What am I supposed to do now?
Every evening, when the day's work is done, supper is eaten and cleaned up, and the dog has been walked, I settle on the sofa for my evening relaxation. Tv and hand work. Piecing, quilting, embroidery, knitting...whatever. I always have a pile next to my spot and when I sit, I work on something until bedtime. I average between 90 minutes to 2 hours a night. It's what I do and what I've always done.
2.5 years ago, a good friend and quilt shop co-worker approached me with this quilt pattern.
It's name is completely accurate. You hand piece one 3 inch star every day for a whole year and then you have enough stars for a full size quilt. She suggested that we should both make it, but as a block swap (you make blocks for others and they make some for you). Then we decided that we should get 2 other co-workers in on this little deal, because it would be more fun and there would be more variety. They agreed. We also agreed to start the first week of January, 2014. Thus, our Star-a-Day block swap was born.
At first, we thought we would each do 8 a week since that's 2 blocks for everyone and it's only 1 more than 7 (a block a day) and we would finish up earlier than a full year and that would be great. Because who wants to make a star a day for a WHOLE YEAR?!
After the first 2 weeks of making 8 stars each week we all sort of balked. The tracing of the templates, the cutting out, the hand piecing.....it all took way longer than expected. There's about 80 minutes involved in each star, not to mention the choosing of ones fabrics. So we unilaterally decided one set of 4 stars a week. Sadly, that pushed us to close to 2 years.
Then we all decided, unbeknownst to the others that we wanted different settings of our quilts. We didn't want them all to look the same, and I wanted mine to be big enough to put on my queen size bed. I found a setting I liked, but it required 420 stars, not just the 365 the original pattern calls for. My friends were kind enough to agree to that. Tack on a few more months.
Then, because of circumstances out of her control, one of us had to drop out of the swap. Our sets of 4 became sets of 3 and another 8 months got tacked on to the end.
Last night, I made star 420. 2 years, 5 months and 2 days of making stars. Every. Night.
Half way through, I started setting my stars together so I could see what my quilt would look like and I fell completely in love with it. Which is good. I can't tell you how many times I picked up my box of pieces to get started on and sneered with contempt because NO MORE PLEASE. But that quilt....that quilt will be extraordinary. I'm not gonna lie and say that during the last year I didn't refer to them as "those f $#@ing stars". I totally did. And last night, when I finished that last f-ing star, I was so excited.
But then it occured to me that since I was done, I would have to find another project to work on in the evening. What am I supposed to do now?
Anyone up for a block swap?
2.5 years ago, a good friend and quilt shop co-worker approached me with this quilt pattern.
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| These are the templates. The grid behind is one inch. |
At first, we thought we would each do 8 a week since that's 2 blocks for everyone and it's only 1 more than 7 (a block a day) and we would finish up earlier than a full year and that would be great. Because who wants to make a star a day for a WHOLE YEAR?!
 |
| Totally hand pieced |
After the first 2 weeks of making 8 stars each week we all sort of balked. The tracing of the templates, the cutting out, the hand piecing.....it all took way longer than expected. There's about 80 minutes involved in each star, not to mention the choosing of ones fabrics. So we unilaterally decided one set of 4 stars a week. Sadly, that pushed us to close to 2 years.
Then we all decided, unbeknownst to the others that we wanted different settings of our quilts. We didn't want them all to look the same, and I wanted mine to be big enough to put on my queen size bed. I found a setting I liked, but it required 420 stars, not just the 365 the original pattern calls for. My friends were kind enough to agree to that. Tack on a few more months.
Then, because of circumstances out of her control, one of us had to drop out of the swap. Our sets of 4 became sets of 3 and another 8 months got tacked on to the end.
Last night, I made star 420. 2 years, 5 months and 2 days of making stars. Every. Night.
 |
| Star A Day nonsense |
Half way through, I started setting my stars together so I could see what my quilt would look like and I fell completely in love with it. Which is good. I can't tell you how many times I picked up my box of pieces to get started on and sneered with contempt because NO MORE PLEASE. But that quilt....that quilt will be extraordinary. I'm not gonna lie and say that during the last year I didn't refer to them as "those f $#@ing stars". I totally did. And last night, when I finished that last f-ing star, I was so excited.
But then it occured to me that since I was done, I would have to find another project to work on in the evening. What am I supposed to do now?
Anyone up for a block swap?
I know for a fact you already have one going on. No more, young lady! :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, your stars are wonderful, and I'm looking forward to seeing the quilt.
Wow! You are way more patient than I am and what a wonderful thing to someday pass on. Hand sewn quilts are pretty rare these days I'd bet. Congratulation and I love the fabrics you've selected.
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