Chris's stars

Chris went away and met a woman making these Christmas Star who showed her how she made them.  Chris worked out the pattern and has shown us how to make them.  As is often the case with groups, quite a lot of people have been making these - some have made more than one (you know who you are)  Janet kindly cut the card templates on her machine,  for a small charge.  So, you glue these down with fabric glue

Sew them in sets of 5

Add the sets of 5 together and sew them

it looks a little like a hat.....you have two halves to join together

This is what the inside looks like - I rather like it

and a completed on with beads (10mm I think), a tassel and a hanging loop

It's not as complicated as it looks, but it is fiddly at times.  There will be more star pics and you will see how fantastic they all look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breakaways members help each other to figure things out; we share a lot and as I am sure you have noticed if you have been looking at this blog over time, many of us make similar things, yet they end up looking so different!  There are a couple of links to different blogs making the same star-type http://pennyrugsandmore.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/woolie-moravian-star-tutorial.html  http://kindredquilts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/a-3-d-project.html
I have to say I think the ones our members are making are absolutely beautiful.

Thanks, Chris!

Rosemary's stockings and calendars

Rosemary is very thrifty, and quite rightly so with fabric the price it is.  She made 2 stockings from one panel by substituting a different fabric for the back of the stocking

And as you can see she has been busy with advent calendars.  I'm afraid mine is hiding somewhere - mayb e next year for me...

...and going

More of Jane's visit to Iceland...the first 3 have found a home, thanks to a benevolent Santa

Lynne's bunting in redwork

Sian's finished leafy quilt!

Steph's Flower Fairies......loove the way she has done the cornerstones

and Steph's cheeky robin!

Wendy's baby quilt.  She has used seersucker gingham - it has come up a treat. Never be afraid to experiment!!

We are so lucky at Breakaways to have such lovely people and they continually surprise me with the ideas they have, and the (sometimes unintended) experimentation that takes place.  We all have to start somewhere and that somewhere often takes you off in unexpected directions, so if you would like to join us at Denmead Community Centre on a Wednesday evening, you will be very welcome, please contact me at carolinehounsell @ yahoo.co. uk (mind the spacing!)

oh, I might as well keep on going......

Chris still making fussy cut hexies - they are very covetable!

Janet in the meantime has been investigating Lemoyne Stars, also known as Lemon Stars.  Karen Styles made a quilt of little ones, produced the pattern with templates - http://somersetpatchwork.com.au/current/patterns.htm (same company made the Okehampton quilt pattern which Chris and Janet bought) and challenged her group to make a star a day.  I am also supposed to be doing this - but not yet!

Wendy hand quilting her stars for her lad

Jane went to Iceland and will be having an exhibition in the summer in Devon

Linda also made stars, this time out of various left over pieces of fabric

Rosemary made these 3

and Sarah made this one.....

and yet more

Project Linus was given this quilt which had bottle green borders.  It is a beautiful quilt and the green was not helping it.  So Jane took the borders off, replaced them with calico, Janet donated the wadding and Jane is now hand quilting it

Janet made a load of stars.  I love the way she turned them into flowers, and the scrappy borders round the blocks and the quilt top

Lesley and Janet

Lesley, as you can see, has been expanding her work over the past year.  No rush, just as and when she is able.

Now, these are all Janet's.  She was using Lynne Edwards' sampler books.  One day she will make a top from them

It is interesting to see how different people's fabric choices affect the way a block looks