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Really? Another Star? (4 of 5)

Yeah. It really wasn't a conscious decision to keep doing variations on the star theme, it just kind of happened. This is a Texas Star. Working the diamonds in concentric circles from the center, it is usually solid to the points, a big burst of color. But I began sewing this wall hanging before I realized there wasn’t enough of each fabric to follow the traditional pattern. This is where photographing stages played an important part in the final outcome.





The center was the easiest part, I just needed 8 diamonds. As I moved outward to the next levels, the required number of diamonds increased and my fabric diminished. You can also see that some of the choices would eventually effect the feeling of the quilt, making it look darker or heavier than other choices. 


In the bottom left photo you can see where I compared a solid point to the point I chose...my judgement call. Perhaps you would have gone in the other direction. 

I also played with the idea of an alternate overall shape:


Very tempting... In the end I went with a conservative square, so I could trim it with the ends of all the ties which I'd set aside. This formed a "Prairie Point" edge. (I've always wanted to finish off a quilt that way.)

And there you have it. At each fork in the road a decision is made and we move on, until it's time to make a new choice. Thus the project unfolds. It reminds me of the "Pick-A-Path" books we had in our family library; another choice, at any point, and you have a totally different outcome. Not better, or worse, just unique to that product. Plus you have a new experience to draw on for the next project, I look at that as a "win,win" situation.  It could have been frustrating to find best laid plans thwarted by limited supplies. Maybe the key message here is to be open to the flow of circumstances and ideas- see where they take you. As deep a philosophy for life as for creating. 😉

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