Quilt block · Stars · Advanced

County Fair quilt block

A light octagon in the center, ringed by triangles, with small stars on each side.

FamilyNine-patch

Grid12 × 12

Units12 flying geese, 4 hourglass, 4 flying geese, 25 squares

Pieces89

Design with County Fair 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

20 squares, 20 triangles and 1 piece

B5 squares 4½″
A3 squares 3¼″cut twice on the diagonals
E2 squares 3¼″cut twice on the diagonals
D16 squares 1½″

½ yd

Dark · Navy in the picture

28 triangles

A1 square 3¼″cut twice on the diagonals
A12 squares 1⅞″cut once on the diagonal

¼ yd

Medium · Denim in the picture

16 triangles

E1 square 3¼″cut twice on the diagonals
A4 squares 1⅞″cut once on the diagonal
C4 squares 1½″stitch and flip: the corners

⅜ yd

Accent · Apricot in the picture

4 triangles

E1 square 3¼″cut twice on the diagonals

¼ yd

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 12 flying geese units
Sew a sky triangle to one short side of the goose triangle and press toward the sky; then the other. The goose’s point sits ¼″ below the top edge. Each measures 1½″ × 1″ (1″ × ½″ finished).
Make 4 quarter-square triangle units
Sew the Accent E and Background E and Medium E triangles together in pairs along a short edge, then join the pairs, matching the seams at the center. Press the last seam open. Each measures 1½″ (1″ finished).
Make 4 flying geese units
Sew a sky triangle to one short side of the goose triangle and press toward the sky; then the other. The goose’s point sits ¼″ below the top edge. Each measures 1½″ × 1″ (1″ × ½″ finished).
Add a corner square
Lay the Medium C square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner.
Make 6 sections, 2½″ × 1″
Sew 2 Background D squares and a flying geese unit together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 2½″ × 1″ (2″ × ½″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 2½″ × 1½″
Sew 2 flying geese units and a quarter-square triangle unit together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 2½″ × 1½″ (2″ × 1″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 2½″ × 1″
Sew 2 Background D squares and a flying geese unit together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 2½″ × 1″ (2″ × ½″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 2½″ × 1½″
Sew 2 flying geese units and a quarter-square triangle unit together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 2½″ × 1½″ (2″ × 1″ finished).
Add a corner square
Lay the Medium C square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner.
Make 4 sections, 2½″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 2½″ (2″ finished).
Add a corner square
Lay the Medium C square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner.
Add a corner square
Lay the Medium C square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner. Each measures 2½″ (2″ 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 12 flying geese units
Sew a sky triangle to one short side of the goose triangle and press toward the sky; then the other. The goose’s point sits ¼″ below the top edge. Each measures 2″ × 1¼″ (1½″ × ¾″ finished).
Make 4 quarter-square triangle units
Sew the Accent E and Background E and Medium E triangles together in pairs along a short edge, then join the pairs, matching the seams at the center. Press the last seam open. Each measures 2″ (1½″ finished).
Make 4 flying geese units
Sew a sky triangle to one short side of the goose triangle and press toward the sky; then the other. The goose’s point sits ¼″ below the top edge. Each measures 2″ × 1¼″ (1½″ × ¾″ finished).
Add a corner square
Lay the Medium C square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner.
Make 6 sections, 3½″ × 1¼″
Sew 2 Background D squares and a flying geese unit together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 3½″ × 1¼″ (3″ × ¾″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 3½″ × 2″
Sew 2 flying geese units and a quarter-square triangle unit together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 3½″ × 2″ (3″ × 1½″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 3½″ × 1¼″
Sew 2 Background D squares and a flying geese unit together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 3½″ × 1¼″ (3″ × ¾″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 3½″ × 2″
Sew 2 flying geese units and a quarter-square triangle unit together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 3½″ × 2″ (3″ × 1½″ finished).
Add a corner square
Lay the Medium C square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner.
Make 4 sections, 3½″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 3½″ (3″ finished).
Add a corner square
Lay the Medium C square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner.
Add a corner square
Lay the Medium C square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner. Each measures 3½″ (3″ 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 12 flying geese units
Sew a sky triangle to one short side of the goose triangle and press toward the sky; then the other. The goose’s point sits ¼″ below the top edge. Each measures 2½″ × 1½″ (2″ × 1″ finished).
Make 4 quarter-square triangle units
Sew the Accent E and Background E and Medium E triangles together in pairs along a short edge, then join the pairs, matching the seams at the center. Press the last seam open. Each measures 2½″ (2″ finished).
Make 4 flying geese units
Sew a sky triangle to one short side of the goose triangle and press toward the sky; then the other. The goose’s point sits ¼″ below the top edge. Each measures 2½″ × 1½″ (2″ × 1″ finished).
Add a corner square
Lay the Medium C square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner.
Make 6 sections, 4½″ × 1½″
Sew 2 Background D squares and a flying geese unit together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 4½″ × 1½″ (4″ × 1″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 4½″ × 2½″
Sew 2 flying geese units and a quarter-square triangle unit together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 4½″ × 2½″ (4″ × 2″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 4½″ × 1½″
Sew 2 Background D squares and a flying geese unit together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 4½″ × 1½″ (4″ × 1″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 4½″ × 2½″
Sew 2 flying geese units and a quarter-square triangle unit together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 4½″ × 2½″ (4″ × 2″ finished).
Add a corner square
Lay the Medium C square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner.
Make 4 sections, 4½″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 4½″ (4″ finished).
Add a corner square
Lay the Medium C square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner.
Add a corner square
Lay the Medium C square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner. Each measures 4½″ (4″ 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).

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Questions

Short answers.

Something else? A real person replies.

hello@quarterinch.app

What size should I make it?

Its 12 × 12 grid lands on the ⅛″ marks at 6″, 9″ and 12″, so every piece measures with a ruler at all three. It also cuts cleanly at 15″ and 18″. In Quarter Inch you can make it any size, and it says when a cut falls between the lines.

Can I paper piece it?

Yes. It splits into 17 sections (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P and Q), 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: 89 pieces in 5 different shapes and 60 points to match. Practise the hard seams on scraps first. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.