# Spinning Stars cabinet runner



## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

This one was fun- though a real pain getting all the right colors together. I was going to do six points, but decided the squares didn't line up nice, so I went with 8 - but had only picked out fabric for 6. I could come up with 7 out of my growing stash and made another shopping trip to get the purple for the 8th. I did end up buying a few other prints to swap out with ones I wasn't as pleased with.

Here are the first seven I came up with - and the background fabric.










After getting all the colors, I cut the 1.5" strips and sewed them together, then cut triangles and sewed them together. The smaller triangle got sewed to the background. Then I started putting them together.










I did two halves so it would be easier to deal with the middle, though I had to redo the center of the "green/blue/purple" side. This time I unsewed about 2" of each and then refit them to get the point correct. 










This is where it will eventually go.










And hanging up. I'll put a strip of binding of the darkest color on each "side" after it's quilted. When I was looking at pictures, my husband really liked this one and I may use it for the bedroom quilt (very different colors though) so I decided to try it for a cabinet runner to see it would go. 










This went together very fast and was super fun. I bought some fabric for pants, so I think I'll be sewing something different for a while.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

that is so pretty. I love your color combinations and placements.


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

That is really nice! It would make a pretty tree skirt too.

You're really going to town on all of them!


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## vflsun (Apr 18, 2013)

Very pretty. I love your color combinations.


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## FarmChix (Mar 3, 2013)

Beautiful. I have always wanted to make one! Good job!


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

That is so pretty, and so artistic with the color arrangement.


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

I did something similar for Christmas presents....just without the white and the border. It was kinda hard getting the colors right.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Getting the colors right was the hardest part, and if I did it again I'd make a few changes.

I don't know how many times I had colors set out and thought they were good, and then after looking at them, decided that it just was not right. I was going for a nice blend for each square, but also a nice view across each range - meaning all the darkets colors looked good togehter, then all the next darkest looked good...

That is where I made some changes - trying to get the eight selections in the row to look good across. I also bought at least 6 patterns that looked good in the store but not so good once at home with everything else. But they go in the stash so not a waste there.

One would think that when you walk into a store with a large selection of quilt fabric, you'd be able to find the colors, but it does not work that way. I went to four stores (two of them twice) along with what I had at home before I got something I was happy with. 

I love the design stage of making these. That is the part I loved about remodeling the house and making cabinets. At least with fabric, it does not take near the effort or expense to bring the design into reality. 

Though I really do need to design up the storage I want for my sewing room. DH can make just about anything he has plans for, but he's not good at drawing up plans.


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## Tinker (Apr 5, 2004)

That is just beautiful---looks very complicated!


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## nana28 (Sep 16, 2007)

Beautiful! Where did you get the pattern? I would love to make on.
I think you did an awesome job on the colors too!


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## Garnet (Sep 19, 2003)

Striking colors. TFS

It is hard to find the fabrics in a range for each color in the color wheel. I wouldn't even attempt it. You did it very well!


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

Really nice! I like the colors.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

nana - I've seen patterns online, but I don't use them. I find a picture and then sit down with graph paper and figure it out, adjusting it to end up the size I want.

I have a wide assortment of cutting rulers and use them to keep angles right. It's not that hard as you take a 360 deg circle and then divide by the number of points (like 8, so that is 45 deg) and that is the angle you use. I have wedge rulers in most of the angles that divide up a circle, I think the smallest I have is 9 deg which divides up a circle into 40 points. Have not attempted to use them yet, but that is what really attracts me, especially using them on strips. 

I also have a large roll of freezer paper (bought for wrapping meat, but works great for layout). 

I'm also a bit of a math nut- so I think that helps. I love figuring the pattern out.

Sometimes I make some pretty big mistakes that would have been avoided with directions, and the worst part is I have little idea what yardage I'll need, and a few times I've been back at the store hunting for the same fabric as I need another few inches. 

Overall, I'm having so much fun with playing with fabric and design. I'm very excited to be getting the book about turning pictures into quilts - that is going to be so fun!


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## MacaReenie (Mar 1, 2008)

Macy...what a gift you have to be able to look at a pattern like that and replicate it! I can do fine on most quilts, but not when it comes to something like this!! That is beautiful!!!


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I consider all these cabinet runners to be learning projects before I start on something "real". So I've been trying different things to see if I can do them. Some day I may get brave enough to make a quilt for my bed, but I'm not there yet.


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