A few months back, a member posted about the paint cards quilt challenge and offered to create a challenge for interesting board members, well I complied and got two paint cards with various shades of peach and orange! I was pretty excited as I LOVE orange.The challenge was to make a quilt of any size, using colors from the paint cards we got and no neutrals! Initially, I thought of a trip around the world in orange for the challenge, but then a couple of weeks ago, I envisioned an orange lone star! Talking about obsession, and trying to bite off more than I can chew!!!

I realized from the beginning that a lone star was beyond my skill level, but really does anyone pay attention to that rating on patterns? LOL, I don't. I picked my fabrics, and did a lot of research on the board and Internet for tips and hints. I had a four-day weekend while hubby was working, so I decided it was a good time to tackle the lone star.

Thursday evening, I started starching (heavily) and cutting my fabrics into strips...cutting went great, and I remeasured and everything was the 2.5'' it was supposed to be! Awesome start!

On Friday, I started sewing the the strips together, more starch, more measuring, everything is what it was supposed to be. I am feeling great, I never have really checked at every step and never tried that hard to be so accurate. I couldn't stop until I cut my strips at the 45 degree angle, measured, it is all so good. I just had to sew one diamond and see what happens. I am pressing all my seams open, marking my 1/4 inch line, and using straight pins to match the points, the first diamond turned out great!!! Could I have just gotten that good overnight??? I am beginning to question the rating on this pattern! I end Friday on a happy note and can't wait to get into the sewing room on Saturday! The rest of the diamonds are sewn, they all look great, I measure, make sure my 45 degree angle is correct, measure all sides and all my diamonds are pretty darn close in size, less than 1/16 inch variation surely I can fudge that! I did it before!

I am too excited to stop now! I attempt sewing two diamonds together, two out of three points match, I rip and try again, and again! Can't get that last darn point to match! I am using the same technique I used throughout, surely things seem to be the same size, why can't I get it to match??? Must be tired and it is time quit and start over tomorrow!

The frustration continues on Sunday! I can't understand why one point in every two diamonds won't match! I can match the others pretty close, but one in every set just won't cooperate! I am really bonding with my ripper, going really slow and easy, don't want to stretch out the pieces, it is taking forever, I am beginning to get really hot and frustrated, I need to put the project aside and walk away, but I am glued to my seam ripper, my diamonds and my machine, I need to get this right. But how many times should I rip to get right? I decided enough was enough, I had half the star sewn and on my design wall, and was working on the second half when my husband gets home from work and walks into the room. I don't know if he realized the level of tension in the room, the sea of thread snippets all over the place, or my face which I am sure showed my extreme frustration with the points I can't get to match! He knows the drill, he turns his head to the design wall and wows my half quilt! Then he goes on to say that I was getting really good at this, the star must be hard but look at how sharp my points were!!! I couldn't help but grin, even though I know not all my points match, and I explained to him the frustration, and point to the points that won't match, and tell him about the ripping and resewing experience. He calmly told me that he doesn't see any problems with what I made and that everything looked like it was supposed to look (I do love my man). Well, I guess that was the perspective I needed! I stopped ripping and just put the rest of the star together, with unmatched points and all--well not all, but some just won't match, oh well. :roll:

Played with inset seams today, added some borders and the top is finished!!!! Not all the points match as I would have liked them to, but the top does lay pretty flat and it is pretty square and I learned a lot making it. It measures 48'' square, and I think I like it. Ooh, and I have the tidiest back on a quilt top that I have ever had!! That must mean something, lol :mrgreen: This is my story and I am sticking to it!

Thanks all for reading! I just had to share with you all!

Looks pretty well matched from where I'm sitting. In my eorld, we aim for perfection, but settle for greatness!!
Beautiful lone star, beautiful colors. Great job!!

It is quite nice. You have done a lovely job. I dont see anything not match. You are meaning the 8 outermost points to the sashes? I just don't see what you are saying. Beautiful!

way to go :thumbup:

Oh I think it turn out wonderful. Love you colors.

