Quilt block · Stars · Advanced

Blindman’s Fancy quilt block

A star with a square on point at its center, framed by strips and a sawtooth border of half-square triangles that turns at the middle of each side.

FamilyFour-patch

Grid32 × 32

Units24 half-square triangles, 12 squares

Pieces73

Design with Blindman’s Fancy Cutting at 6″, 9″, 12″

What to cut for one block

A 12″ finished block measures 12½″ before it’s sewn into a quilt. Each fabric’s yardage is the least that cuts its strips across the width of fabric, with a strip to spare for straightening.

Background · Snow in the picture

9 squares, 4 rectangles and 28 triangles

F1 square 5¼″then cut with template F
G1 square 3½″cut twice on the diagonals
E4 squares 2¾″
B12 squares 2⅜″cut once on the diagonal
A4 squares 2″
C2 rectangles 9½″ × 1⅝″
D2 rectangles 7¼″ × 1⅝″

¾ yd

Dark · Navy in the picture

32 triangles

G2 squares 3½″cut twice on the diagonals
B12 squares 2⅜″cut once on the diagonal

⅜ yd

Templates. Pieces marked “cut with template” aren’t a shape a straight ruler cuts: cut the size given, then trim it to the template’s shape. Quarter Inch prints Blindman’s Fancy’s templates at true size with Quilter.

Worked out by @quarterinch/cutting · ¼″ seams included · strips cut across 42″ of usable width · the letters are the pieces the sewing steps name

How it’s sewn

For the 6″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.

Make 24 half-square triangle units
Sew a Background B triangle to a Dark B triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Each measures 1¼″ (¾″ finished).
Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Dark G triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background G triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 4 sections, 5″ × 1¼″
Sew 6 half-square triangle units together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 5″ × 1¼″ (4½″ × ¾″ finished).
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark G triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
Make 2 sections
Sew a section and a Background E square together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark G triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Make 1 section, 3⅞″
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side. Each measures 3⅞″ (3⅜″ finished).
Make 1 section, 5″ × 3⅞″
Sew 2 Background D pieces and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 5″ × 3⅞″ (4½″ × 3⅜″ finished).
Make 1 section, 5″
Sew 2 Background C pieces and a section together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 5″ (4½″ finished).
Sew the units and pieces into 3 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 3 rows. Press the seams in row 1 to the left, row 2 to the right, and so on, so they nest when the rows are joined.
Join the rows
Join the 3 rows, matching and nesting the seams where they meet. Press the long seams open or to one side. The block measures 6½″ (6″ finished).

For the 9″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.

Make 24 half-square triangle units
Sew a Background B triangle to a Dark B triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Each measures 1⅝″ (1⅛″ finished).
Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Dark G triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background G triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 4 sections, 7¼″ × 1⅝″
Sew 6 half-square triangle units together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 7¼″ × 1⅝″ (6¾″ × 1⅛″ finished).
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark G triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
Make 2 sections
Sew a section and a Background E piece together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark G triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
Make 1 section
Sew 2 Background D pieces and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
Make 1 section, 7¼″
Sew 2 Background C pieces and a section together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 7¼″ (6¾″ finished).
Sew the units and pieces into 3 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 3 rows. Press the seams in row 1 to the left, row 2 to the right, and so on, so they nest when the rows are joined.
Join the rows
Join the 3 rows, matching and nesting the seams where they meet. Press the long seams open or to one side. The block measures 9½″ (9″ finished).

For the 12″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.

Make 24 half-square triangle units
Sew a Background B triangle to a Dark B triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Each measures 2″ (1½″ finished).
Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Dark G triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background G triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 4 sections, 9½″ × 2″
Sew 6 half-square triangle units together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 9½″ × 2″ (9″ × 1½″ finished).
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark G triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
Make 2 sections
Sew a section and a Background E square together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark G triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Make 1 section, 7¼″
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side. Each measures 7¼″ (6¾″ finished).
Make 1 section, 9½″ × 7¼″
Sew 2 Background D rectangles and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 9½″ × 7¼″ (9″ × 6¾″ finished).
Make 1 section, 9½″
Sew 2 Background C rectangles and a section together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 9½″ (9″ finished).
Sew the units and pieces into 3 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 3 rows. Press the seams in row 1 to the left, row 2 to the right, and so on, so they nest when the rows are joined.
Join the rows
Join the 3 rows, matching and nesting the seams where they meet. Press the long seams open or to one side. The block measures 12½″ (12″ finished).

Blocks like it

More like this: Star quilt blocks · Four-patch quilt blocks · all quilt blocks

Questions

Short answers.

Something else? A real person replies.

hello@quarterinch.app

What size should I make it?

At 12″ every piece measures with a ruler. On its 32 × 32 grid, 6″ and 9″ put some pieces between the ⅛″ marks, so they need templates. It cuts cleanly at 8″ or 12″.

Can I paper piece it?

Yes. It splits into 10 sections (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and J), each sewn on its own paper in order and then joined with straight seams. In Quarter Inch, the Foundations tab prints its papers at true size (with Quilter).

Is it a good block for a beginner?

It’s an advanced block: 73 pieces in 7 different shapes and 36 points to match. Practise the hard seams on scraps first. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.