A couple years ago my daughters and I studied otters for science. We absolutely fell in love with these cute creatures, especially since we see two swimming in the pond on the property where we live.
So when I saw the cute fabric by Ruby Star Society with otters on it I was in love. The fabric turned out to be the perfect choice for the cover quilt of the Balsam Star Quilt Pattern. Let me show you what I mean...
You can buy the Balsam Star Quilt Pattern here.
Not only is Float by Rashida Coleman-Hale for Ruby Star Society bright and cheerful, but it also includes balloon animals, bubbles and flowers. This is really the definition of cuteness.
The line includes the perfect neutral fabric. I used it for the background of this quilt. The color is listed as parchment and has pops of colorful bubbles throughout.
The bold and bright colors made this fabric a great choice for the cover quilt of the Balsam Star Quilt Pattern. Because the accent fabrics are striking colors they show off the sawtooth stars and the sashing of the quilt pattern.
I love contrast in quilts. So the parchment colored background fabric and the bold, pops of color provide the perfect contrast.
Let's talk pattern. The Balsam Star Quilt Pattern is a modern star quilt pattern written for the advanced beginner quilter. It uses two different sawtooth stars to make an alternating block based pattern.
You can use fat quarters in this project, which is what I did to make this quilt, or you can make a second variation, included in the pattern, which uses yardage.
To get all the fabrics and colors I wanted from this line of fabrics into one quilt I needed to make the fat quarter quilt.
Also note, this is not the full line of Float Fabrics! There are more prints. So check out your local quilt shop to see what else is included.
Below you can see an example of the two different variations of the Balsam Star Quilt Pattern.
The star blocks are made using 4 at a time flying geese. If you are a beginner quilter then I suggest practicing these blocks before you sew the quilt. This will help make sure you have the 1/4 inch seam and trimming down.
For a while I did not like flying geese blocks. But I found a tool to trim the blocks which made it much easier for me. So if you have a pain point in sewing and you can find a way to solve it, do it!
It was definitely worth investing in a different ruler to make trimming these blocks easier and now I don't dread them.
If by chance you also don't like trimming flying geese with a regular quilting ruler, I suggest using the Wing Clipper. It's a cost effective ruler because you can do multiple sizes of flying geese and with the guide it makes trimming so easy! 
Looking for a tutorial on how to sew flying geese? Here you go. The method used in the pattern is called 4 at a time flying geese or the no waste method.
If you want to know how to sew flying geese with directional fabric, I have a downloadable tutorial here. 
Half of the blocks in this pattern have a square of accent fabric in the middle of the block. This is a great way to highlight or fussy cut fabrics. 
Sizes included in the Balsam Star Quilt Pattern:
- Baby (38 in. x 38 in.)
- Small Throw (51 in. x 64 in.)
- Large Throw (64 in. x 77 in.)
- Twin (77 in. x 90 in.)
- Queen (90 in. x 103 in.)
This specific quilt is the small throw size. It's easy to make because it only requires 10 fat quarters. 
My friend Kaitlyn from Knot and Thread Design quilted this for me. She used the pantograph Calamity. I absolutely love it! I wanted a curved geometric design to go with the bubbles and she suggested this one. 
Backing fabric is Stary by Ruby Star Society.
Ta da! The cover photo below. Perfect to show not only the quilt pattern, but also this lovely fabric line by Ruby Star Society.
If you love bright and cheerful fabric then be on the lookout for Float, coming January 2027. It's playful and fun and perfect for quilts or clothes or almost any project you have in mind. Ask your local quilt shop to get it.
You can also get your copy of the Balsam Star Quilt Pattern to make your own version of this modern star quilt. Grab a PDF copy here or a paper copy here.
Quick facts:
Pattern: Balsam Star Quilt
Fabric: Float by Ruby Star Society (Coming January 2027)
Quilted by: Knot and Thread
Pantograph: Calamity