 These
starz have been made by me in all sizes and colours on many occasions,
as original little gifts, presented in a large vase as a Christmas
shop display, even as prize winners’ “rosettes”, but
most often I combine the making of them in my classes on free machine
quilting as a great way for everyone to use up those practice “quilts”.
I’ll let you in to the secret of how to make them and then I
expect you to improvise and put your own stamp on yours.
1. Making the Quilt Sandwich:
You will need a backing fabric, wadding, (preferably low loft cotton)
and a top fabric all the same size. These need to be pinned together
with little safety pins at intervals about a clenched fist apart.
Remember though, that if this was a real quilt top they would be
pinned much more heavily.
options:
(a) The size of the sandwich is optional but working on the size
of a fat quarter or a fat eighth makes quilting pleasurable. I usually
work to the size of scrap wadding I have.
(b) The fabrics used can be anything from patchwork cottons to unusual
luxury fabrics, choose the fabric for the look that you require.
(c) The top fabric can be in one piece, can be an already pieced
fabric e.g a sample block, or it can be a layering of raw edged
fabrics held down along the edges by stitching. Use a toning theme
or contrast colours.
2. Off and Stitching:
I’m not about to teach machine quilting here, this is the starz
recipe, so........
options:
(a) If you are new to machine quilting, put on the walking foot
and sew lines or a grid no further than 3/4” apart all over
your sandwich, taking out the pins as you approach them.
(b) If you are timid with your free machine quilting , don’t
panic, just make sure that your thread is the same as the top fabric
and “scary“ stitches won’t show. You’ll probably
cut them out anyway! You can work in lines, in grids, areas of texture
or groups of motifs e.g. stars, hearts or daisies.
It all works.
(c) The experts can get down to showing off fine fancy stitching,
perhaps working with unusual contrasting threads, and even embellishments
of ribbons and lace.
3. Turning Out Starz:
Once you have your “quilt” the time is right for cutting
it up. Draw up some stars and cut around them making sure that you
cut out a belly as well for each star. I usually cut out all the
stars possible from the fabric then cut “belly circles”
freehand from the scraps........
options:
(a) Make starz as big as you like or as tiny as you can.
(b) Cut out different shapes; hearts, flowers, animals.......
(c) Cut the star from one “quilt” and the belly from another.
4. On With the Belly:
The belly makes the star more sculptural and gives it body. Depending
on your machine skills this can be attached in a variety of ways.
options:
(a) Use stranded cottons, a big needle and big cross stitches if
you feel for your fingers under that machine needle!
(b) If you are more confident than that, the walking foot will get
you round and round and round that circle in style.
(c) What I do is free machine in a contrast thread, usually in the
linear pattern that takes my fancy at the time.
5. Finally to Finish:
To finish the raw edges and stiffen the points, I use stranded cottons
or other thickish yarns to do large running stitches all around,
sometimes in contrast and sometimes to tone in. A button gets sewn
to the middle of the belly, and a beautiful stick of driftwood receives
a dob from the hot glue gun for backbone placement. But then there
are more........
options:
(a) Beads instead of buttons
(b) Bamboo or twigs or fabric covered thick wire
(c) Or no stick at all. What about a few stitched on a ribbon, decorating
a hat or making a chain....................?
Whatever you do have fun making them!
Copyright Jan Mullen 1998
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