Expanding Stars quilt, a queen size quilt

From the very first moment I saw this quilt pattern by Quilty Love, it was instant love at first sight. Joining the quilt-along felt like the only logical decision.

The Expanding Stars quilt was made as a gift for two very dear people in my life — people who will always remain in my heart ❤️.

Quilt Process

I chose to make one of the largest quilt sizes available in the pattern, which definitely made the quilting process much more demanding than I initially expected.

Machine Quilting

Quilting such a large quilt on a domestic sewing machine with a very small throat space was honestly quite challenging. To keep things manageable, I decided to go with the simplest quilting option possible: stitch-in-the-ditch combined with quilting lines spaced approximately 5 inches apart. Even with this minimal quilting approach, maneuvering the quilt through the machine was still a workout.

Quilt Dimensions

96'' x 96'' inches

Dates

Quilt started: May 2019
Quilt finished: August 2019

Materials

Fabrics Used

• Viewfinders, Playful by Melody Miller — Cotton & Steel
• Kona Cotton Black
• Kona Cotton Bright Pink
• Kona Cotton Butterscotch
• Kona Cotton Lingerie
• Pattern Guides Grape, Macrame by Rashida Coleman-Hale

Backing: Kona Cotton Butterscotch and Lingerie
Binding: Black and white striped fabric
Batting: 100% cotton

Pattern Used

The pattern I used is by Emily Dennis of Quilty Love and is called, quite fittingly, Expanding Stars. It is an easy and very straightforward pattern, adaptable to multiple quilt sizes and perfect for showcasing bold fabrics and large-scale color play.

 

Packaging the Quilt

Packaging such a large quilt turned out to be a challenge on its own. I wanted a BIG box that would both fit the quilt comfortably and present it beautifully as a gift.

And once again, IKEA came to the rescue.

I found the STUK series storage boxes, and the largest size available — 71 x 51 x 18 cm — turned out to be absolutely perfect for storing and gifting a king-sized quilt. Thank you for reading!