Two Consumer Alerts:

If your star quilt doesn't have this label, then it wasn't made by Diane.  Older quilt labels may say "Diane McAlister, Oregon."  If you are in doubt that you have an authentic star quilt from Diane's Native American Star Quilts, please email Diane at diane@nativeamericanstarquilts.net and send a picture.

There has recently been a surge of imported star quilts from Thailand and China, and also there are a lot of poorly made star quilts popping up on internet websites now too, as well as on eBay.  Don't be lured by cheap price tags!  Diane has personally inspected star quilts from many of these sellers, and has found that QUALITY is sadly lacking.  Fabrics are thin, inferior, and are not color fast, and often the fabrics are stretched out of shape along bias edges, and sometimes there are even holes in the fabric.  Seams are not matched properly, stitching is very poor, loose threads are present, and stitching has come undone in places.  There are "volcanos" in the center of the star, and overall the quilt has a misshapen "lumpy" look to it.  BEWARE, the photos DO NOT SHOW THE FLAWS.  And those are the NEW quilts!  Diane has found that used or second hand star quilts often have all of those problems PLUS unpleasant odors, faded fabrics, stains, and pet hair or lint.  Yikes!

 

Know What to Look For When Buying A Star Quilt:

You are guaranteed to receive a quality Star Quilt from Diane's Native American Star Quilts.

See THE HAPPY CUSTOMERS PAGE!

No handmade star quilt is absolutely perfect, of course, so there are bound to be a few minor inconsistencies. But there ARE some general things you should look for when searching for a quality star quilt:

Does the star lay flat, without bulges or twisted arms?

Is the very center of the star flat, with no "volcano" effect?

Do the points of all the small diamonds meet in the center correctly?

Do the small diamonds in the star all match up point-to-point?

Do the quilting designs match in all four quadrants of the quilt?

If hand quilted, are the stitches consistent in size, and reasonably small?

Is there a minimum of puckers or creases in the seams of the quilt?

Are seams tight and finished in the quilt, or are there loose seams or unsewn areas?

Is the batting smooth, with no lumps or thin places?

Does the backing have a minimum of puckers?

 

 

The photo above features a Prairie Star Quilt and pillowcases purchased by Melissa Biederman of Des Moines, IA. Thank you, Mel, for sending the great snapshot!