Stars and Spikes: Quilt Top

Without any further ado or waiting, let me present my quilt top:

(click on picture to get a larger view)

I will confess to being pretty pleased with it, thank you.

So one huge hurdle crossed (getting the top done), but it is not nearly a quilt yet. Steps to go:

1. Put binding and piping onto my mini quilt to practice the piping technique. I bought the Piping Hot Binding kit which contains a ruler handy for cutting the piping seams very even but a little practice wouldn't hurt. I have to quilt the mini quilt, however, before I can bind it. :sigh: So really:

1a. quilt mini quilt

1b. apply piping and bind mini quilt

2. Add piping and border to Hawaiian Star quilt top

3. Practice quilting full size quilt by quilting my Crossed Canoes quilt top (this could be optional, depending on how impatient I get)

4. Layer and pin/baste Hawaiian Star quilt top

5. Quilt Hawaiian Star quilt

6. Bind quilt

Step 6 is no problem. The rest are quite a bit of work, each unto themselves. So no, I won't be finishing this any time soon. But I will be having a lot of fun "practising"!

As for deadlines, it would be really nice to have the top done (meaning adding the piping and borders (step 2)) by the next club meeting which is the second Saturday in May. Hmmm...that might be a job. But I'll keep it out there as a possibility. In any case, I can bring what I have which is quite a bit in itself and then learn what they have to teach me about quilting techniques, threads, supplies, tips, etc.

And what about the title of this post, Stars and Spikes, you ask? That is my current title for this quilt, now that it is all put together. Hawaiian Star is the designer's name, but it mostly comes from the fabrics used. Since I didn't use the same fabrics, it makes sense that I would have a different name.

The design has two star patterns (Lone Star and Compass Star) and lots of spike sections (Corner Spikes, Melon Spikes, and Border Spikes); hence, Stars and Spikes. That's all I got. Ok, yes, there is also the obvious play on Stars and Stripes as well. Spikes fit my current mood better; I am, at best, half-heartedly patriotic right now.

It's a working title; we'll see if it sticks. If you have a better idea, leave a comment and I will consider it! Ta ta...