Friday, August 3, 2018

Beothuk Star

This little quilt was more than a little demanding with her quilting. What I thought I could knock out by Sunday/Monday at the latest ended up taking me until Thursday evening! She is so worth it though. Let me present Beothuk Star. I hope you'll grab a java and read her story. I loved every moment of creating this quilt. She is #4 on my Q3 FAL List of ten items.

Friday am: met a good friend for breakfast and took along my quilt for a photo op! One here and if you check the end of this post, a couple more at that gorgeous turquoise old hotel you see in the background.
The fabrics were provided to me by Island Batik, the batting by Hobbs Bonded Fibers and the threads by Aurifil except for the metallic.
The challenge this month was to create a secondary design in your quilt, and the quilt had to be larger than 36". Mine is 42".

The Storm at Sea quilt on the button for the challenge is a quintessential secondary pattern quilt. Break it down and you see square in a square, repeated, stretched, and presto! stars, and a kind of folded or wavy effect result. How I adore secondary patterns.

I'm going to get this out of the way next, but as a Craftsy affiliate, I wanted to give you a heads-up about Makers Black Friday, up to 70% off kits and supplies which runs Aug. 3-6.

Makers’ Black Friday - Shop Our Biggest Sale Of The Year & Save Up To 70% On Supplies at Craftsy.com 8/3-8/6/18. No coupon code needed.
This is the time to grab a little something at these prices! Also the bluprint free 7-day trial is still on. And Connecting Threads Clearance section is still, well, pretty sweet...and their backings are on sale...

All right, done with the PSA! On with the quilt!

I started with the Baby Bud block. Here it is, a simple 9-patch of squares and HSTs.

I played with it a bit in EQ8 and it wasn't long before I saw stars! And then I noticed a large central star happened when 16 blocks were set together. I decided to accentuate it by using the rich eggplant batik. Yes! Here it is on the design wall (yup, remember Bella posed on it when I started laying it out on the floor a couple of posts back).

I love how your eyes rove acoss the quilt, seeing the four stars in the corners, and then the centre one 'appears'. I added borders and four eggplant cornerstones to tie in the central purple star to the outside, as well as to help blur the block lines.

Quilting...ahh. I've teased you a bit with some of what I was doing. Correction: teased you with some of what the quilt was asking for! You've seen the straight-on shot in the first photo, laid out on the kitchen floor (sans Bella, thanks to a spray bottle of water to keep her away, no lie!), but the lighting wasn't the greatest. Well, I took it outside in the setting sun as the angle is terrific at that time for showing off the quilting. It also give the quilt quite the glow.

That's better, right? Each of the four corner stars got the spirograph quilting with the gold Aurifil (I used 6 bobbins in this little quilt!) and the central star got the same but with Sulky Holoshimmer metallic in blue! I didn't have any purple, but the sky blue popped nicely.
I also stitched 1/8" inside the eight star points of the centre star with the Holoshimmer, after doing dot to dot with navy Aurifil. I treated those two-triangle star points as one unit. Navy was also used to do the swoop-dee-swoops in the four corner stars' points. Gold Aurifil was used everywhere else. Great colour choices for my threads, thank you Aurifil! That gold worked on the background, the orange/rust, and the blue/gold batiks.

I cannot say enough good about Hobbs Thermore batting. I'll admit I was a bit skeptical at first because it seemed so thin, and it was so sticky, like cotton adheres to it so well... which is a good thing! But the definition of quilting is amazing being such a thin batting. It's light in weight and drapes well too, despite heavy quilting. I am sad that I'm almost out of it now.

Why Beothuk Star? Well, last year I participated in the 150 Canadian Women QAL with Kat of Next Step Quilt Designs. Those blocks intrigued me, not just in their making, not just in the choosing of scraps and stash, but especially, and remarkably so, in the stories of the women the blocks represent. Many of the stories made a profound impact on me, whether of pride, sorrow, loss, or respect, or all of the above. Time and again I found myself researching, learning, being amazed.

Several times as I was sewing those 150 blocks, I'd think, 'Ooh! This would make a great quilt, one big block!' or 'Ooh! This block would be fun to use in a quilt of many blocks.' I was intrigued by the placement of the HSTs in Baby Bud, and also by Shanawdithit's tragic story, and that of her people. The central star is for her, the sparkly blue my nod to the sun's sparkle on the blue-white snow in winter, the sparkle of the deep blue ocean of their home province of Newfoundland, and the sparkle of her spirit.
i'm very pleased that I've actually managed to catch some of the lovely sparkle here of this Sulky Holoshimmer thread.
Shanawdithit was the last of the Beothuk people, a people my white European ancestors wiped out, either directly, by killing them, or indirectly either by killing them with white man's diseases, for which they had no immunity, or starvation, when the Beothuk were forced inland and away from two of their three food sources, fish and seals.

