Hip, hip, hooray - a finished quilt! This new pretty thing is Economy Stars Parade in Heather Ross fabrics for Windham. I expect it’s the first of a series. I’ve got to try this patchwork layout with scraps sometime this summer!

All the printed fabrics I’ve used for Economy Star Parade are by designer Heather Ross, who specializes in cheery spring colors and charming illustrations. Each block is more fun up close, but today is about the collective effect. To see more close-ups, follow the links to previous work-in-progress updates at the bottom of this post.

Isn’t that texture delicious? To emphasize the yellow star border, I quilted the non-star areas of the quilt with diagonal straight lines. This gives the stars a slightly raised effect.

I chose this floral motif for the star blocks themselves. It’s fairly open quilting, so the stars will still pop, and I adore how it frames the fussy cut centers of the economy blocks. Sometimes quilting is as fun for me as the quilt design itself when I strike on the right combination of ideas!

Made up of a 9 x 9 grid of 8” finished blocks, she’s a 72” square quilt. A generous size for cuddling and a sure crowd-pleaser for little ones.

Don’t you love how these old church shutters echo the patchwork design? I couldn’t find a tulip field for my finished quilt shots, but when I saw this church-turned-bookstore in Zwolle, I knew it was a happy match.

Did you notice the quilt binding? It’s just the same Kona Wasabi solid yellow as the stars. I felt it would give the stars a bit of extra punch to add a final frame in the same shade. And the backing? It’s one of my favorite Heather Ross florals, a gorgeous rich pink bouquet that looks lovely en masse.

Of course Elora has been drawn to this quilt. (especially the mice and the cats!), but I’ve decided to place this one in my Handmades shop. We simply don’t need another throw quilt. I hope it finds a home where it will be frequently cuddled, washed and enjoyed.

p.s. We’re both excited that my next quilt WILL be for Elora - for her bed!

Fabric Notes: The Heather Ross 20th Anniversary Collection can be found at Fat Quarter Shop (USA) and at Purple Stitches (UK). Other charming Heather Ross fabrics are in stock at Fat Quarter Shop.