Flashes of Brilliance - A Finish

Flashes of Brilliance

(Sugarloaf Stars)

75.5 x 78

It's a finish!

It's hand quilted!

I did it! I never thought I could make a quilt like this! 

The pattern, inspired by a vintage quilt, is by Pam Buda and was published in American Patchwork and Quilting October 2015. 

I started making blocks back in February 2019

I finished the top back in January 2021.

I started hand quilting in December 2022.

I did the hand quilting with blanc perle #12 and quilted it similar to the vintage quilt. 

I made the leftover strip set pieces into a flimsy - Sugarloaf With Mustard - in August 2021 and it still needs to be quilted. 

Now what shall I get ready for the hoop? I have several choices. Hmmmm...

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

 

What's In The Hoop?

What's in the hoop?

Flashes of Brilliance

(aka Sugarloaf)

I'm hand quilting with perle cotton #12.

 

And I'm quilting it like the one in the magazine. 

And sew on...

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

 

Serving Up Sugarloaf Leftovers With Mustard

Sugarloaf Leftovers With Mustard

or Sugarloaf Mountains.

It's a flimsy!

Roughly 60 x 80

I finished a Sugarloaf Star quilt top back in January of this year.  It is still in the hand quilting pile.  That Sugarloaf Star pattern was Flashes of Brilliance by Pam Buda published in American Patchwork and Quilting October 2015.

The Sugarloaf Stars were made of wedges that were made with strip sets. I blogged in June about my plan to use the leftover scrap and strip sets - make a Sugarloaf Mountain quilt. 

For some reason I thought alternate triangles in yellow would be a good idea. When I assessed my yellow fabrics it did not take me long to figure out I didn't have enough of any yellow or combination of yellows in my stash to use. So I figured out roughly how much yardage I would need (roughly 3 yards) and waited for a sale to come along. It didn't take long for a kind of ugly mustard colored folk weave fabric to go on clearance for $3.96 per yard. Well, I wasn't really crazy about the mustard color but the price was just right for my budget. After all, these are leftover scraps. Good thing it all worked out in the end. I guess it was meant to be. 

I was one Sugarloaf wedge short so I made do rather than make one more. 

Now I have to deal with some Sugarloaf Crumbs. 

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

 

Sugarloaf Leftovers

I finished my Sugarloaf Star quilt top (pattern: Flashes of Brilliance by Pam Buda) back in January of this year.  Since then I've had a little box of the leftover strip set pieces and cut off ends on my cutting table. I decided I should empty the box. 

The Sugarloaf Stars were made up of six Sugarloaf wedges.  

So I decided to see how many wedges I could get out of my leftover strip sets. 

I was kind of surprised to find out...

...I could make 33 wedges from those leftovers. 

I decided to see how they would look alternating with solid yellow wedges. I have several different pieces of different solid yellows. Yeah, that looks pretty good. (You know the alternating solid color is subject to change.) So I kind of roughly drafted out how many Sugarloaf Wedges and alternate solid wedges I would need for a nice throw. 

Then I started making more Sugarloaf wedges. Looks like I can get 8 wedges from a strip set so I think I only have about 4 more strip sets to make 32 more wedges. I said I THINK because I'm not sure what I did with that rough draft now. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

 

It's a Flimsy! Flashes of Brilliance

It's a flimsy!

Flashes of Brilliance

The pattern, inspired by a vintage quilt,  is by Pam Buda and was published in American Patchwork and Quilting October 2015. 

I started this in February 2019. 

 Every once in awhile I like to really challenge myself. I really wasn't sure I could actually make these blocks let alone a whole quilt of them. 

Ah, the thrill of meeting a challenge!

I can't believe I made this! I actually made this!  AND I think I have a plan for the scraps. 

Now into the hand quilting pile it goes!

&&&

 My January OMG (One Monthly Goal) was to assemble at least one top from the large box of complete block sets.  This is top #4.    Quilt top #1 to be assembled was Dakota Farmer (Stars).  Quilt top #2 was Blue Economy Blocks.  Quilt top #3 was Clarissa. 

OMG at Elm Street Quilts

 

The Stars Are Brightly Shining

#22

#23

#24

#25

I wanted to finish 25 Sugar Loaf Stars by year end. Mission accomplished. 

Merry Christmas!

 

Sugar Loaf Stars

Sugar Loaf Star #19

Sugar Loaf Star #20

Sugar Loaf Star #21

Goal is 25 stars for a quilt designed by Pam Buda called Flashes of Brilliance found in the October 2015 edition of American Patchwork and Quilting. I'm hoping I can finish the last four blocks by year end. 

