Stardrops Quilt Pattern Test: same pattern, Two Ways
I love pattern testing for Morgan at Modernly Morgan because her patterns are pretty much in final draft form by the time they get to me. I know that I can cut into fabric relatively worry-free, and that the instructions are going to be easy to follow, which leaves me with the fun job of picking pretty fabrics to bring them to life.
Her latest Stardrops quilt pattern is no exception, so I decided I’d cut into two different stacks of fabric to turn into Stardrops quilts! This is because number 1, I couldn’t choose between the two, and number 2, I love seeing just how different two quilts can look, despite using the same pattern.
The baby Viewmaster Stardrops has a fun playful pop color palette, and is centered around the Viewmaster reels prints with the best pop art vibes.
The throw size Art Teacher Stardrops uses a dark splatter print as a background for a bright bold warm color palette and some fun text prints, giving a creative, multimedia feel that makes me think of Tempera paints and Elmer’s glue, but in the most sophisticated way.
Using Pop art inspired fabrics for a playful baby quilt
The first quilt I made for Stardrops was the baby size, and I really wanted to make a quilt to use my remaining 3 yards of the Viewmaster reels print from Melody Miller’s Playful fabric collection from several years ago.
This is one of the first prints that I absolutely fell in love with, and I have long been hoarding this luscious 3 yards. It just perfectly captures that retro modern style that I love, and the palette is so bright and playful, but not too juvenile. So it appeals to viewmasters of all ages.
I pulled some subtle blender prints in coordinating colors from that feature print, including a bold red, an orchid pink, sky blue, putty, goldenrod, and grassy green. To give it one more playful pop art element, I couldn’t resist the punchy hot-pink bananas print from designer Rashida Coleman-Hale.
And to set off the unbleached white of the feature print, I decided to make the background this dark, dramatic peacock spark fabric, a Ruby Star Society basic print, also from Melody Miller. It is not quite black, not quite blue, not quite green. What is it? It’s perfect, that’s what.
Abstract prints, fiery hues, and text prints: ‘multimedia’ textiles
And for Stardrops quilt numero dos, I decided to make the throw size, to feature even more of the black paint splatter print (from the Ruby Star Society collection, Achroma). I then pulled a variety of warm colors in Speckled, because those also had a messy art room quality, like the paint splatter but gentler, and with a sparkling metallic accent that adds to the textural appeal. The last prints I added were a couple of First of Infinity prints, from a Japanese collection, with bold text chunks and color blocks, in soft peach and dark pink. I think they look so cool all chopped up in the quilt.
The effect of the abstract splatter, the textural metallic accents, and the text print is like a multimedia collage—it’s like if Jackson Pollack took up scrapbooking. And thinking of it like a cross between a giant Pollack canvas and a layered paper collage makes for a fun surprise when you actually feel it. It’s so soft and smooth and squishable, the way all quilts should be. It’s a nod to multimedia, but it’s firmly a single medium: textile.
Double Stardrops Quilt Process: Tips & Tricks
I could also use the Subheading “How to Overcommit” because I am actually an expert on that. But truly this pattern comes together pretty efficiently. I also tend to make very large quilts, so when I decide to make a baby sized quilt, I am always surprised by how quickly the time flies.
I constructed these at the same time, so I just double stacked up my pieces, double chain-pieced the blocks, and then took double snack breaks!
This pattern does consist of two different kinds of Stardrops blocks, you have your main block and then the one that looks like a photo negative of your main block, where the placement of background and prints are reversed. So I still stacked and chain-pieced my blocks, but I sewed all blocks of the same type at once, to keep from getting confused and mixing up my color placement. I sewed up all my main blocks (for both quilts, in my case), and then stacked up and pieced all the ‘photo negative’ blocks. This extra organizational step might seem unnecessary, but it kept me from getting confused, so I could zone out or listen to a podcast while piecing. Not having to break out a seam ripper and redo a block that got the background and print fabrics swapped saves a lot of time.
The thoughtful cats like to sit on the sewing chair to encourage me to take breaks.
Playful Finishing Touches for the Pop Art Nursery Stardrops
Artistic Touches for the ‘Multimedia’ Art Stardrops
I had a lot of fun visiting my local tiny Eiffel Tower replica (I really hope your town has one) to take photos.
Stardrops Quilt Pattern Review: Final Thoughts
There you go. Two completely different looks from the same pattern. And if you check out Morgan’s samples and the social media hashtag #stardropsquilt you will see just how versatile the Stardrops pattern can be.
Some consistent features of Morgan’s quilt patterns: she loves a modern twist on a star block, and she has mastered clear instructions. If you are an intermediate quilter, this pattern will pose no problems for you. If you’re a beginner, you will learn how to make flying geese blocks, and you will learn how to ‘stitch-and-flip’ corners for components of the Stardrops blocks. Ambitious beginners should have no trouble following her diagrams and instructions.