Very pretty, it was worth all your effort.

Love your man too! He's a true quilter man. Knows when to hold them and when to fold.

Lucky you.

awesome job!!!

I think you must be really hard on yourself it is beautiful, beautiful!!

I really want to make this pattern and a feathered star. I am such a big chick that I can't bring myself to even look for fabric for such an undertaking. My hats off to you it looks great. Orange is a great color. Congrats on a job well done..

I think it looks beautiful! I am in awe of anyone who can make a Lone Star quilt! I admire your persistence!

very cool. Love it

The colours make it all seem so refreshing!

Don't be so hard on yourself!
If you look at other quilts, you'll soon discover they aren't quite so perfect.

But who goes up to a quilt with a magnifying glass? :)

Pat yourself on your back for a job, well done!!
And praise your DH for being such a good cheerleader to you!!

love your lone star. you met the challenge very well. good job.

I have made several lone star quilts and I NEVER use starch. I think ironing to dry the starch really distorts and shrinks some of the fabric, this causes so many problems. You did a wonderful job on your quilt, congrats.

Beautiful Job!!!

its beautiful

Looks great from what I see and I love the color!

Oh Candi, it really is beautiful! I love your creamcicle star!

its gorgeous!

i have a devil of a time getting my points/seams to align properly...but i dont see your unmatched points...

love the colors/patterns of the fabrics...they flow so well together

What a gorgeous Lone Star!!!!!!! I'm so glad you shared with us :D

I Love It!! I don't like orange that well but I love this quilt. So springy and fresh. And you gotta love your man. Don't think my husband would have the slightest idea what to say. Glad you shared with us.

Love the color combinations. I can really relate to your story. I did a lone star once with almost identical trials. It is a table topper for my Mom's table and no one has every noticed that it isn't perfect.

After that story I expected to see a pucker-y distorted mess with a big pimple in the middle. Your star is FABULOUS! A fitting tribute to orange in all it's glory. Bravo! I know better than to ever attempt this myself :)

Looks great. I really believe one cannot make a quilt perfect, like I mentioned before, only God is perfect. I am like you and ALWAYS say this one will be right, but all my seams don't come out perfect, but I have to accept my best as good or the fun of quilting will be gone.. I do love your lone star.

Candi, bless your heart! What a gorgeous quilt.

I too, think you did a wonderful job. I know how you feel, as I am my worst critic, and wanted everything so well done. Had a wonderful friend that told me not to be so hard on myself and enjoy the process. Like your colors and would never think of using orange, but I love it.

I really like it! I'm not a big fan of orange (but I do LOVE Florida oranges!!), but that star simply sparkles!!! It fits in perfectly for the Sunshine State!!! :thumbup:

I think you did a great job and love the colors

I think it's fantastic and can't see anything amiss with it at all. Great colours and beautifully put together...what more could a quilter want!

But it is so pretty. Who would look at your seams when it is so pretty

i love it. great job. on my list for someday.

A burst of sunshine...you did good.

That is a lovely quilt, sorry you had such a bad time with it. It looks great!

I'm not much of an orange fan but this is beautiful!

This looks great, and I think most of us worry too much about little imperfections that it would take a magnifying glass to see!! We're quilters, not Sherlock Holmes detectives! You did a really good job, wish I had your talent - and your patience!!

Don't tear yourself up over the points. I do the same and my husband tells me I am too hard on myself and that I do very good work. He loves all of my quilting and that's a great feeling that I can't do anything wrong because it all looks right.

Your star looks absolutely beautiful and I just love the colors you used; some of my favorites. The next one should go together with less trouble since you know the drill.

It looks matched and lays flat .... that's a good quilt! Love the colors you used. Do not be so hard on yourself!

Wonderful job, wonderful colour and love the story that goes along with it! lol

I love it!!!

You done good!!! If your seams matched up in the middle (and it appears they did), you've got me beat! I had to put a butterfly in the middle! LOL!