 

Sugar Loaf Stars

#15

#16

#17

 #18

Goal is 25 stars for a quilt designed by Pam Buda called Flashes of Brilliance found in the October 2015 edition of American Patchwork and Quilting. I've been trying to make at least one block a week. These are blocks I made last week and this week. 

Moving right along.

Sugar Loaf Stars

Star #13 made from Sugarloaf wedges.

Star #14 made with Sugarloaf wedges. 

Goal is 25 stars for a quilt designed by Pam Buda called Flashes of Brilliance found in the October 2015 edition of American Patchwork and Quilting. I've been trying to make at least one block a week. 

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

 

Sugar Sugar

Star #11 from Sugar Loaf wedges. 

Star #12 from Sugar Loaf wedges. 

Goal is 25 stars for a quilt designed by Pam Buda called Flashes of Brilliance found in the October 2015 edition of American Patchwork and Quilting. I've been trying to make at least one block a week. 

 More Sugar Plum blocks using scraps from my Peppermint Twist quilt. I follow the tutorial at Susies-Scraps but I've substitute my 8 inch width scraps in place of her 10 inch scraps so I end up with a smaller block.  These will alternate, I think, with some red fabric triangles and will probably make a lap quilt. 

Loafing Around

Star #9 from Sugarloaf wedges

Star #10 from Sugarloaf wedges. 

Pattern is called Flashes of Brilliance by Pam Buda and was found in  the October 2015 edition of American Patchwork and Quilting. 

The goal is 25 stars. I've been using fabrics from stash and muslin. 

A few weeks ago I was doing a little research on Sugarloaf quilts and came across a tutorial for a Sugar Plum block at Susies-Scraps.  I have had a bunch of scraps left over from Peppermint Twist and thought the Sugar Plum blocks would be a good way to use those scraps. 

The tutorial calls for a 10 inch width of fabric but mine are 8 inches. That's okay. I just need to cut 60 degree equilateral triangles and then follow the tutorial and my block will be a little smaller at 7.5 inches instead of 9.5 inches. 

So I gave the tutorial a try. The result of the tutorial should be 3 identical blocks but I chose to make 2 blocks the same and one different.  My first try I ended up with 2 wedges at 7.5 inches and one at only 7 inches and a little wonky. I think I that is because the maker is wonky and cutting was a little less than precise.  I didn't want to give up after my first try so tried again with two different fabrics. 

 On my second try I ironed the lines where I should cut the wedges and voila! success! I had three Sugar Plum blocks that measured 7.5 inches.  I was thinking that for the alternate wedges I could use this red with white pin dots fabric. Or I may find something else. I'm just going to make Sugar Plums from Peppermints for now. 

I've been waiting for days for the winds to die down enough to go take some pictures of a couple of finishes. I've just been loafing around while waiting. 

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

This Week's Sugar Loaf Star

 Star #8 of 25 made of Sugar Loaf wedges. 

They are getting a little easier to make! 

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

This Week's Sugar Loaf Star

Star made of Sugar Loaf wedges.

#7 of 25

 I said I was going to try to make one block a week.  So far so good. 

I Think I Remember Now Why This Is A UFO

I just made this block #6 out of the 25 necessary to finish this UFO. 

I started it back in February 2019 because at that time I had a complex block craving. 

It is called Flashes of Brilliance by Pam Buda and can be found in the American Patchwork and Quilting October 2015 magazine. I love it because it is inspired by a vintage quilt. But for me it is complex to get all those diamonds properly matched up especially since it has been awhile since I've worked on these blocks. I had to rip and re-rip parts of this block until I got the matching up process worked out. The pattern instructions really don't give much advice on matching pieces up. But I'm figuring it out and I also think if I work on these a little more often I'll get the hang of it. 

I was thinking these were Lone Star blocks but they are not. The six individual wedges are called Sugar Loaf blocks and joined together they do form a star. I had never heard of the Sugar Loaf block before I saw it mentioned in the pattern instructions. Barbara Brachman blogged about the Sugar Loaf block so I learned a little more about it. 

Well, anyway, complex or not I think I'm going to make it my goal to make a block a week until there are 25. My UFO project box held five previously made blocks, some sewn together strip sets, some cut strip sets, some muslin triangles and the magazine with the pattern. 

And since I am really committed to moving this UFO forward I went ahead and selected fabrics for the remaining blocks and cut those strip sets. For those of you who ask if I ever cut into yardage well...surprise!... this is one of those times. 

 But of course I am left with some scraps now! Yipee!