My Little Galaxy
My Little Galaxy is the next finish as I work through my stack of unfinished quilt tops. This little mini is my own creation, using Aunt Em’s Quilts’ Wonky Maverick Stars tutorial. Once I had a bunch of the stars made, they sat for awhile until I realized that I could make a little burst of stars from one corner to the other in a quilt top.
The background fabric is extra yardage from another quilt (I can’t recall which one!), and I thought it would work well for the space theme. The quilt measures about 36 inches square. (This photo is the true color of the quilt, the next few photos washed out with the closeups.)
For the quilting, I stitched wavy lines diagonally through the quilt. I stitched the first wavy line through the center of the stars and then worked my way out to each corner, following that first wavy line.
I used a 50 wt medium gray thread for the quilting. I wanted it to be noticeable but also blend in with the background fabric. I had enough of the background fabric to use for the backing, and the batting is small Hobbs 80/20.
One little added feature, suggested by BigJ, was a comet. Initially, I thought I would add it in with a little free motion quilting, but then I realized I had a variegated 12wt thread that worked really well with the colorful stars. So I ended up hand stitching the comet instead.
It was a little difficult to get a good photo of it, but I hope you can see it. I debated about stitching in some random stars, too, but decided not to for now. I can always add them in if I change my mind.
For the binding, since the stars draw the eye from corner to corner, I thought it would be fun to add some scrap binding in those corners and then use the background fabric for the rest of the quilt.
It took a little longer to make the binding and attach it to the quilt. I clipped it on first, so that I could avoid get the placement right.
And then My Little Galaxy was finished. Since BigJ hung this quilt in his work office, maybe he’ll want this one for his home office. We’ll see!
Oh, by the way – are you curious about my progress on the tree quilt? Here’s a peek:
The tree quilt top is quilted (not by me, obviously!!) and ready for binding. More on that in an upcoming post!
Wendy
Little Diversions
26 Comments
Barbara J Stanbro
That turned out very cute! Love it!
Katherine Duquette
Wendy, it’s amazing. This one will be a hard act for you to follow. Your background fabric was a wise choice. Kudos on this one.
weddingdressblue
A remarkable finish. I love the detail of the colored binding in the corners.
Quilting is in my Blood
I love everything about this mini quilt, and that subtle hand-stitched comet is an amazing touch.
Eva
Hurray, yes these stars are fun to make… happy scappy galaxy! And the handstiching…. Super! The coloured edges gives harmony and the eyes have a line to follow. Another quilt top is done! Done-month for you?!! You could be proud!
Ohhh, and the tree quilt looks like Conny had a good idea again…. Trees have leaves…. The audience will love your next blog! Happy weekend ahaid!
laura bruno lilly
Your finishes just keep on getting better & better! Thank you for taking us along with you on your thought process – it reveals so much – I love it!
texasquiltgal
This is awesome Wendy! And you hand stitched that comet – well done! For some reason it reminds me of Star Trek. 🙂
Sara F
Very cute and such a clever way to lay out those star blocks. The comet is a very fun addition!
Cheryl R Parker
What a cute starry quilt.
Laura Kate
Very sweet A reminder to all who see it to look up at the night sky from time to time. Inspiration is everywhere.
Nita
You are amazing my dear!!!! I love this one!!! You are just so awesomely clever!!!!!
Cheree Hull
Oh yeah that background is perfect. Nice idea BigJ–gotta love when the hubs get into what we do. I love how the comet turned out. The cheery stars, the quilting that makes it all move and the scrap binding to make it pop–another lovely finish! Thanks for the sneak peak on the trees! Can’t wait to see the whole thing (which I’m sure you’ll have done in the blink of an eye)!
Diann@ Little Penguin Quilts
Little Galaxy is wonderful, Wendy! The colorful stars are lots of fun, and the background fabric really makes them pop. Was it challenging to figure out the layout so that the stars would flow through like that? So creative!
TerryK
What an awesome finish! What a great layout to feature those stars!!!
aquilterstable
Sweet! I think you chose a terrific background fabric. And yes, I can see the comet! 😉
Sandi
I love your quilt! I also love the peek of your tree quilt! Hugs,
Cocoa Quilts
Wendy I love those colorful stars and carrying that through to the binding is perfect. BigJ’s commet addition is perfect!! Love this one!
tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles
I like your little galaxy! Those are awesome wonky stars and that’s now on my list of something I want to make in the future. Darn you for adding to my list. 😀😀😀
vickiwelsh9b9e540c9c
I love this quilt!
Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting
Love how you sprinkled the stars from one corner to the next, Wendy! And that comet!!! Cool!!!
Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting
Love how you sprinkled the starts from corner to corner, Wendy!!! And that comet is super cool!!!
Rochelle Summers
Way to go Wendy! Letting things percolate awhile often leads to a remarkably successful solution. Those are such gorgeous stars. I’m assuming you used scraps, but maybe not. The background is wonderful. I love to see these kind of variations so I can get out the rut of making the traditional “block” quilt. Thank you for the inspiration.
Vicki in MN
What a sweet star filled sky! Perfect using the gray thread to quilt. Love the hand stitched comet.
Kate
Very whimsical and enchanting. Love the bolds and brights with the black. The comet is really fun too. Congrats on a wonderful finish.
The Joyful Quilter
Adorable, Wendy! Love the fact that Big J wanted it for his office, too.
Janine @ Rainbow Hare
I absolutely love this!