CaleyH

I made three more 12 inch blocks, They are The "Ribbon Star Variation", "Five Star", and the "Eight Pointed Star Variation".

While they were fun to make, they also did not turn out perfectly, hard as I would try. They either came out too small, points did not quite hit where they should have, or something else. I just keep trying to get one of these right, and it will happen eventually.

I also have been dealing with my whatever it might be called, where I keep placing something together the correct way, and then never notice I somehow switched things in the process. This is about the most frustrating thing I have to deal with whenever I am doing anything. Had the problem my whole life, and as I have said, it is frustrating.

Anyway, I have to eventually figure out how to integrate all these blocks that have various sizes. I think the sashing will be the way it is done, but just have to figure things out. like figuring out the "Flying Geese" blocks that I have had to do 3/16 inch seams in order to get things to fit.

Iceblossom

You are doing very well and increasing complexity -- good going!

We all have to work on our points being pointy and our seams correct and blocks coming out as intended. While most of strive for doing the best we can, that means different things to different people. I don't stress too much if a point or two is off in most cases, but sometimes it is just too noticeable to ignore. I mostly make bed quilts and go by the "5 feet away test", often we are so close to our work that we do pick up every imperfection that we don't see from 5 feet away. And if that isn't enough, you can use the "5 feet away on a galloping horse" level of perfection

I have been amazed during my quilting career of how many times I sew the right pieces together the wrong way! Even if all I do is pick up a laid out block next to my sewing machine I can still get reversed/wrong. I'm a believer in pinning and while I can still pin the wrong way, I'm correct more often than not. Unfortunately, I typically do all of one step at a time so if I pin incorrectly then I sew incorrectly and then I have a bit of a moment... and decide whether to start over again or to frog (rippit rippit!) stitch.

CaleyH

IceBlossom, Thanks so much.

I ended up just going and getting the "Wing Clipper" and "Tucker Trimmer 1", as a set. Just got them this morning, and have been reading the enclosed pamphlets carefully.

What I've discovered is that the quilt blocks I've been coping from the net, do not have the proper dimensions for the flying geese based on what I read in those pamphlets. It may very well be that those dimensions ARE correct for someone who knows how to position cut triangles on the rectangles to create whose flying geese, but I am not one who knows that secret. I've wasted three times the fabric I should have needed to create those flying geese because of the measurement problems; problem with my not knowing that secret.

Anyway, I discovered the dimension difference is 1/4 inch for the small blocks (wings), and 1/4 inch for that large block (body). I sure hope this solves the problem I have been having so much trouble with. If not, then I really do not know how to solve the problem, other than the solution I used for the 3/16 seam, and big over sized parts.

bearisgray

What size unit were you trying for with the Flying Geese? (Finished size)

"finished size" is the size/amount that shows after all the seams are sewn

CaleyH

Finished size is 4x2.

I just finished making four flying geese using Deb Tucker's "Wing Clipper", and using the instructions sent with the tool. While they aren't as perfect as shewn in the how to video, the ones I created are nearly perfect, and they are the correct size, with correct seam allowance.

I wish I had known about this set of tools when I first started. It would have saved me a lot of frustration, and a lot of wasted fabric.

Iceblossom

For geese I like the rectangle and two squares method, which is the stitch and flip method shown here as the first option:
https://kristinesser.com/2018/07/12/...ifferent-ways/

A lot of people like making multiple units at a time but I'm usually going a bit scrappier than that.

Check out this thread with what to do with the other half of the squares:
Bonus HST's From Flying Geese

CaleyH

Thanks to that nice "Wing Clipper" template, this quilt block "Maple Star", got done very easily. Only one little thing with a seam not quite meeting. But that's not a biggie.

The irregularity with the edges is due to my having to use not so good fabric for my white. I am using white Muslin. Guess I really need to order better white fabric, so when pressed, everything lays down.

osewme

Beautiful blocks so far. You are doing a great job.

CaleyH

The newest block is called a "Star Burst". It's the most complex one I've attempted so far, and it wasn't even close. The general look gets the idea the quilt block author was try to show. Unfortunately I tried to do a four at a time flying geese thing, which required me figuring out how to put the small half square triangles together. I failed to realise that when I sliced these small blocks down the middle, I would lose the points on all four of them. And I also didn't manage to get the small blocks on the interior to line up.

All that said, I still like the results. As one of our members tole a newcomer, Quote: "remember that seams not lining up makes it an art quilt! Matching seams are one designer's idea of how it should look - we are in control of what it will finally look like!" Unquote ! This is definitely an art block.

I think I will go ahead and choose a star block, and do a colour variation, maybe half a dozen of them, and then put that all together.

All the various blocks I have created were to see just how far I could go with the current skills I have. I think this last block has pressed the limit on what I can do. Time to try something else.

Barb in Louisiana

I have seen some patterns very similar to your finished block. The fact that your points are all the same "off" makes them right and I like the term Variation, so to me this block's new name is Starburst Variation.