This is what I worked on over the weekend. For me it’s an enormous block as it will finish at 20″. Feathered Star is a pattern I’ve been fascinated by and, over the years, I’ve thought about making one but the idea of the acrylic or mylar templates, specialty rulers, tracing and on and on made it less appealing.
On Friday night, three Inklingo collections for a 15″, 20″ and 30″ Feathered Star were released along with an absolutely fantastic Design Book. Because the centres of these feathered stars are 4.5″, 6″ and 9″ respectively, one could use any number of blocks in the centre rather than the octagon. Saturday morning, I had this stack of shapes printed and cut out, ready to make my first block.
The instructions in the Design Book are for both hand and machine piecing. I read through the machine piecing section and felt like I could make one of these by machine. That said, all the continuous stitching that putting the feathers together offers was irresistible to me and hand piecing was my choice. Putting the HSTs together by machine would be so easy the Inklingo way; just stitch on the line and cut. No paper to remove, no bias to handle. The Design Book is free to download for a limited time. If you’ve ever thought about making a Feathered Star, this is definitely a book you want to add to your library.
This could be the beginning of a Christmas quilt for next year or perhaps I’ll finish off this one block, add a border, quilt it and use it as a table topper this Christmas. That may be a bit too optimistic to think I’ll finish it by Saturday, but I’m tempted to try. I’m amazed at just how quickly it goes together. It won’t take long now to finish the star and then add the setting squares and triangles.
Smudge is on a tablet that helps the liver. He has a habit of spitting the pill out when I turn my back. Saturday morning, he did that very thing and I didn’t notice it until we took this picture. If you look closely, you can see the little pink pill on the towel. He seems to be doing better. Tomorrow we take him in for another antibiotic shot and his weigh-in and colour check.
Lester has been enjoying the variety of foods that have been showing up as we try to get Smudge to eat more on his own.
Love the red and white feathered star! I hope to get to do one soon. I can’t decide on which size!
I hope Smudge behaves and takes his meds and recovers fully for the new year!
LikeLike
Love your red and white block Cathi! I have been trying to decide which size to choose too!
Bunny kisses to Smudge and Lester… My bunny Chichi says to tell Smudge to swallow his meds!
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas! hugs Ellyx
LikeLike
The feathered star is always a block that I have admired too. I took a class a long time ago with Marsha McCloskey and still haven’t finished the block. There was a lot of graphing and drawing and cutting. Needless to say at some point it became tedious. I love your and your determination to complete it!! Can’t wait to see more. Yes, I see the pink pill by Smudge. We have to give one of our cats a pill every day and it is quite easy. She doesn’t put up a fuss at all . Guess we are lucky that way.
LikeLike
Beautiful block Cathi!! I agree, hand piecing one of those would be a lot more fun than machine piecing it :0)
Crispy
LikeLike
I love your block! So much that I downloaded the free book and bought a block! This means I have to make one! It’s a tough job, but these blocks have to be made! 🙂
Hope Smudge doesn’t pull another fast one and misses his pills again. He does look more playful! Then there’s Lester who loves to pose, am I right?
Merry Christmas to all!
LikeLike
I made one feathered star block and its so pretty! However, it was all cut by hand and machine sewn. About a 12inch block, so I haven’t revisited it. I’ll try to send you a photo of it…
There are a lot of versions (centers changing), I really love this one! Pretty shade of red.
Our pups hate their monthly pill for flea n tick. Wrapping in a small piece of cheese he
Ps, but don’t like to give them much of that…
Yes, I find it sometimes, but now pretty much hold ther muzzle shut gently and rub their throats gently, this makes them swallow. Oh, the things we do for our little furry, mute children.
Our new pup settled in nicely.
I’m in town to send packages and shop for our Christlmas meals. I spent the night, taking a charter home at 3.
Wishing y’all a very Merry Christmas. Xo
LikeLike
HAHA Lester is a typical brother and doesn’t mind benefitting from his brother’s troubles!
Zoomer and I are glad to see that Mr. Smudge is continuing to improve 🙂 Z doesn’t want me to mention this because he prefers to do the same thing (spit out his pills) – but when you pill him, do you pop the pill way back into his mouth? I drop it in as far back as it will go, then I gently hold his mouth closed for a few seconds until I feel him swallow it. Of course, he’s tricked me a few times, so I pop his mouth open for a quick peek before releasing him into the wild (of the living room, lol). Silly boys should learn that momma knows best, lol!
LikeLike
I think it might be easier by hand too!
We used to have to wrap our dog’s pills in a piece of cheese or he would spit them out.
LikeLike
Merry Christmas!!
LikeLike
Wow Cathie – the block is looking wonderful – well done. Red and whilte looks lovely. Good to hear Smudge continues to improve…and is testing your detection abilities 🙂
LikeLike
What a beautiful block. You can never go wrong with a red and white quilt!
LikeLike
Now that is gorgeous, what a lovely topper it would make! Smudge is a typical kitty, isn’t he…..if he doesn’t want to take the tablet, then he doesn’t wan’t to take the tablet. A little human guile helps!
LikeLike
Cathi, the feather star is lovely, I look forward to seeing the completed piece. Our furry ones do the same I still don’t know who it was that left a worming tablet under the dinning table a while back. I suspect Spud but…..
I have a pill popper which helps me get the tablet into the back of the throat. It has a small rubber piece at the top for the tablet to go into and a handle and plunger at the other end so you can push the tablet into the mouth.
Still all in all it sometimes doesn’t quite get there.
Wish we could talk cat and explain sometimes. then we might see some co-operation but we would get the grumbles as well..
take care glad to see Smudge is improving and Lester is looking his kingly self.
LikeLike
Pingback: How to use Quilter’s Cash Points on Missouri Star Quilt Co