Meet the Maker
Hey there! I’m Rachel, a self-taught sewer from North Carolina. You can follow all my projects on Instagram - @littlebitsalove.
The Inspiration Behind the Quilt
I had a friend who told me she was pregnant. I knew she would need a little girl's quilt. I had been eyeing the Starlight quilt pattern since its release and knew it was the perfect balance of girly and fun, while also fitting in with the mom-to-be’s planned nursery vibes of “vintage and minimal.”
Choosing Fabric
Pulling from My Stash
When the soon-to-be mom gave me this inspiration for her nursery, I knew this was the quilt to make. I immediately hit my stash and started pulling fat quarters. I was able to find all the fabric from my stash, which is so helpful when making a quilt. It is a combination of Art Gallery Fabrics, Ruby Star Society, and Kona. When I am pulling fabric, I play with it. I pull and replace and eventually get to the bundle I love.
Going Rogue
I ended up with 12 fat quarters, which was exactly what I needed for the pattern. While Fran wrote for 6 FQ for a baby starlight quilt, I decided to go rogue and use the layer cake requirements. I cut each of my fat quarters so I could make three blocks per color. I followed the instructions for the background as written.
The Quilting Process
I am also a procrastinator and work best under the pressure of a deadline. I pulled my fabric about a month before the baby shower, but I didn’t cut or start making the quilt until the Sunday before, meaning I had six days to complete it.
Cutting and Piecing
This pattern is so perfectly written that it was quick to cut. Making the HSTs was perfect, and I got them trimmed well. I love it when a pattern allows the correct amount of trimming space, where I'm not wasting a ton, but also have some wiggle room. The construction of the blocks was well explained. I had this quilt top done in 3 nights of quilting, from my first cut to my last long seam.
Choosing the Backing
Now, here is where I couldn’t decide what backing to use for the quilt. I had an old bedsheet I bought to make into a dress, and I had some pretty blue flowers that I purchased from a friend's stash, which would also be beautiful with the fabrics. I ended up using the sheet because I also had enough to back the quilt (without having to piece it) and make a crib sheet for it. And what kid doesn’t need matching bedsheets!?
Yarn Quilting Design
When I got the quilt basted and started deciding on a quilting design, I was struggling. Most of the quilts under the hashtag on Instagram were long-armed, and I was going to be finishing this quilt on my Janome M7. I love using block lines when I quilt, so I don’t have to mark much (or anything). So I knew I would be using the block lines in some way. I then pulled out my trusty yarn and did a rough mock-up of my quilting plan. I have found that I can tape down yarn when planning my quilting designs, and it helps me visualize how it will turn out better than drawing lines on my phone's screen. When I saw the yarn laid out, I knew I had found the perfect quilting design for this quilt.
Finishing Touches
Since I was on a time crunch at this point, I forgot to take pictures of the binding. But I used one of the solid purples I had in the quilt top. I love a good dark binding to help ‘frame’ the quilt.
I loved this pattern and the way this quilt turned out. It will have a little one snuggling on it in no time.
Fabric Details
Fabrics used: All from my stash, mostly Art Gallery Fabrics, Ruby Star Society, Dear Stella, and Kona. The background fabric is Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solid - White Linen. The backing is a bedsheet from my closet. Binding is Art Gallery Fabric Pure Solid - Haze.
Quilt Information
Quilt Pattern: Starlight by Cotton and Joy
Fabric: fabric pulled from stash with Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solid - White Linen as background
Maker: Rachel - @littlebitsalove
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