i would do two focal prints a star. Have you thought about making the big joining diamonds out of one of the focal prints and use a plain color for any stripping?

Oh, what fun fabrics! I can see why you just can't cut them, they're too cute! Yes to the diamond shape instead of just the triangle, and I'd probably use one focus print per block, alternating the focus diamonds with string diamonds. Hope that make sense.

Oh, and welcome to the board!

No ideas on your quilt. Welcome from Missouri.

The pigs are adorable. Your picture of the quilt just gave me a new idea for my next scrap quilt--I love it and have been looking for something like this for a while now. THANK YOU!!

very cute material. I also collect pigs.and one of my favorite saying is "when pigs fly" . when we eventually have a place with a dining room that will be my theme. my kids already gave me the plates of when pigs fly and pigs with wings and i have my pattern waiting to be used. I also had a baby pig when I was seven and lived with my grandma. it was like having my own puppy. they are great pets. I remember embrassing my stepmom who was a german lady that was very proper cause when i went to live with her and my dad we had to do a report on your favorite pet for school. well i wrote about my pet pig and the teacher thought i was in lala land and called my mom in to tell her what i wrote about. I remember her face getting beet red and her choking out that i wasn't in lalaland (crazy)but i did have a pet pig back in NC. the teacher and her became real good friends since we only lived about 7 blocks away. that was always a good laugh over the years. even though she isn't here anymore i can still see her red red face and get the giggles.

Sorry I haven't been able to write back till now.

Thanks so much for the welcomes and positive feedback. I'm always amazed to find out that others are as silly crazy about pigs as me! I AM curious if other pig lovers eat pork? I gave it up as soon as I could get away with it. I'm the baby of five, and a diabetic since I was five, so asking my mother to make two meals when I HAD to eat at certain times was a no go. She didn't let me decide that till I was the last bird in the nest. My parents weren't kosher, and were pro-pork. They didn't mix milk and meat, something they learned from their parents, but in the 50's my Bubbie (Grandmother in Yiddish) was told by my mother's pediatrician that Bacon was good for a child's health. (He was Jewish too!) Don't know why he recommended that, or what study said one of the greasiest food out there is great for kids, but my grandmother made her eat a lot of bacon!

The pet pig story goes back to my music loving father. He went to Woodstock, owned more CDs than anyone I knew/know (how many kids have to ask their father to turn the music down so they can study?) His favorite band ever was Pink Floyd, saw them live every chance he had and usually would drive all over to get to see them multiple times a tour. I was even lucky enough to see them in '96! One thing Pink Floyd people know is that every concert they have a huge pig appear during one of their songs. They even had the pig in the opening ceremonies of the London games. This started my father’s love of pigs, till he finally bought one when we moved to Augusta when I was in third grade. We learned that pigs are VERY smart, loud, stubborn, and cute. Piggaro, our pet, wasn't hand held from birth, so didn't like being touched, not very good for a pet pig in suburbia. Also, pigs are litter box trainable 100%, they're far cleaner than people realize. The only thing they usually don't tell you is that you have to change the litter at least once a day!

After that year my father lost his pig obsession, but mine only grew. I started collecting in 7th grade, when I got my first pig at a hospital gift shop after I had to be in for a week. From there it grew and grew. Now everyone I know buys me pigs, pigs, and more pigs! Last year I got a bouquet of 32 pigs!</SPAN>
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Most people would use the stars as the focal point of the quilt and the diamonds as background. Why not reverse it? Use the blue pigs, small pigs and other fabric without much contrast in the star strings and the pink pigs in the background where they will have more of a chance to stand out?