These stacks of diamonds that I had fussy cut/printed and showed last Monday …

… have now turned into this group of kaleidoscope stars …

…which, when added to those already done, make this stack of 53 stars done, ready for the Tranquil Garden top.

A little unsewing will have to happen before I start putting the stars together, though.  Why?

Because I’ve decided that I want all of them to have the teal kites like those in this block.

Rather than the green kite in this block.

Or the red kite in this block. My reasoning is because I want the stars to shine, changing the kite colours throughout would just draw attention away from them. Actually, if I had loads of the green I’d rather use it throughout but I had only a FQ of it, so that’s out and the teal it will be.

So I need to take six of the stars out of their settings, ready to sew back into the same setting but with the teal kites instead.

I learned very quickly last night not to try taking out stitches while watching the ice dancing. I will have to re-sew part of a star as a result. I’ll save the unsewing for anything but the figure skating.

Thanks to a comment left last week, I revisited an older post on my blog about a gorgeous antique quilt made with 60-degree diamonds in an unusual setting which led me off down a rabbit hole, even if it was only ever so briefly! Linda Franz did a couple of blog posts about the fabulous antique quilt on the All About Inklingo blog. This July 29, 2013 “Antique Diamond Star Quilt” post is my favourite – I love having the two drawings. Now that I’ve rediscovered just how much I love sewing 60-degree diamonds, until I get bitten by the curved piecing bug again, I have a feeling that once I get the Silent Garden projects done I may well be going back to that and making it!

I remember finishing this test block and then, of course – what else is new with me – getting distracted by something and I had unfortunately totally forgotten about this ever since! So I am really grateful for that comment that was left on the older post!! Looking at this is making me wonder about using the mauve and pink stars for this wonderful setting instead of making a third Silent Garden top. I’m going to think about that for a few days and won’t make any more of the mauve and pink Silent Garden blocks until I’m sure. Because they might be perfect as stars for a lovely little quilt made with some pretty pink and mauve and green diamonds for the tumbling blocks.

“Star Gazing”

The kitty carrying bag, aka travelling bag, is pretty much Baxter’s exclusive spot but every once in a while we spot Jake in there. And for once I had my phone with me when I did and was able to quickly get this photo.

I captured this photo just before an enormous yawn.