Do you know what I consider a very good morning? One when at the top of my list is the task of choosing a color palette and fabrics for my next quilt. How lucky am I?

Next week the Starbright Stars sew-along begins. I am excited about making another rendition of this quilt - my fifth! I had already decided that I would not sew from scraps. Instead, I plan to create a color scheme from my stash fabrics and make each star from a single print, like my Autumn Fading version from 2018/2019.

My first idea is a saturated solid color background, perhaps something super dramatic with a color change, like this assortment which moves from red to cerise. Very wow!

I reached for my stack of medium value multi-color prints and scattered them across the background fabrics. What do you think? It looks bright and fun and possibly another ode to Anna Maria Horner, haha. I could go for this, but my instincts said to keep exploring.

Next I tried a simpler palette - red background with peach and cream stars. I know that I enjoy this color combo, and I particularly enjoy a quilt with a solid red background (like this).

But while I think this would be lovely, it doesn’t capture my heart. My last Starbright Stars quilt was monochromatic green on a low-volume background. I want something more visually complex for this go-round.

Then I took a scroll through my Inspiration/Color page. I fell in love all over again with Persimmons and Plums, a color palette prompt which I created once upon a time for a mosaic contest. The above image collage is a favorite, and my attention is particularly drawn to the image at bottom left with the dried grassy background.

In fact, I have quite a lot of miscellaneous brown solids which I pretty much ignore. Here I’ve separated them into light, medium and dark value. I will arrange all of the light value browns on my floor and see what happens if I fill in star fabrics with a Persimmons and Plums vibe.

It has potential, but there are a few darker shade of brown in the background fabrics that are distracting. I’ll pull those out and keep adding star prints - - -

So, I like it! Of course it will get refined as I make the quilt, but I think this is the direction that feels best. Fall is just around the corner after all, and it is my favorite season. When I am finishing this quilt in October, this autumnal palette will still hit the spot.

If you’ll be sewing along and are still searching for the right group of fabrics, maybe consider a Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas theme. This is the perfect time to begin such a quilt!

Tilda Fabrics for Starbirght Stars

Are you a Tilda Fabrics fan? Earlier this year I started cutting a Starbright Stars quilt using Pie in the Sky from Tilda and some Tilda basics. I didn’t follow through with the quilt, but there are lots of diamonds already cut (each stack has 9 diamonds). I’m looking for a home for these diamonds as well as the yardage you see below. Does a Starbright Stars quilt in Pie in the Sky strike your fancy? If you live in Europe, the shipping costs are reasonable.