Ho Ho Ho!  It's hot, hot, hot at the Texas-pole.  While it's still too early to think about the holidays, it's not too early to think about sewing for the holidays, especially if you're making a quilt.

This is Hometown Stars.

It was designed by Thelma Childers with a tiny assist or two from me.  (I'm annoying that way.)  Way back in January, I asked Thelma about making a quilt for our Christmas in July using this wonderful Hometown Christmas collection by Sweetwater.  She loved the fabric and was totally on board except... what to make?  Patterns were considered and finally, when "the perfect pattern" couldn't be found, Thelma said she had a few ideas of her own.  My reply?  Go for it!  (It's not like she hasn't changed every. single. one. of my patterns she's ever made!)

My primary contribution is that I got to write the pattern.  And I changed it.  Of course.

Thelma's quilt measures 87" x 87" and it was made with fat quarters.  But because I only have a fat-eighth bundle, I wrote the instructions for a 70" x 70" quilt.  The smaller quilt has the same number of pieces and blocks, the pieces are just a skosh smaller.  Okay, 1/2" smaller.  (The instructions include both sizes.)

The piecing is relatively easy but there is a lot of it, and to get it all to work, the squares are pieced individually.  It's the only way to make sure you have enough squares for the stars in the blocks - and to have some options.

This is Block 1 - there are 13 of them.

Hometown Stars was machine-quilted by Connie Lancaster of Quilts Plus in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Block 2 - there are 12 of these.

I love that this quilt looks more complicated than it is, and that it will work with collections, scraps and a mix of the two.  It will also work for with any color palette and style of fabric.  It's versatile!

If you'd like to make one of your own - Hometown Stars Pattern.

And if you'd like it to be made with Hometown Christmas... we can help.  We happen to have a Hometown Christmas Fat Eighth bundle to giveaway, with the Bella Solid background to make the quilt.

Just leave a comment telling us the name of your hometown by Midnight on Sunday, July 23.

That's it for today - Happy Friday!