QUILTS & FABRIC: PAST & PRESENT


Thursday, December 18, 2014

STARS IN A TIME WARP: Weekly Lessons in a Shower of Stars


In 2015 I'm planning a QuiltAlong over on my Civil War Quilts blog. Every Wednesday I'll post a piece----but it won't be a pattern for a different design each week.

For the Stars in a Time Warp QuiltAlong we'll be doing the same 6" sawtooth star every week.


Vintage Variable Star or Sawtooth Star, mid-19th-century

What will change weekly is the fabric.

Vintage star quilt, early-19th-century

Each post will be a lesson on reproduction fabrics in a particular style or color.

Vintage Sawtooth Star top about 1880-1910.

You'll wind up with many 6" stars that you can mix or match into time warp quilts....

Feathered Star Medallion reproduction quilt by
Bettina Havig
Reproduction quilts large and small.

Jacobean Meadow reproduction quilt by
Jean Stanclift

Reproduction quilt by Jerrye VanLeer

Reproduction block

You may want to copy the vintage blocks closely

or interpret them in softer  shades.



The fabric lessons will be based on my books America's Printed Fabrics 1770-1890 and Making History: Quilts and Fabric from 1890-1970.


Reproduction blocks

In January we'll begin in the 1840s with tips for finding authentic reproduction prints in Turkey red and Prussian blue style.

Doll quilt, about 1900

We'll go forward in time stitching sawtooth stars from the reproduction prints in your stash or on your shopping list.

Star set on point about 1840

 Because it's a time warp we can shift backwards too, exploring the days of chintz and toile.

Roseanne Smith
Morris Star reproduction

You can make one star or more each week. By the end of the series we'll have a shower of stars to set into a quilt from mini-sized to king-sized.

I'm snipping a triangle from every piece of reproduction
fabric in my stash to make a charm quilt of triangles while I piece
6" star blocks.

Look for the first post on the first Wednesday of January: January 7th.
Here's the address for Civil War Quilts.
http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/

18 comments:

  1. This looks wonderful, Barbara! I can't wait to begin - I LOVE star blocks - and I've enjoyed BOTH of your quiltalongs this year! Thank you for all you do and share with us!

    Terry (Honas52)

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  2. I LOVE everything about this--thanks!

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  3. Oh, an exciting announcement! I learn so much from your series -- I'll be looking forward to participating again.

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  4. This sounds like a fun series to learn from. I love that doll quilt.

    Debbie

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  5. This sounds so wonderful!! I'll be following along for sure.

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  6. Great! The opportunity to improvise just one block at a time out of stash is very appealing. Who doesn't have time for that? I'm in for sure.

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  7. Sounds like a lot of fun and I love the idea of snipping a piece of fabric for the triangle quilt!

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  8. This is my kind of block..same but different! I already own this book and look forward to participating.

    Thank you Barbara.

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  9. This sounds like a very interesting idea.I will be looking forward to the start of this quilt along next month.

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  10. I'm not too good with flying geese and I am looking forward to trying this. ITS a challenge I accept! Thank you

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  11. Sounds fun.I love stars pattern and the idea of the triangle while doing the QAL is great.

    Have a fun and great Holiday season.

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  12. Oooh, I am going to quilt along with your Sawtooth Star series. This past week I was considering making such a quilt! I look forward to your lessons.

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  13. What a lovely project to look forward to. Thank you for all the time and research you put into your blocks of the week and month. I've enjoyed being part of the 'Barbara Brackman World Wide Quilting Bee' while learning so much about the Civil War, women's rights, abolition of slavery, not to mention Jane Austen. Greetings from Africa, Penny.

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  14. Penny---(an everyone) isn't it fun to have a world-wide stitch group?

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  15. I think this will be a great project and learning experience. I have both books, but unfortunately they are at home while I'm snow birding in Arizona!

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  16. This doesn't have anything to do with this post but I'm trying to find your WM Morris fabric in upholstery or home dec to cover a vintage sewing chair. Help!!

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  17. What an exciting way to start the new year!

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  18. I love the idea of a quilt-along focused on fabric choices instead of block designs. I hope to also learn more about the quilting designs used in quilts like the sawtooth star examples you share here.

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