Star Struck

I picked up this panel by Anthology Fabrics a couple years ago at a quilt show. It has been waiting around in my collection for me to get up the nerve to quilt it. Since I completed my Dream Big panel I figured I had enough confidence to give it a go.

While I complete expected variance from the package print, I did not expect it to be this different. Granted, it didn't change that I was going to quilt it, it was just kind of surprising how much my panel did not match the package photo.

I decided to let the quilting really show on this one and pulled out a bunch of coordinating colors in Fantastico and Magnifico by Superior Threads. This poly thread has great shine perfect for machine embroidery and sometimes works as a great top thread when machine quilting. Paired with Bottom Line in the bobbin. 

I loaded, basted, and looked at the center of the quilt. I wanted to work from the center out. 

I created some large pebbles and echoed closely around each. I used the dye pattern to guide me and keep everything mostly balanced. 

A couple big swirls mirrored on the top, bottom, and sides got me really moving. My swirls may not be perfect but in the overall view that doesn't matter all that much. 

I created a background for those swirls. 

I squared off with echoes and another large pebble. So simple and really effective. 

I replicated the stripes for the second to last round. This will create a sort of background for the center motifs. I used a wavy echo for the last round trying to add some organic texture to break all those straight lines. 

Here is a view of the back of the quilt. It isn't easy to see the texture on the front but you can really see it here. 

Trimmed and ready for binding and a hanging sleeve. I'm really having fun exploring more quilting and less piecing. Not that I don't want to piece any more, just that I like adding to my quilting toolbox.

Anthology Fabrics Cube-Bori panel (non-affiliate)

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Fiskars Micro-Tip Scissors, 5 Inch
Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
Juki TL-2010Q

Free-motion Quilting Books in my Library (affiliate links):
Free-Motion Quilting Idea Book: • 155 Mix & Match Designs • Bring 30 Fabulous Blocks to Life • Plus Plans for Sashing, Borders, Motifs & Allover Designs Spiral-bound 
Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters: Choose & Use Quilting Designs on Modern Quilts
Beginner’s Guide to Free-Motion Quilting: 50+ Visual Tutorials to Get You Started • Professional-Quality Results on Your Home Machine
Shape by Shape Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters: 70+ Designs for Blocks, Backgrounds & Borders
Shape by Shape, Collection 2: Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters - 70+ More Designs for Blocks, Backgrounds & Borders
Graffiti Quilting: A Simple Guide to Complex Designs (no longer available through Amazon but you can buy it directly from the designer)
Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts
Step-by-Step Texture Quilting: 65 New Free-Motion & Walking-Foot Designs by Christina Cameli