Here's a good one for all you creative ladies/and gents...
My son is graduating in the spring from high school, and I promised him I'd make him whatever style/color quilt he wanted as his present. Here's what he wants:
A queen size quilt that looks like a super-nova, which is an exploding star. Very bright, explosion in the center that fades out to black space. I showed him lone star patterns, etc., but they are all too symetrical for him. He wants it to actually look like it's exploding!
I did a search on google, and actually found a pattern called Super-nova, but it's not what he's looking for - too perfectly symetrical.
To make matters worse, I'm a semi-new quilter, only been quilting for 2/1/2 years or so, and only completed 5 quilts. I machine quilt, and have a Grace GMQ frame with a Brother PQ1500 machine, and I piece on a Pfaff 7570.
Have I bitten off more than I can chew??? Any brilliant suggestions for me, anyone??
Any help appreciated. I've got to have it finished by Mid-May.
The Quiet Quilter - Laura
Hi Laura
Found this for you at creativequiltkits.com its called the supernova blue quilt and if you don't like it you can probably just order RJR fabrics COOL HUH!
SKU: RJR-9653-973
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Here's another one website: calicospiceshop.com Good luck marlene
This is a set of 5 hard plastic (acrylic) quilt templates for creating the small supernova quilt blocks. The template pieces make a 45 degree diamond - like a star quilt. The elongated diamond block measures 6" across and is 16" long.These can also be used for a number of other quilt blocks. This set is perfect for using with a rotary cutter. These have the 1/4" seam allowance built in.
Marlene,
you found some really beautiful quilts but I'm guessing he'll say "too symmetrical" to these as well. I haven't found anything yet but I'm suspecting we're going to have to make this pattern from scratch.
Kris
I am suspecting that you are right. All of the patterns that I have ever seen are symmetrical. I wonder if you could do a Stack N Whack center and then have the outside ring be long segments and short segments arranged in uneven spacing to give the look a more unsymmetrical look?
Vinton, Virginia
RJR Fabrics did have some Super Nova Fabrics that she might want to take a look at--they were really cool
Hi Marlene,
Welcome! Why not pick you favorite pattern and start the motif in one corner, that would offset the design and ruin the symetry with class and uniqueness.
Judylee
Kris:I haven't found anything yet but I'm suspecting we're going to have to make this pattern from scratch.
Laura,
You can take great encouragement here. Did you notice Kris said "we're going to have to make..."? I think she wants to get involved, and we all know that Kris is a skilled designer!
On the banks of the Mississippi River in north central Minnesota (Brainerd lakes area)
How about finding a picture of a super nove or an exploding star on the internet that he likes, save it to your computer and use a poster printing program to print the picture onto photo fabric. You can add metalic thread and fabric paint with glitter to add highlights. Some printers have a built in capability to break up a photo into sections that can be glued together. Sounds like a fun project.
Toledo, OH
All of you ladies are so great to help me with this problem, thank you for your efforts.
I've never made a pattern myself, but was thinking that if I made, say a lone star, and then was very careful about how I placed my colors, I could take a symetrical pattern and make it look not-symetrical - couldn't I?? Then if I put it somewhat off center (like Nana suggested) that might even enhance that exploding effect.
Is this really difficult to do? Of course, I've never tried "Y" seams before, so that scares me too, but I believe there are ways to do stars in strips instead of the dreaded "Y" seam - I thought I read about it in one of my books somewhere. Any thoughts?
The Quiet Quilter - Laura in Illinois
www.belvidere.net/quilt
Sharon, It would make a great quilt, but my son would never go for it - not "manly" enough for an 18 year old.
He wants NO printed "space" fabrics, just solids, batiks etc. where the color placement makes the explosion - basically he wants me to work my hiny off! I told him in return, he better graduate with a 4.0! LOL!
Y-seams aren't so bad. I actually like them. Whatever you make I'm sure your son will love it.
I have until May to "get 'er done" as my husband would say, which is doable if I'm doing something I'm comfortable with. "Y" seams still scare me, better try a couple of practice blocks for sure! LOL!
Laura
The trick with Y seams is to not sew into the seam allowance of the next piece. As long as you leave the seam allowance open it isn't hard to place the next piece and sew it in. Just relax and take a deep breathe....you can do this.