Today’s quilt top from the cupboard is a String Star. It’s a fairly recent quilt top, dating to the last 10 years or so. It’s construction is not the norm for a string quilt.
Usually a string quilt is made by sewing strips to a foundation, either paper or fabric. This quilt top was made by sewing long strips of fabrics together, pressing, then the pieced star units were cut from this newly made strippy fabric. The stars are set together with an aqua solid.
It’s machine sewn.
I’m not sure why the maker did her String Star this way, but it looks like it would go together real fast?
The construction of the string star units surprised me, but there’s no question about how the blocks were made because there is a 7-8 foot panel of the pieced strips that came with the top.
If I decide I want to..I can make more blocks from what is left.
Tags: String Star, strip pieced
How cool is that- to have 7-8 feet of ready made fun? :-} pokey
Well, isn’t that interesting! Where did you find such a recent quilt top…at a garage or estate sale?
Absolutely fabulous!
Ann, you have the most wonderful quilt cupboard! I can’t wait to see what you pull out next!
I got this top at a garage sale. I think I paid $7 for it?
What an intersesting top and it looks like there’s enough of the strips for another whole quilt.
Someone let that go for $7 dollars?? Glad you were there to rescue it! I love the way it looks.
Hi Ann..I am surprised there wasn’t a fire under you to finish cutting them up and make the quilt bigger.. I love the colors of this one it is very cottage like..do you have to iron these before you display them cause non of them have folds..thanks for all your efforts on presenting these fabulous tops.. curious on how many there are in that magical cupboard
always fun to see your posts! and whats in that wonderful cabinet!
oh it would be fun to make a quilt from that piece of fabric!!!!
$7.00 wow what a deal!
love that aqua
really sets off the blocks.
Kathie
Deb..I don’t iron the tops. I think that’s part of the reason they don’t usually hang straight when I put them up for pics? I hang them outside and it takes a few minutes to get down from the ladder and move it before I snap pics. I guess that’s enough time for the fabric to relax just a bit?
Thanks for the comments!
the extra piece is just as fabulous!
Hi Ann, what a cool quilt! The string stars are very striking. If I can be honest, I don’t care for the sashing fabric – it kind of detracts from the graphic quality of the strings. You could make a scrappy border with the leftovers.
Claudia..the sashing is the stumbling point for me too! I don’t care for it..and the blocks aren’t sewn so they line up just right. The top needs to be taken apart and redone with different sashing..IMHO?
yes, the sashing isn’t great but what an awesome quilt. I love the strip panel too. Those diagonal lines in the fabric are marvelous, but I have the horrible feeling that means the fabric was cut on the bias. eek.
Another wonderful top! Like Tonya, I was eye-ing all of those diagonal stripes and wondering how someone could have come up with so many without cutting it on the bias.
Very interesting and lovely!
Ann, you sound like a perfectionist.
Taking it apart would be a lot of work.
That was how I was shown how to make a string star when I was living in southern Georgia by an older neighbor. We pieced long pieces of fabric then cut the pieces out. She thought using paper beneath was crazy! Guess it is all how you were taught….I like how the strip looks before it is cut into!
This is great — I agree it would be better with different sashing, and what fun to have all that extra fabric to work with — the prints are very striking. I often cut pieces that are not on the correct grain or on the bias. Sometimes it can’t be helped when you’re working with small pieces of vintage fabric, but I haven’t found it to be a big problem and I kind of like the challenge.
I also thought the sashing was an odd choice……but it’s oddly interesting to me, makes the quilt look summery and fresh, however unusual. What a bonus to get that extra piece of strips, and for $7! You’ve mentioned this before, some people just don’t know the value of quilts, whatever age they are. I’m sure if you decide to replace the sashing, it’ll be an improvement and lots of fun to find a way to incorporate the strip set. Thanks again for sharing your cupboard with us
I also thought the sashing was an odd choice……but it’s oddly interesting to me, makes the quilt look summery and fresh, however unusual. What a bonus to get that extra piece of strips, and for $7! You’ve mentioned this before, some people just don’t know the value of quilts, whatever age they are. I’m sure if you decide to replace the sashing, it’ll be an improvement and lots of fun to find a way to incorporate the strip set. Thanks once again for sharing your cupboard with us
I really like this star quilt done with the strips… looks like this gal was trying to step out of the box.
OOooo – I could make those long strips of strings all day long. Something wonderfully meditative about stitching the long lines and chosing the strips to sew.
I have my grandmother’s string star quilt from 1935. A picture of it and my grandmother will be included in the Alabama Quilt Book by Mary Elizabeth Johnson, to be published this year or next.