6 Inspiring 8 Point Star Quilts from One Pattern - Willoughby Quilt
Willoughby Quilt
Years ago, my sister in law asked if I could make a quilt for each of her kids' beds. The 3 girls were easy, as you could imagine. Every time I made a quilt large enough for a bed, I gifted it to them, but for my nephew, Will, a teenager, I wanted to make something a bit more thoughtful. I'm the last person to set aside flowers and pinks for girls, but I also wanted to be sensitive to what Will might like, and what he'd be happy to have on his bed for a long time. Waiting for the right mix of design and prints that would suit a teenager into adulthood. I wanted the quilt to be mostly EPP because that suited my work flow, but also for the blocks to finish square so I could machine sew it together because it's big enough for his bed.
I wanted a simple design that suited scrappy, because I just find myself leaning towards simple, scrappy blocks, rather than blocks with 3 or more steps. So, Willoughby Quilt was born.
I feel like this design ticked all the boxes. It looks interesting, and maybe even a little complex, but it's actually just a simple 8 point star quilt block. I just love how much this sparkles, don't you?
And, since that very first version of Willoughby Quilt, I've made several other versions as well as a pattern for it. So, it has also been made some wonderful stitchers like you! Since finishing my latest version, it felt like a good time to round up all of the versions I've made in one place as well as share a few beautifully different versions from a few lovely customers.
- Jodi xx
The Original Version - The Teenage boy Quilt
This is the quilt I made for Will. I used larger shapes than the pattern (2 1/2" rather than 2") so that it would come together quicker. I chose a mostly navies from my stash for the triangles that surround the stars, and then lighter blues and aquas, warmer tones, and greys and whites for the stars. I just love the feeling of movement, the 'sparkle' created by the scrappy stars and the varied backgrounds.
Wonderful Scrappy Stars
When it came time to turn Willoughby into a pattern, I was reminded of the beginning of my quilting journey. I had toddlers at home, no career yet, and I longed for creative expression. I tried gardening, but the changes in the weather and the seasons, and the ever-growing weeds made it too hard for me to enjoy a happy routine. Then I found patchwork, especially scrappy patchwork, and discovered what I had always longed for: the ability to make something that would stay made, unlike dinners and gardens that needed making over and over again. Read more about how "Quilting is Better than Gardening" in this post!
Making Willoughby from a Collection
Willoughby Quilt is great for using a whole collection, without having to make lots of colour choices! This version was made from the Harmony Fabric Collection by Carolyn Gavin for Free Spirit. The scrappy stars set against coordinating solids come in and out of focus, sparkling across the quilt. You can read more about this quilt here.
Two Quilts from One
Part way through making a low volume version of Willoughby, I realized that the 72 block version of the quilt featured in the pattern, could be neatly cut in half to create two 36 block baby quilt versions! I made all the low volume stars and corners and divided them in half. She set half of them against a gorgeous aqua background, and the second one against a lovely warm plum background. Now she has two baby quilts ready to go whenever the need arises! You can read about those quilts here.
Two Color Stars Set on a Rich Background - Lucy Bath
Lucy is a delightful quilter whose unique use of color and contrast never disappoint. Her version of Willoughby quilt hearkens to traditional two color 8 point star quilt blocks, but the turquoise and teal background brings a modern twist to the quilt's aesthetic and unites the different stars beautifully.
Low Volume Stars on a Scrappy Background - Joy Martin
Joy always comes up with the most amazing interpretations of Tales of Cloth patterns, and her Willoughby quilt is no exception. She created a fabric pull for the background round of triangles in each block, and she's setting them around low volume stars. What's lovely about this version is that she is using just one fabric for the stars and one fabric for the background triangles per block. It makes for a wonderfully easy, yet impactful block. We can't wait to see more of her progress!
Is an 8 point star quilt on your quilt bucket list?
Which one is your favourite? Willoughby is a fun, scrappy, easy 8 point star quilt that is English Paper Pieced into blocks, which are them trimmed square, and sewn together by machine. Grab the EPP kit to start your own below!
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