Needlework Tuesday - Why make a 5 pointed star blanket for baby

 I am so pleased to have finished this blanket.  I was worried that I would run out of the variegated yarn before finishing, and I did. I still had two double crochets to go, and I was out. If only I have left shorter ends to work in when joining colours etc. No big deal, you can hardly tell where I used the darker green to finish up.  The free pattern can be found at the Yarnspiration site.

Needlework Tuesday is a regular weekly post where I share the progress of my various needlework projects over the past week. I enjoy the encouragement that I receive from my readers and in return visit their blogs and cheer them on with theirs. You are welcome to grab the cute little mouse and create your own Needlework Tuesday post. Leave a comment with a link and I'll be sure to visit with you.

 You might be wondering why a five pointed star blanket for a baby.  They are easy to snuggly wrap the baby without too much bulk.  Place the baby, or his cute substitute in the centre with his or her head aligned with a point.

 Flip up a bottom point.

Flip up another bottom point.

 Flip over a side point ensuring it doesn't cover baby's face.

 Do the same with the other side point.

 Final point can now be flipped over the top of baby's face as a sun shield.

I was feeling a little antsy and needed to sew a quilt block.  As I've been planning a pink and purple quilt for some time, I wanted to stitch a sample of this block.  Bonnie Hunter featured this block in her "Addicted to Scraps" column in the January/February 2015 issue of Quiltmaker. To accurately cut the pieces, I used my Marti Michell templates, Set A templates 2 and 6.  This block finishes at 6 inches.  It would take forever to make enough blocks for an entire quilt, so I am considering piecing a simple pinwheel for the alternate blocks.  I'll have to play around in EQ7 to see how that might look.

Of course, I didn't need to start a new project as I am still sewing together the blocks for my One Block Wonder.  Slowly, methodically I am working my way through them.  Hubby has been warned not to the open the window in the room where I have the blocks laid on the floor.  Oh, it would be a disaster if they got mussed up at this point.  (don't even think such thoughts).  I promise to post a photo as soon as the top is complete.

I am wondering about quilting magazines.  Quilters Newsletter used to be my favourite.  I learned so much from it in the past, but lately it has left me wanting.  The quilts featured don't seem as fresh and innovative at they have been in the past and several of the columns I don't even bother to read.  I generally like the advertisements, they provide lots of websites to browse.

Last month I purchased a copy of "Quilts from Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks" Spring 2015.  19 quilt patterns and 4 bonus table runner designs.  First of all, how is anything that is included in the magazine a bonus. It's part of the original magazine.  A bonus is an extra, such as something you send away for or a special web address to a part that only purchasers can access.  Once I started reading, I found that all but one quilt pattern is by the person who originally designed the block. That is boring and un-impressive. Of course they can design quilts for their own blocks.   I was expecting that designers would be showing us how they used the blocks that others had designed for earlier editions of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks. Now that would be exciting.  Only Denise Starck designed a quilt with a block that had earlier been designed by Susan Nelson.  Way to go Denise.   Quiltmaker staff designed one quilt using a block by Tina Curran, though all they did was increase the size of the block from 12 inches to 48 inches. So much for encouragement if designers can't even manage to use the blocks from the magazines.

Do you have a favourite quilt/craft magazine and why. I am curious, I think I'm in need of a new magazine to try.

Mister Linky is waiting below.