Cathedral Stars pattern questions
 

Have any of you made the Cathedral Stars pattern that is on Bonnie Hunter's quiltville website? I want to make this with my daughter to help get her started in quilting. It appears to be a pretty easy pattern, using two basic blocks. My questions concern how much yardage I will need. I want to use a cream color for the background, probably a muslin....a solid color for the star points....and two more solids for the HST. The pattern gives me how many I need of each piece, but not how much in yardage. Has anyone ever figured out how much you would need?

Don't have a specific answer, however, I do have a copy of "Judy Martin's Ultimate Rotary Cutting Reference". This is a great book to have if you make quilts without patterns. She gives instructions on how to rotary cut scores of patches and also gives the yield on yardage. I refer to it often.

You can get a used copy for the price of postage:
http://www.amazon.com/Martins-Ultima...ting+reference

If you Google "Bonnie Hunter Cathedral Stars class list" you can find information on how much yardage per color or color set.

That is probably the easiest estimate. I learned to calculate yardage based upon block size and number of units using the Harriet Hargrave Quilters Academy Volume 1 - she does a great job laying out how to compute the number of strip sets you will need for each type of cut - which in turn leads you to the computation of yardage needed.

This is a lovely pattern, but I'm not sure I would start a new quilter off with lots of complex triangles and blocks.

Cheers, K

I'd freak out if someone started me on this quilt. The star points are not very simple.

I took a class on learning to piece a sampler. There were 6 blocks, each one got harder and harder. The instructors told us by the time we finished the class we would be able to tackle anything. She was absolutely right!! She said if you think you can't do it, then you probably won't. Just take your time and read instructions and go slow. Since taking this class I have not been afraid to try anything and have, with great success.

I made one and LOVE it. The triangle in a square units, which form the star, are not the easiest thing to get right, or at least weren't for me - and I've been sewing for over 40 years, quilting for 15 or so.

That said, Bonnie does provide excellent and throrough instructions. Her website (quiltville.com) also has an extensive list of free patterns, as well as other sewing, cutting and stash using tips. Do you have scraps that could be used for whatever quilt you do with your daughter? The variety in Bonnie's quilts is what makes them sparkle. My Cathedral Star is much like Bonnie's as far as those units that are consistent, the red, bllue and black. The rest came mostly from my stash, although it was hard to find anything bright or jewel toned. It really made me realize how much I lean toward darker, muted colors.

I agree, Cathedral Stars might not be the best quilt for a beginner. How about Bonnie's Bricks & Stepping Stones. Chunky Churn Dash is also fairly easy. Or the Dancing 9-Patch. Can't go wrong with a 9-patch.

Trying to delete this reply. I was talking about Cathedral SQUARES, not stars! Sorry!

Thanks much for the tip on the class list. It gives me a great starting point for buying fabric and having things ready to go when daughter and I get together. I am not worried about the quilt being too hard...it is made of two blocks with lots of 4 patches....am thinking she can handle the 4 patches while I work on the rest.

This is a lovely quilt,but I sure wouldn't call it beginner friendly. Bonnie has some much easier patterns on her site.
Speaking as someone who loves a challenge I would not have wanted that one to be my first. Actually, my first was a log cabin and I still love them. Bonnies scrappy trips around the world is a fabulous pattern. I made one totally scrappy and another from 7 pieces I bought together from a group.