She was only 28 when she died of tuberculosis, but she told the story of her people before she died. I wanted to give a bit of a feminine touch to the quilt in her honour; hence the flower design, and flowing feathers, for her, and because I just love quilting feathers! A square in a square in a square design of Angela Walters' went in the square created where four background HSTs meet. She has a neat way of stitching it all in one go, no backtracking required!

If you look back at the picture of the whole quilt in the setting sun, you'll notice that I did not treat the borders as borders, per se, but brought the star blocks to the edges of the quilt with my quilting. I thought of doing piano key lines all the way around but nope, this quilt was pretty adamant that she wanted the deluxe treatment. It, or she(!) really took on a personality...

I started off by doing the straight-lines in the adjacent orange/blue triangles to act as a frame around the corner stars. Then the quilt started giving me ideas, first with,  'How about this?' suggesting the woven look by stitching lines extending into the borders perpendicular to each other. Then she said, 'You need to do this!' so I carried the feathers motif into the corners, where I stitched two ghost background squares to create the illusion of a 4-patch. That's another Angela 'feathers in a square' treatment by the way.

Finally, after having left the ghost squares until the end because I was waiting for her to suggest something, she said, 'What do you think about this?' so I carried the flower motif into the squares I created with my stitching lines. Here is how I did it, a photo first:

I sketched the lower petal with a Blue-line marker so I'd have a starting and ending path. I took a little  video that shows how I stitched these out in FMQ.


And she also was quite determined to have her sparkly thread. Never had I envisioned that when I had finished the flimsy! But I listened, when she first quietly suggested the sparkle, and then well, I let her carry me away with her requests. Four days of them!

I thought I'd do the eggplant as the binding, but no, it seemed to harsh, and besides, I didn't have enough of it! Flanged binding? But of course.

If we don't use Island Batik on the back we technically shouldn't show it, but the quilting texture is just so lovely that I have to show you. Flowers on the back echo the flower motifs on the front. I love cohesiveness.
This fabric is left over from another quilt, one I made in 2007 that hmm, needs to be on TBT. The fabric is the perfect wheat-tone colour to coordinate with the batiks.

Here are the labels, both cloth and satin:

I thought, as I did with Lift Up, that I'd put this for sale in my Etsy shop, but nope, I'm keeping it!

Quilt Stats
Pattern: Original design using Baby Bud block
Size: 42" square
Fabric: Island Batik. Background is Branches-Light SMore from Mountains Majesty collection; Acanthus-Gold and Fountain-Mixed Berry from Dear William collection, and Marble in Blackberry.
Batting: Hobbs Thermore
Backing: Moda 'A Day in the Country' by Joanna Figueroa
Quilted: on my Bernina, ruler work, walking foot, and free motion
Threads:  pieced with 100% cotton Mettler on my 1947 Featherweight; quilted with Aurifil 50 wt 100% cotton, navy 2745 and gold 2975, top and in the bobbin, and Sulky Holoshimmer sky blue 145-6030

I've written up the pattern for this quilt, available in my Craftsy shop as a PDF download. Check back later today once I upload it, ha!
Update: Here is the link: Beothuk Star (affiliate link, but the pattern is free! If you do buy something else, I will get a very small commission, no extra cost to you.)


Vacation time!😎
I mentioned a week or so ago that I was going to take a blogging break, and so as of this post, I am giving myself a couple weeks of vacation. Recently I've been working on saying 'no' what with a few not-so-fun incidents, and so I'm saying 'no' to writing posts for a little while. I'll be back around the middle of August. I'll still be posting for the 100days100blocks challenge on Instagram, as well as giving sneak peeks at projects there for two blog hops I'm in later this month. See ya! Think a rock on one of these chairs at The Grove Hotel on Main Street in Kingsville would suit me just fine right about now.


Linking up
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
TGIFF at Anja Quilts
My Quilt Infatuation
Dizzy Quilts for the Q3FAL


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30 comments:

  1. What a tribute to a remarkable woman, and your quilting is what gives it the life and spirit right there. Fab fabrics and colours, a keeper? No doubt about that.

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  2. This really is an amazing quilt.You've responded beautifully to the challenge and your quilting is stunning. It is also a great tribute and a reminder of a terrible story.

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  3. Gorgeous quilt and stunning quilting. I finally finished 'Postcards from Sweden', yay! Have a great vacation.

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  4. Where to start? I love how you used our Canadian heritage in this quilt, we have amazing women who helped shape our country. The quilting is gorgeous! Love the colours!

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  5. There are no words to accurately describe what an "over-the-top" beauty this quilt is. I love the pattern you created and the quilting is a work of art! Thank you for sharing this treasure with us.

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  6. The quilting just added so much to an already great quilt! That Thermore does feel strange doesn't it. But I liked it in my finished project.

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  7. Beautiful in every way, the pattern, the colours and the quilting. Enjoy your vacation.

