I’m in the throes of getting ready for a quilting workshop, and I thought it would be fun to bring you along for a little behind-the-scenes peek at my preparations.
Plus, it means I get to share some real-time quilty inspiration with you 😊
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Pulling Fabrics for the Winter Star Quilt
The Winter Star quilt is the focus of this workshop, but there’s an added fun twist – my students are all kids!
It’s been a while since I’ve taught children, and I’ve never taught them quilting before. So, I’m super excited to introduce them to the joy of playing with fabric and making patchwork 😉
With that in mind, I wanted to keep things focused on the fat quarter-friendly aspect of the pattern.
There’s something about working with that easy-to-manage cut of fabric that I remember loving when I first started quilting. It just made everything feel a little more approachable.
Plus, one of the ultimate joys of patchwork is getting to mix prints and colours – ha!
I wanted to have a couple of examples ready to show the kids, not only to help them understand the piecing process but also to encourage them to have fun with their fabric choices.
And since I’ve made the Winter Star quilt quiiiiite a few times by now, I’m always looking for ways to mix things up and see the pattern from a fresh perspective.
A Little Blue and Aqua Fabric Inspiration
When I stood in front of my Fabric Cabinet, I headed straight for my fat quarter section and spotted these gorgeous blues and aquas from a Sally Kelly Fabrics collection.
You might recognize some of these prints from my Double Chevron Pillow and Modern Aztec Table Runner. Which, now that I think about it, have both been gifted to my mum!
The original collection covered quite the colour spectrum, but this time, the blues were calling to me.
I also had some glorious Sprout Wovens tucked away in my stash, and I couldn’t resist sneaking a few of those into the mix 😊
When Quilty Plans Go Sideways
It happens to us all!
Unfortunately, I slipped into autopilot mode and made the wrong type of half-square triangles.
Sigh.
Which meant I’d used up almost all my precious woven fat quarters before realizing my mistake.
Oops!
But mistakes happen, and I think the real lesson is in how we pivot from there.
Undeterred, I decided to make the most of my one remaining woven fat quarter and bring a full Winter Star block to life so the kids could see how the finished block comes together.
For my other in-progress block, I’m embracing a maximalist approach – print, on print, on print! 😊
For More Winter Star Quilt Inspiration:
Get inspired by the previous versions I’ve made.
Why I Love Revisiting a Quilt Pattern Before Teaching
One thing I’ve learned over the years is how helpful it is to revisit my techniques before heading out to teach.
It gives me a chance to work through the steps from a student’s perspective while drawing on all the quilty experience I’ve gathered along the way.
It’s amazing how differently we approach things once we have a few versions under our quilty belt 😉
And that’s where I’m at with this little Winter Star adventure!
It will most likely stay a WIP for a while, since my focus during workshops is on helping the students rather than sneaking in my own stitching.
But I do love where this one is headed, and I can’t wait to see what the kids create with their own fabric combinations!
xo,
Shannon
P.S. Want more quilting inspiration? Join Studio Notes for behind-the-scenes projects, creative encouragement, helpful tutorials, and early access to new patterns and courses. I’d love to have you there.
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