Puzzles

 I like puzzles! Sometimes I look at a quilt pattern as a puzzle to solve.  

This is the case for this Missouri Star pattern since it will be in one of this year's Block magazine. I watched their YouTube video of the Block Party. They showed this quilt and stated that it will only be found in the Block magazine. Well, I fell in love with this block!

I was planning on working with the pink and orange fabric that I had recently gotten to create a quilt for February.  Since I couldn't wait and I love puzzles, I decided to figure out how to assemble a block. Missouri Star likes to work with 2.5 inch strips and layer cakes. That was helpful information in figuring out measurements. They also mentioned in the video that a small drunkard path template is used. Easy, I ordered from them their small drunkard template. 

It's fun playing with the different shades of pink and orange to create this cute block. 

Mrs. Smith's Favorite

Back in April, my daughter and I traveled to Hamilton Missouri to shop at Missouri Star Quilt Company's many shops. Honestly, I just wanted to experience this quilt town since I follow them on Youtube. My daughter saw the Mrs. Smith's Favorite quilt hanging on wall at one of the shops and fell in love with it. 

She loved it so much that she asked if I could make her one almost with the same fabrics and in a queen size for her bed. 

After purchasing the Block magazine with the pattern and directions, we headed over to their Batik shop.

Omg! That shop is worth the travels to Hamilton! There are so many beautiful batiks! My daughter loved the look of the blue quilt; so, we stuck to picking from the many beautiful blue batiks. We got lucky that they had the cute small flower fabric, which was used in the quilt at the other shop.

The pattern is easy to follow, but since I didn't purchase the suggestion of layer cakes, 10" squares, I had to make changes to directions. Since my quilt would be a queen size, I had to purchase yards of fabric for the different motifs of fabrics that are required. The size of the quilt increased from 68x68 to 95x95. I had to figure out how many more squares and rectangles would be needed to make a queen size.

Eeks! I forgot that quilting a queen size quilt is a workout! The binding was quick and easy using my favorite method. 

In this photo, the quilting looks like it's taking away from the star pattern in the quilt, but I think it's the lighting. The quilting is much softer, but this does show the pattern of the quilting that I used for being able to quilt a queen size quilt with my sewing machine. 

The backside of the quilt is a solid print. I used 3 yards of 108" fabric. This was a fun quilt to make and would do it again, but not a queen size. I'm done making queen size quilts---and don't even think of a king!   

Missouri Here I Come!!

 My daughter and I went to Hamilton to check out fabrics and shops!

This town's shops are mostly owned by Missouri Star Quilt Co, the Disneyland for quilters. 

We spent two days going through their 19 shops, picking out fabrics, and chatting with very friendly folks. 

My stash of items for future quilt projects.

There are even shops on the second floor of some of the shops. 

I love the murals.  

Besides the quilt shops, there is a Quilt Museum with pretty antique quilts and very old sewing machines, well worth the visit. Also worth visiting is the JC Penny Museum at the library. We learned a lot about Mr JC Penny and his misfortunes and fortunes.

The basement of the quilt museum has a huge room full of antique toy sewing machines. I did not see a Davis or a Two Spools sewing machines like mine in the museum.

The largest spool of thread is next to the Quilt Museum. 

We did a day trip to explore wonderful Kansas City before heading home. Kansas City is fun city worth a visit to explore again!