Star seasons

At the beginning of 2022 the idea came to me for a new quilt; one for our bed - to mark twelve years of marriage. I'd long been inspired by the beautiful handmade quilts by Sara of Farm & Folk. How playfully she used natural dyed fabrics in traditional designs. So I set about creating my own star block quilt entirely out of linen scraps from my stash - all the colours I love and have used in various other projects over the years - black, blues, greys, greens, oatmeal, taupe, brown, burgundy, pinks.

There would be twelve stars; one for each year of marriage. Each one different, each one a homage to the seasons of life Alex and I have journeyed together. 

The star blocks emerged quickly over that first summer - it was addictive to sew the triangles and piece them together on my machine. Next was the play of arranging them in different combinations until I was happy with the balance of dark and light, colour and movement. 

For the in-between squares I used a mix of dark blue and black linen that I had left over from sewing the Tea House Dress a few years ago and a black Ogden tank for a friend. I wasn't sure how this would work, but I knew I wanted to make the top of the quilt entirely out of fabric I already had - even if it meant a bit of creative seaming,

The edging was the leftover of oatmeal hemp-linen scraps from my hinterland dress. The backing fabric I did end up buying new (on sale) from the fabric store. A glorious blue and white linen chambray which is reminiscent of a summer sky. 

Everything was tacked together and ready for the hand quilting - my favourite part of the process! But I just couldn't find the time or will to start it. So the quilt sat dormant for more than a year. It's curious how creative processes ebb and flow - the motivation to finish can be so much harder to muster than the initial beginning of the thing!

I bought some beautiful silk-cotton thread from my local fabric shop in blue and sage green and cream - I decided to make simple lines. Once I began I couldn't stop - the process of threading those tiny, even lines was so calming. 

Finally I reached the last step - sewing the edge of the quilt - which I did with a simple folded edge binding and an invisible hem stitch. 

The completed quilt now lies on the edge of our bed, keeping our winter toes warm. It is a homage to our marriage - to the beauty and the struggle, the adventures and the seasons, the commitment to learn more about ourselves, and always - to love each other well //