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  8. I love all the stars that are created in your layout. The quilting was definitely worth the time and investment. A gorgeous quilt!

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  9. Well, this is just fantastic! I love the story behind the quilt, and the way the quilt talked to you as you worked on it. I'm glad you're keeping it! Enjoy your vacation! Relax! Have fun!

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  10. Secondary patterns rock. This is definitely worth firing up the old computer for instead of squinting at my phone or iPad. I liked the thumbnail, but then you started explaining all the details and how the quilt spoke to you and the rationale for the whole design and I had to see it more up close. Marvelous! I learn so much about quilting from you. Applying what I’ve learned is another matter, but, oh well, I’ll just enjoy your creativity. I’m sure that Island Batik is thrilled to have you as an ambassador—you take such care with their projects. Have an energizing blogcation. The rest of the year may be a whirlwind for you.

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  11. Thank you so much for sharing your piecing and quilting techniques. There is always some new little tidbit to learn plus the inspiration needed to "quilt as desired". What I thought was a secondary pattern was the "Plus" sign.... now I see the middle star. Beautiful fabrics from Island Batiks

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  12. The stitching is just gorgeous.

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  13. The pattern is lovely and the quilting is gorgeous, Sandra! A beautiful tribute! I am so glad you are keeping it.

    -Soma

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  14. Sandra, Everything about this quilt and quilting is exquisite. Thank you for the Beothuk story. I had to look them up on Wikipedia. I'm glad you've decided to keep this quilt, especially since it talks to you. Talking quilts are hard to come by!

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  15. The quilting on this gem leaves me speechless. Enjoy your break from blogging.
    Pat

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  16. Hi Sandra! Enjoy your vacay, please. You certainly deserve it, and if you would share a picture of you rocking in one of those chairs?!! This quilt is just beautiful beyond words. The secondary pattern is fabulous - I love stars. The batik fabrics are really just so rich and their tone so pleasing. I especially love your quilting video - I love watching other people quilt, seeing what speed they use, how they go about their pattern, etc. Thank you for sharing that! Happy Happy Friday! ~smile~ Roseanne

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  17. Oh, she's a demanding beauty! Of course, she was worth every little extra bit of effort that she insisted from you. Gorgeous design, wonderful homage, and exquisite quilting. I'm applauding you as you take your bows and hustle off the stage for some well deserved R&R. I hope you have a relaxing and rejuvenating vacation, my friend :)

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  18. I love this one, Sandra! I saw the individual block earlier in your posts, and never would have expected to see all those stars. I love the surprise of it - really beautiful!

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  19. This is just so gorgeous and I always appreciate the effort you put into the photos so we can really see what is going on in your beautiful quilting. Yeah - you should be keeping this one. :)

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  20. Do enjoy your blogging break! It is well deserved and good to step back a bit, you have had a lot going on! That being said, boy do I love the quilting you did on this - totally fearless - letting the quilt speak to you and doing what it called for - I love it! Oh, and the design and back story are terrific, too.

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  21. i know you are one your blogging break, but I had to comment anyway. Beautiful quilting, I like the shadow ghost blocks. And the backing is just perfect.

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  22. Sandra, it is a real show stopper! I love a quilt with a story, and this is no exception! How many times do we think revisiting a block would be a good idea but never get to it? Well done! Enjoy your break. XO

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  23. Oh Sandra, I have no words! Ok I have a few words, but they are of the breathless kind...... This is just the most amazing quilt.... the pattern, the quilting, the story, the whole works. Just stunning! Thanks for sharing the journey. It's worth every minute you spent on it. Thank you for finishing it off the way she demanded even though time was against you. And for not starting WWIII by offering it for sale for only one person to snap up :). Enjoy your new keeper and your break. xx

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  24. Awesome pattern. And even more awesome quilting. Wow. Thanks for linking up with Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday (TGIFF).

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  25. A beautiful finish. The quilting is breathtaking, love all that texture you can see on both the front and back. Enjoy your vacation!

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  26. Bella knew right from the start, but we never could have imagined how lovely it would finish. Beautiful quilt and a lovely bit of storied history. Thanks for sharing all of it, wonderful job all round!

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  27. I know you're on 'vacation', and I have been also, so I'm just now catching up with my blog reading. I wanted to say I just love your quilt! The quilt itself, and also the quilting. Such a nice compliment to the colors and design and the quilt. Enjoy your vacation and refresh!

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  28. Such s beautiful quilt. The block you picked was perfect for your challenge. I love all the secondary designs I see. Your color placement helped with that too. And your quilting is stunning. I love all the texture. Wow! Enjoy your blogging break.

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  29. Hope you enjoy your blogging break and come back soon with more eye candy! I love this quilt and your quilting is so inspiring.
    QuiltSchmilt@gmail.com

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  30. The quilting is AMAZING! Congratulations on the finish. Thanks for linking up on behalf of the 2018 Finish-A-Long global hosts.

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