Finally Feels Like Progress ... Morningstar Quilt Top

Progress on the Morningstar Quilt!

Since October (at least), I've been working on the applique flowers and vines for the 4 corners and 4 diamond side panels of this Morningstar Quilt.  I can finally get back to sewing again -- Last weekend, I was able to start top-stitching the applique flowers and vines down.

I spent part of the day with a glue stick securing the pieces to the background.  Yes-- normally I would have done that with a fusible.   But this project posed some barriers to making that possible.

1) it would have taken hours to shape and iron all those bits and pieces with the fusible. (I did do one triangle piece that way, and it took an entire afternoon and a sore back.  No thank you!
2) Once I got everything in place at the light box, it was difficult to move it all to the ironing board where I could fuse it.  Things would invariably move in the transition.

Therefore, I decided it would be much easier and sensible to use the purple glue stick again, to glue it in place at the light box.  (I must have used a dozen or more glue sticks in the course of this project!) This seems to have worked out well enough, and saved oodles of time over the fusible webbing method.

Now back to stitching ...

I've missed my sewing machine these last few months!

  I used the open toe foot, but did not set up for free-motion stitching.  I wanted the feed dogs to help keep me on track, and to help provide an even stitch length.  Steady and sure got the job done in less time than I would have thought. Done in 2 afternoons.

 These are the threads I used for top-stitching the appliques.  Burgundies, Tangerine, and  mixed blues.  Although the applique flowers and vines were glued in place with a simple purple glue stick (the Elmer's kind you find in office supply stores, or with school supplies).  Purple worked better than the white, as the white tended to dry stiffer and white.  The purple dried clear, and was not so stiff.  That's my preferred adhesive for this project.  

The thread is a polyester embroidery thread from Thread Art.  Very strong, and very pretty.  You can get some pretty good deals on the sets on lack Friday.  It's so strong, I can even quilt with it.  I'm very happy with this thread!

Here is one of the completed applique panels.  This one fits in the corners of the giant star.  Each one of those bits and pieces was cut out of those pieces was traces to freezer paper, cut out of the fabric, and then turned under to provide a finished edge  The glue gave it a little body, so I didn't need interfacing for most of it.

Here is one of the other flowers, stitched down.

THe top-stitching went so smoothly, that I even had time this afternoon to set in all the squares with the Y-seams.  Again -- this is not a beginner project.  That said, the Luminous Lone Star class I took online at Craftsy (now BluePrint) proved very helpful for this project.    

It still needs the borders, but I'll save that for next weekend.

Then I'll have to sandwich it with batting and backing -- something I usually do at Quilt Camp where I have big tables and can work with my basting boards.   

Then I have to think about how to quilt it.  I have some definite ideas.  This is indeed on track to being finished by June for our 20th Wedding Anniversary. Wa-hooh! 

I'm really pleased with what I see so far.  ;-)

Like what you see?  This is the Lotus Quilt by Jinny Beyer.  I purchased a kit on sale a while back.  Perhaps they were having trouble selling these due to all that fiddly applique?

Theresa -- How did yours turn out?