Hunter Star

I subscribed to "Just Hands On TV" last month, it's too early to say whether or not I will stay subscribed.  The idea was that instead of paying a ridiculous amount for a couple of quilt magazines each month I would invest it in a subscription to this web site and be able to view lots of quilting videos - "New videos uploaded every Friday!"  I've been disappointed with a few "new videos uploaded" as they seem to be either very short indeed or an advert for something they are selling and only two each Friday, just narrowly scraping into the 'plural'.  That said last Friday there was a very good workshop on dyeing fabric in plastic bags - that subject being of great interest to me at the moment.  So, I'm reserving judgement on JHO TV and will give it a bit longer and see if there is enough to keep me interested.

Anyway, back to the point of this post.  There is a competition on JHO TV where you make any kind of star block and send it in - your name goes in a draw and the blocks are used to make a charity quilt.  Couldn't sleep last night so went looking for quilt blocks patterns and found this brilliant site which has loads of free block patterns and absolutely excellent straightforward instructions for making them up.  The site is Delaware Quilts and there is an alphabetical list of block names, then the blocks are listed in finished sizes so it's easy to locate what you are looking for.

Above is my first effort - a block called Hunter Star.  I was very pleased with how it went together but devastated when I measured it to ensure it was the stipulated 12 1/2 inches - it is only 12 1/4", which means my seam allowances must have been just that bit too big.

I've got quite a bit of this leftover fabric so I'm going to make more blocks and create my own Hunter Star quilt.  I daren't send my non regulation sized block off to the quilt experts - but I can easily jiggle minute differences in sizes into something acceptable.  The prize is a sewing machine and I really don't need any more.........  Who knows if I make enough blocks one of them might just turn out to be spot on size-wise.

There were many places in this block where lots of seams intersected and points met.  The Horizon was coaxed carefully over these using the O2 foot, stitch no 93, pressure 4, stitch length 1.8, slow speed and a very firm hand.  It performed acceptably but not outstandingly.