- Leslie Unfinished

Star Block Tutorial

I’ve made a few quilts with this star block pattern. In a June post I spoke about how I’ve avoided star blocks for years. It seemed like I’d always lose a point or two. But, I love this star pattern. It gives me perfect points and I like the way the fabric seems to frame the star as well. 
 Ivy’s Quilt                  Kyla’s Quilt                Afton’s Quilt
   Star Block Layout

CUTTING YOUR FABRIC:
To make a scrappy star:

1.  Background Fabric – Cut 8 squares @ 4.5” x 4.5”
2.  Center Fabric – Cut 1 square @ 4.5″ x 4.5″
3.  Point Fabric – Cut 4 squares @ 5” x 5”  Then, on each point square, line up your ruler corner to corner and cut in half to get two triangles from each square.
 
-or-
 
To make a star from one fabric:
1.  Background Fabric – Cut 8 @ 4.5” x 4.5”
2.  Star Fabric – Cut 1 @ 4.5” x 4.5” for the center; and
                       Cut 4 @ 5” x 5” – for the points.
 
MAKING THE POINTS:
I use the small grid in the center of my cutting mat to make this star. If your cutting mat doesn’t have a smaller grid, simply use a ruler.

 

 

Take one square cut from the Background Fabric and place it RIGHT SIDE UP. Align it with your grid if you have one. 

 

Take one triangle cut from the Point Fabric and with RIGHT SIDE DOWN, place it on top of the square one-half inch in from the left edge and one-half inch up from the bottom edge.


Sew across the long side of the triangle using a quarter-inch seam. Trim and press open toward the Point Fabric.

Align your sewn and pressed pieces on your grid as shown below. 

 

Take a second triangle, and with RIGHT SIDE DOWN, and place it on top of the sewn pieces one-half inch in from the left edge and one-half up from the bottom edge of your Background Square.


As done previously, sew across the long side of the triangle and trim and press toward the points.


Using your ruler, and working off of the Background Square, trim all sides as necessary to get a 4.5” x 4.5” block.



Repeat steps 1-8 until you have 4 completed squares with star points.


ASSEMBLING THE BLOCK:

Arrange your pieces to make the block. With RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER sew appropriate squares together by row. 

Press seams in Rows 1 and 3 in toward the Point Blocks. Press seams in Row 2 out toward the point blocks. [Pressing in alternate directions will make it easier to match up your seams and they will be less bulky.]


With RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER align the seams of each row and pin in place. Sew Row 1 to Row 2, and Row 2 to Row 3. Press open and you’re done!

Happy sewing!

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