Welcome to Starfall!!
- Cass Merrigan
- Feb 5
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 7
Is everyone just as shocked as me that it is February already? 2025 was done in a flash, and 2026 is shaping up to do similarly. Won't lie, I am hanging for April when daylight savings stops and I get to sleep an hour longer. That and April weather is so much nicer than the peak of summer that we are currently enduring right now. I'll be quiet now, as I know that you are all here for the pretties and not my nattering. I don't blame you, the pretties are spectacular. I am going to start off with Lee's work - now if you were here for Orbit then you know Lee and her incredible temperature quilt. Well, that beautiful soul signed up for yet another of my block of the (insert preference here) quilts. I think I have already broken Lee with the work load, so she has tasked me with writing a little blurb about her galaxy of stars.
Lee @quarteracreblock
After the rigidity of last years Orbit quilt Lee has gone into this quilt with a "lets see what happens" attitude, which I think is awesome. From the chats we have had over social media the plan is to see how many she manages, and has decided not to do a temp quilt - but instead use this as a mission for using up all her scraps. This I whole heartedly endorse as it is a goal near and dear to my heart. So, understandably, I am super excited about theis project and cannot wait to see how this quilt looks by years end.
Michelle @strawberriesandbobbins
I joined Starfall as a beginner EPP'er. I've made a few hexies before but my goal with Starfall is to up my EPP skills. I don't have a plan as to how many stars I'll make, my plan is to keep creating stars as long as I'm having fun! I'm going to try all the stars but then I'll probably focus on the ones that I enjoy the most. I love picking fabrics to fussy cut and the only criteria that I have for my project is that I'm using Ruby Star Society prints. EPP stars don't use a lot of yardage so I am digging deep into my yardage, scraps, jelly rolls and charm packs. I live on the Canadian Prairies and we have had a very cold January! That means time on the couch with a quilt on my lap and stars in my hands.
Nikki @cottoncraftdesigns
I will confess to taking liberties with this one, which I am allowed to do, because - well, she's my bestie! This beautiful soul promised to sew along with me when I was riddled with insecurity that no one else would want to join in. Nikki is quite literally the bestest friend in the whole world. Considering that she is also my editor and has seen this pattern through saints knows how many revisions of this pattern, I don't know how she isn't sick of looking at it! Nikki is doing something COMPLETLY different, what you are looking at above will become a sleeve for the worlds first Starfall Quilted Coat * pause for effect *. I know, its going to be incredible. Like Lee Nikki is using her stash for this one, for some reason she vowed not to buy fabric in 2026 (insanity) so she is using what she has on hand.
Nicole
Introducing Nicole and her most lovely collection of scrappy stars! I don't know Nicole as well as some of the other sew along participants, yet, but I am really looking forward to getting to know her over the next few months. It is a little tricky when there are language barriers in the way, and I am eternally grateful that Meta has translation functions on all their platforms now. I am also kicking myself that I didn't keep learning German when I started a few years back. What I do know is that Nicole is working on using up scrap fabrics in her stash and will see where the jorney takes her - which seems to be the most popular way of tackling this quilt. Just keep making stars while they spark joy, then assemble a quilt out of what you have.
And for lucky last, you have my Starfall sew along offerring for January 2026. Yes, because I am insane we have the block a day stars first (in chronological order) then my four one a week fussy cut stars.
Cass @cake.and.ale
So far this year I am on track and up to date, its been a juggle finding the new rythm for this project as its a lot more work than Orbit was. For Orbit I would choose fabric daily and then cut / sew on Friday nights while the kids had their movie night time. This year I am yet to find my stride, but so far I am muddling along.
I am really enjoying the one a week variation of this quilt as well. A few years back I purchased 4m of Sally Kelly's Paradiso fabric with the goal of making a quilt coat, paralysed with indecision it stayed in the draw up until late last year. My thing to learn in 2026 was fussy cutting, so my smaller Starfall project will have a minimum of 52 fussy cut stars, and if Jackson plays his cards right I will let him long arm this one.
So far I have only had one real tragedy befall this project, all the black joiner stars that were cut for this project will not be used (don't worry, they will be used for something I promise). Ironically that fabric is the only fabric I purchased for this quilt, and I really wasn't happy with how it looked. So, with a heavy heart the seam ripper came out and I have been auditioning other options. I fell in love with a Navy linen I have in my stash. Typically there wasn't enough yardage and it was a discontinued line, so I am waiting on samples of other linen and denim options to see if there is a good choice to be had there. The second minor tragedy, was my beloved Abyssinian Tilly vomiting on January 1st. The star that is, not they day. It had to be on the only white star... luckily it cleaned up OK and the chambray next to it did not bleed. Which is a double victory as its the chambray from Orbit and I do not believe in pre-washing fabrics - yes I know, risky.
I think thats it! I really hope you have enjoyed looking at the first show and tell for 2026, there is so much more to come. Cass xx
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