Eight-Pointed Star

Julia Altshuler · 2008-05-29T18:42:30+00:00

We are now in possession of a quilt made by Jim's grandmother. She would have made it when his mother was a child. His mother says she doesn't remember when her mother made that particular quilt because quilts were being made all the time, but it does look familiar to her. After Jim's grandmother's death, the quilt went to one of his aunts. After that aunt's death, a cousin kept it for him in Ontario until the recent family visit brought us to that part of the world for a visit. We've got it now along with a wonderful collection of other well-loved and well-used serving and kitchen stuff. There's no reason to believe any of it is valuable or rare, but it sure is old and cool.The block is Unknown Star, Pierced Eight-Pointed Star, Star upon Stars, or Virginia Star. It's on page 105 of Jinny Beyer's _Quilter's Album of Blocks and Borders_. I've looked for an example online to point y'all to but can't find one. Here's the best I can explain it. Imagine taking 8 simple 4 patches and stretching them into 45 degree diamonds. Then arrange the diamonds with a dark patch of each towards the center. You have a big 8 pointed star. Now place the star in a square, and you have the block.Jim's grandmother's example is done in solid white and solid yellow. I don't know the original color of the yellow, but it's now a lovely buttery shade. It may have faded to that. It's handquilted with a binding machine sewn on. The binding is showing wear. There are 12 blocks, 3 x 4, with 2" white binding between them. I haven't measured it yet, but I'd guess it's 50" x 66".The Beyer book says the pattern first appeared in print in _Quilting_ in 1934. Jim's grandmother could have gotten the pattern from there, but she might also have come up with it independently. Jim's mother called it "one of Mother's patterns" and couldn't tell me more about the quilt in particular. She said that her mother belonged to a church quilting bee where they got together regularly to quilt one...

May 29, 2008 22 Replies

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KJ 18 years ago

Oh yes, I'm sure even my first one was a reprint of the original. And my current book is by Dover....they often reprint older books. But the fun is in the patterns and text....no matter when the pages were printed.

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Hanne Gottliebsen 18 years ago

I google'ed Roberta's name for it :-)

Hanne in London

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Julia Altshuler 18 years ago

In construction, it's the center of a lone star. In visual effect when it's done, it doesn't have the starburst effect. In only 2 colors, the star and the background, it has a far more delicate lacy effect which I prefer. Honestly, Lone Star is one of the few quilt patterns that I generally don't like. Frequently they're done in colors that vibrate in my brain. Lones Stars are headache material in my book. Even in softer colors, they're too blatant for my tastes.

Nellie's Star, though it is a lone star, is colored in a way that pleases me. It's very different.

--Lia

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