Yenter Big Star

     Jason Yenter is my Favorite fabric Designer.  If you only knew the love I have for his fabric!!!  His fabric brings me joy just to work with.  All of the colors are soooo vibrant and the designs give you inspiration!  I have only paper pieced with his fabric so far and was so reluctant to cut into his fabric for a machine pieced quilt.  His fabric is perfect for paper piecing.  

     After my last big star quilt, I am on the big star band Wagon.  I had this intuition that was guiding me to use my new Shangri La fabric by Jason Yenter to make this big star quilt.  I found the tutorial here: http://www.incolororder.com/2011/08/giant-vintage-star-quilt-tutorial.html?m=1

     The blocks are 18 inches. I bought a lot of Yenter's Shangri La a while back from Ozark Fabric.  I was shocked when I cut the blocks to make this quilt that I was able too cut all of the pieces out of 1/2 yard pieces.  When you buy fabric from most places they short you.  I actually had enough extra to trim off each piece!  

 

     I had to make this quilt with the corner squares a different color as I did not have enough of the lighter floral to do all of the corners.  So I decided this this quilt was way out of the spectrum of my traditional quilts that I would just make the look a little more untraditional. The star pattern is a basic old fashion star blown up and with this fabric it adds a big modern twist!!

     The quilt pattern was easy to follow and went together quickly.  I sewed it together and sandwiched it using the sew 10 minutes a day principal during a very busy work week. 

     The backing that I picked and measured to need only 2 fabrics.  But of course I measured wrong and had to add a corner of a third.  I am still working on my principle of sew with what you have and not buy more.  It's not completely the back I wanted, but I have to say it worked out fine and matches the colors on the front. 

     Too quilt it I am doing the same design a the last big star quilt.   A bunch of curves straight across.  I am trying to quilt this way this time with the Supreme Slider mat. I am trying to see if it is any easier to use the Supreme Slider Mat or not.  I read about the mat on Leah Days web site.  

     The mat goes across the bed of your machine.  The only hole is where you needle goes into your bobbin case.  The mat is made of a silicone type material.  It is made for you to assist the quilt to glide over the machine easier.  That it does!  This quilt is larger then the last and more cumbersome to bring threw the machine.    The mat assists it in gliding threw.  I did 1/2 of the quilt with the mat and 1/2 off.  My recommendation is that you practice a lot with the mat.  I actually liked it without the mat better.  But I know that it is only because I am not use to the ease of moving the quilt.  My shoulders actually felt better when I used the mat and did not appear to tire as easily.  I think the mat with practice will help my posture and will in the long run help me make more precise quilts!

     I finished the quilt out with a brown Yenter that was part of the Legendary Basics collection.  I did a basic line stitch on the quilt binding to finish. 

     This quilt is out of the normal for me but I love how it turned out!!  It's going to be a wedding present next month, I am excited to share it!!!