The Quiltin' Bug Bit My Dear Daughter-in-Law !

AND....I'm afraid she has become addicted to the medications at hand --- FABRIC!

You may recall that none of my quilting buddies could make it to the quilt show at Weatherford, Texas, on September 24, so I asked my DIL if she would like to go with me, and she said okay.  (My son doesn't like me going so far alone.)

We both enjoyed seeing all the pretty quilts there.  At one point I was digging through one of the vendor booths when I realized that she was really engrossed with a  star block in a particular quilt (which had previously won Best of Show at the Trinity Valley show in Fort Worth).  She was really studying the star, and really concentrating.  I'd never seen her look so intently  at any quilt really.

She didn't have her phone with her so she asked me to take a picture of  "that blue star", which I did.
My son was at work that day so I had to take her home.  He called her when he got off work, and she told him to call me and tell me to e-mail the star picture to her. He said, "She said you would know which one."  So I sent the picture.   It takes him an hour to drive home, and he called me again when he got home, and said, "Mother, you won't believe what my wife is doing!  She has printed that star picture, and has drawn an enlarged picture of it on paper and is now drawing it on poster board so she can cut it out for a pattern!  She says she is going to make that star!"

This is that picture:  (not even taken straight on!)

That was on Saturday, just hours after we got home from the show.

On Monday evening, they came over to show me the star she had made, and all her little poster board pattern pieces, but I failed to take a picture at the time.  Then about three weeks later she came over to spend the day so I could help her get some project ideas together for a special upcoming weekend, and I told her to bring her star back so I could take a picture.  By then she had made another star and reversed it, and had appliqued it to a square. She didn't know how to put the corner squares and triangles around the star block, so she decided to hand applique it to a background.  I took this picture that day of both stars.  (Remember, no pattern; only a lop-sided photo!)

1st star is the lower one; second star is on top and appliqued to background.
No pattern; only a photo of a quilt at show 9-24-16

 Remember, she has never even attempted piecing or quilting before; she has sewn clothes for her daughter and granddaughter, and a few curtains, but that's it!  I was so proud of her!  I thought this girl shows promise as a quilter, and the quiltin' bug bit a hunk out of her big time!

The next time she came over, she had appliqued the other one, and made a pillow with one on each side of the pillow.   My son took her to the quilt store and Hobby Lobby, and she bought probably enough fabric to make at least four star quilts!  (She had no idea how to figure what she needed.  Maybe she can use some of it for bandages for the quiltin' bug bites, you think?

I told her I really thought the star in the quilt had been paper pieced probably, and I called the lady in charge of the Crowley show (where the quilt had again won Best of Show).  She gave me the contact information for the maker of the quilt, and I called her to ask if the star was her original pattern, or if she could tell me where I could find the pattern.  She said it was from a book by Carol Doak, "Fifty Fabulous Paper Pieced Stars", so I ordered the book  and the paper piecing paper for my DIL.  I think she ate and slept with the book for several days!

The next weekend I went to a quilter's Estate Sale, and as usual, bought about 40 yards of fabric I didn't need and all the specialty rulers left.  I already had all the rulers, so I gave them and one bright pink 3 yard piece to the DIL, and she has already tried paper piecing the block from the book instructions with the pink fabric, and did a great job, including corners and all.

First Paper Pieced Star with Carol Doak pattern; finished 11-10-16

When I reminded her that she needs to not trim so close, but should leave 1/4" seam all around her points, she said she had pressed the seams under to give the finished look.  (She still has a few little things to learn, such as just leaving it with the outside seams showing until she sews the block to something else. *giggle*)  But didn't she do great?  I think so!

I know this has been a long post, but I just had to get this story written to keep for myself!

Following right behind this will be another long but amazing story you won't believe,  but it is all true!  Be watching for it!

---"Love"