I can not believe it is the end of December and we are only weeks away from 2020! Do you remember your grandparents (or maybe even your parents) saying that “time flies” and they wished it “would slow down”? Well, I’ve become that person! It was only yesterday (in my mind) when we were in 2018 and I was complaining that I wasn’t ready for a year of writing “2019!”
2020 Quilting Goals
Since I don’t make resolutions but I do make lists, I have come up with a list of quilts that simply must be made in 2020! They’re all vintage and all fabrics used will come from my stash. I am determined to use what stash I’ve been blessed with (and also so my kids don’t feel like they have to bury me with it). I’m reducing what I’ll carry in my shop and refusing to buy “extra” for myself.
Hard words for a fabric addict.
This time last year, I committed myself to making a Dresden quilt like this one:
While I did finish a Dresden quilt in 2019, it was not exactly the scrappy, traditional, vintage look I desire. It’s on my list for 2020! But, to begin the year, I’m starting with Oklahoma Star and a LeMoyne Star.
Oklahoma Star
It’s nearly impossible to find information on the Oklahoma Star block (the picture on the left above). A seller on ebay was offering a vintage quilt and she didn’t know the name of the block. I tried hard to win the bid but got sniped at the very last second (I really dislike that about ebay.). I decided I’d make my own but first had to figure out what it was! Hours of searching led to Material Obsession‘s Queen of the May quilt block. It’s not quite the same but it was really close and I could buy templates!
A few more minutes searching and I found this old pattern with paper templates:
The major difference appears to be the number of small triangles on the outside of the star portion. Queen of the May has larger triangles and they match up to each inner wedge. The Oklahoma Star was 2 triangles for each wedge. A bit more work but it will make for a more scrappy block (like my original inspiration quilt from ebay). Hubby likes one better than the other so I’ve yet to decide which I’ll actually create.
LeMoyne Star
The LeMoyne Star quilt that I’m copying is actually a LeMoyne Star within a larger star (almost like Camille Roskelley’s Swoon block). The vintage pattern has many names including Dutch Rose, Star with Diamonds, Star of the East, Carpenter’s Wheel, Lone Star of Paradise, Morning Star, Double Star and Twinkling Stars. Whatever the name, I have loved the pattern since I took Camille’s Craftsy course, Pre-cut Piecing Made Simple. It’s about time I get one made!
When I had my retail space, I quilted this Carpenter’s Wheel quilt for a friend whose grandmother had hand-stitched the quilt top years before. It sat in a box for years and wasn’t finished until after her grandmother’s death. Such a shame that the grandma didn’t get to enjoy the quilt that must have taken her so many hours to create!
These will be my January goals. Two quilts that have been on my list for way too many years. I’ll post updates here and on Instagram as I work on them. Through the holidays first, though, right?