Crazy Scrappy Star

 

 

I took the class for this quilt with my mom and sister-in-law JoAnn during spring break in 1997. Sharyn Craig taught this class on the Northern Wind. We brought a bunch of fabrics cut into squares and were forced to trade fabrics with the other quilters in the class. That is why there are some crazy and ugly fabrics in this quilt (like jelly beans, shamrocks, and an odd orange). 

Sharyn had us separate the fabrics into lights and darks.  Then we were to close our eyes and pick one of each value.  We were to use those fabrics together and not switch for a different combination.  That is why there are some fabrics I would not normally put side by side.  

I know that these do not look like the traditional Northern Wind, but they were all made with the same block.  Some of the half square triangles are just turned in different directions.  I love how it can create such a different look.  There are dark stars, light stars, and the cool border blocks. 

When we left the class Mom and JoAnn didn't want to keep the crazy and ugly fabrics. They wanted to make a quilt using the elegant fabrics we brought to the class, so they cut more squares and gave me what they didn't want.  The fabrics we had brought to the class looked more like the ones in my traditional Northern Wind quilt:

 

 

I used their blocks and fabrics and made lots more. I added a red border to try to tone it down.  Then I used a cream for the backing that my mom had a lot of.  I didn't want to hand quilt it, and I didn't have the skills to machine quilt it.  So, I had JoAnn quilt it on her long arm machine.  She quilted it with a loopy line.

 



 

I bound it in a navy blue to give it a nice frame. 

 



I planned on using this as a picnic blanket, but it was so much work that for a long time I couldn't bear to get it dirty on the ground. Instead I used it on my bed (uglies and all) until I could replace it with a prettier quilt.  Yet, when I had a new baby I always put this quilt back on the bed.  I wasn't as worried about spit-up and other baby messes. 

 



 

Quilt Stats  #2

Name:  Crazy Scrappy Star

Pattern:  A Northern Wind variation from a class taught by Sharyn Craig

Size:  about 84 x 84 inches (full/queen size)

Batting:  Hobbs 80/20

Date Finished: 1998

What I Learned:

• Sometimes it is nice to have it quilted by someone else.
• Ugly fabrics can be fun in a quilt.
• I don't have the same taste in fabric as others.  ;)

Have you ever traded for fabrics you didn't like?

XX,
Jasmine