Today I am back sharing our fourth Orchard Stars Quilt! Meet the Sierra Orchard Stars!
After having used a plaid fabric for the stars in the Lakeside Orchard Stars, I knew I needed to make another quilt with gingham as the highlighted fabric. I also wanted the ginghams to be a warmer color paired with a soft blue background fabric. My inspiration was a warm spring or summer day outside having a picnic on the ranch. I shared the place that inspired this design in the Orchard Stars Cover Quilt blogpost. Also, I wanted to make sure the stars were lighter than the background fabric, to showcase something different than we had made before.
We used four different ginghams from Fableism for the Courthouse Steps blocks and then used a very soft window pane style white on white woven for the stars. And we paired these with Bella Blue Raspberry for the background fabric. I love how subtle the stars are and they do have a beautiful texture.
I also wanted to make the Small Throw size which does NOT have any partial side blocks in the top. Our other three samples, the Cover, the Satsuma and the Lakeside all are the Large Throw size.
For the Small Throw, you don't have to make any partial Courthouse Step Blocks so it was even smoothier and easier to chain piece these blocks. This quilt top came together so quick.
I absolutely love the tone and color of the blue background fabric. It reminds me of the sky and the ginghams remind me of the hills around the ranch. The property is at the base of the Sierra Mountains aka why I named this the Sierra quilt.
I really love how the stars sparkle and float in this quilt. I believe having the stars be a lighter color than the background fabric really add to this affect.
The Small Throw Quilt finishes at 58" x 64" and we backed this in a lovely large scale gingham in a navy blue and white. And then we bound it in a beautiful burnt orange plaid as well - both of these are from Fableism. You can grab a Sierra Quilt Kit in the shop!
I sent this quilt to Emily of So Sunny Quilts and I knew I wanted the Cone Flower pantograph to be the quilting design. It turned out SO GOOD. I really really love the texture it adds and matched with the woven gingham and stars, it's just so amazing. We chose a light blue thread and it's beautiful.
See what I mean about the quilting? It is perfection.
I think the backing gingham and the plaid binding are the best compliment to the top. It furthers the picnic vibes of the quilt.