TST #10 - Christmas Stars

Here is a little lap quilt that is the result of a block exchange organized in October 1994 on Compuserve.  It involved exchanging blocks that were to be 4 inches finished in size, either pieced or appliquéd, using Christmas colours/fabrics.  They were exchanged December 10, 1994.  Never having worked with blocks that size, I challenged myself and joined the exchange. 

The blocks that I received came from France, Michigan, Singapore, Iowa, and California/

The blocks sat for a long time because I really didn't know how to put them togther into a pleasing arrangement.  Then it came to me.  I could use a paper piece pattern that created a varied feathered star and place these little blocks in the center square. 

Paper-piecing was a technique that I discovered at the Pacific International Quilt Festival in San Francisco in October 1994.  This is the paper-piecing pattern that I used from a book that I purchased entitled “Paper Piecing Patterns” by Shirley Libby.  I'm sorry about the quality of the picture. 

This wonderful little lap quilt now keeps me warm during the holiday season.  I hand quilted stars in the blank setting squares, called in "My Christmas Stars" and finally completed it in October 2004, 10 years later, in time to finally use it for the holiday season in 2004..