tutorial. It will be like hanging out together in your sewing room! I'll keep an eye on comments and questions, or you can send an email if you need any one-on-one help making the blocks.