Stars over the Plains from Piecing the Past

I love old quilts - from crisp quilt tops that have never been finished to hand-pieced/quilted perfect examples to soft, worn everyday quilts that have been well-loved. Much like the imaginary playmates I had who helped me make Barbie clothes and host fashion shows, they all have a story. (Go ahead and laugh. I have friends who've told me I'm fairly normal.) I've purchased a few "investment" pieces over the years, but most of my finds are love at first sight. When a quilt calls to me, I notice the colors,fabrics and block chosen by the quilter, as well as the size and quality of workmanship - and then the story in my head begins. If there are a wide variety of fabrics, did she have a scrapbag handed down to her by a mentoring aunt or gramma? Did a group of friends come together to make a quilt for a family in need? If the quilt appears planned, was it meant for "good" or given as a gift?

In the quilt shown here, the large quantity of pink stripe in the setting blocks indicates it was either purchased or handed down and was the starting point for the quilt. Most of the stars are in blacks and indigos with a few reds scattered for interest. Were the half dozen pinky/browns added at the last minute to fill in the needed rows? Why are there several of these odd blocks clustered together instead of spread more evenly across the quilt? Had she hit that point in her quiltmaking that she just needed to finish it and go on? Her story? Let your imagination fly!