Patchwork Death Star Pattern

I was hoping to post this a couple of days ago, but it turns out that I'm not very tech savvy.  Thank goodness I finally pulled it together.  Here is the link for the pdf file for the free pattern and some instructions.

I have a couple of pictures that I took along the way that I'll post here.  If you do make a patchwork Death Star please please please post a link for me to see.  If you are on IG, please tag it #patchworkdeathstar.  Thanks!  I can't wait to see different versions.  I originally dreamed of this all in tiny Libery florals.  Wouldn't that be cool?

Well anyway, here is a shot of a few of my pieces after glue basting.



And here is a picture of the top half pieced and sitting on top of my first drawing of it. 


The final pattern will make an 11x12" block.  The perimeter fabric can easily be made larger by extending the paper pattern.  The Death Star itself could be made bigger by bringing the pdf printouts to a copy store and enlarging them.

May the force be with you. 

Confirmation that I'm a geek

(As if you needed it.)

I sent this mini quilt off to a friend last week.  It is a Patchwork Death Star.




The inspiration for it started when my friend, Blair, sent me this most fabulous embroidery hoop.




Perhaps, more accurately, it started much earlier when we started talking about how smooth Lando Calrissian is.  Once it was determined that we were both Star Wars fans, the pins and tags just kept flying.  She is super sweet and talented so she made me that hoop of awesomeness up above.

It is really, really hard to craft for awesome crafters.  It took me a l-o-n-g time to decide what my theme would be.  And then I was stuck on making the Death Star all in florals.  It turns out that I didn't have enough small scale florals for my idea and getting the right value changes was going to be impossible.  But I have gray fabric up the wazoo.  Once I decided to do the pattern with English paper piecing things went pretty smoothly.  Some advice from Melissa and Jessie helped, too.

I really didn't think that there would be many people who would want to make a Patchwork Death Star of their very own.  But the requests for a pattern have been pretty insistent.  I still need to finalize how to print the pattern out, but I hope to have it up tomorrow. 

Have you ever shown your geeky side in your quilting?

Miscellany

I'm getting caught up in Ringo Pie bee blocks.  This one is for Charise's Paris theme.

This one is for Marit in Ringo Pie with her butterfly theme. (Inspired by Anna at Life Sew Crafty)

I took a picture of the bee blocks I've received from my Ringo Pie bee friends.  I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!  These will end up in a very special quilt for Henry. (Blocks left to right starting with the top row are by Amber, Penny, Leila, Charise, Anna and Kerry)

And, lastly, here is a picture of Charise and me from my recent visit to Seattle.  It was so much fun to hand off her block in person and it was even more fun to go fabric shopping with her.   I guess I have no shame when it comes to fabric.  I bought 48 fabric cuts!  Thank goodness that a lot of those were 1/4 and 1/8 yard cuts.  

So, there is a lot of little bits of progress over here. Well, except for any stash minimizing. I can't seem to manage that at all.

2012...

...was a challenging year for me.  Henry's autism diagnosis, starting early childhood school, therapies, fixing up our house, moving to Maryland and then selling our house--whew!  It was a year of personal life growth for sure.

But, it was also the year of creative growth, too.  I feel lucky to be among such talented company in the Cocorico, Pastiche, and Ringo Pie Bees.  The monthly themes challenged me to my limits, but my sewing skills kept growing to match what I imagined for my design. 

You'll notice that these mosaics are a little thin for bees that I've been in all year.  I still owe 4 bee blocks for 2012.  Luckily my bee-mates are patient with me. 

This was also the year of the Farmer's Wife quilt. I wish I could say that I've finished it, but that is not the case. Maybe I can finish it by spring?

 I did a little knitting this year. Most of it was very tiny, but I do have the one big shawl to warm me up.

I finished a couple of quilts to cuddle up in, but I did gave them all away except for one (my AMH voile quilt is covering my lap as I type this (bottom right).

And, lastly, there are some other sewn items that I'm proud of from the year.




2012 was supposed to be the year of the finish.  I had nine items from 2011 that I wanted to complete.  Unfortunately I only finished of those nine!  So, I officially declare that 2013 will be the year of completion.  All projects from 2011 will be done this year as well as some from 2012.
Really.
I mean it this time. 

I'm grateful for this space to share my adventures in sewing.  Occasionally I need a space where I am a mom but I'm a person, a designer and a sewist first.  Thank you all for joining me over the last year.

Please, take a minute to tell me what you made this year that you are most proud of.  Do you have any specific plans for 2013?

Curvy

I tried sewing clothing for myself a couple of times but not since high school.  I determined way back then that quilting was more my style.  I liked sewing things flat, square and simple right angles.  Curves and 3D sewing were just was not my thing.

Well, after my bee block sewing this week...

Rex Ray themed block for Krista, about 11x15", inspiration source

50's housewife themed block for Leila,  6 ½" square

... I think I'm ready to start tackling some clothing for myself. 

What do you think?  Do you like sewing clothing or do you stick to quilts?

Pottery

Amy in the Cocorico Bee asked for blocks with an art studio theme for June.  

Back before I quilted and before I knit, I was a potter.  In fact, I spent a good 16 years making pots.  I worked in a photo/wood/ceramics craft studio and I'd use the space after hours to throw to my heart's content.  I sold pottery at a few craft fairs and I taught some wheel throwing classes.  When I didn't teach or work in a studio, I took classes just to have access to a wheel and to glean any bits of knowledge that I could from the teacher.  I can't say that my skills grew very much that way.  But, it didn't matter to me.  I didn't need to make the biggest piece or fancy vase.  All I ever wanted to make was the perfect shaped bowl.  The amount of bowls I've thrown over the years is astronomical.  I was always searching for the perfect curve, just the right thickness, a good feel in two hands, and a strong earthiness while still being lifted and light.  I've gotten really close a few times, but I would still like to sit at a wheel to have a crack at it.  I still have a few pieces left.  Ones that weren't given away and didn't get broken.  But I miss throwing.  And as dusty and muddy and dirty pottery studios are, I miss the smell of it.  There is something very calming about physically centering a piece of clay that somehow centers the soul, too.  There is also something to making a big mess with a chunk of mud from the earth and then firing it until it glistens. 

Anyway, this block here is a representation of the pottery studio I used in my first year of college.  It was a long, narrow room with all of the wheels lined up along the wall and facing out over a big bank of windows.  I would stare at the beautiful trees on campus and the lake and the arboretum beyond.  I would be in there at all sorts of odd hours because I prefer to throw when no one else is around.  At the time I was super shy about showing any of the things I made  (that probably sounds hard to believe now).  Anyway, it is still my favorite studio I've ever worked in.  I hope you like the block, Amy.