Quilt block · Stars · Intermediate
Hope of Hartford quilt block
A five-by-five star: a dark center square, medium squares round it, and half-square triangle units for the points, turned like a pinwheel.
What to cut for one block
A 6″ finished block measures 6½″ 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
8 squares and 8 triangles
- A8 squares 1¾″then cut with template A
- B8 squares 1¾″then cut with template B
Dark · Navy in the picture
The center square and 8 triangles
- A1 square 1¾″then cut with template A
- B8 squares 1¾″then cut with template B
Medium · Denim in the picture
4 squares and 8 triangles
- A4 squares 1¾″then cut with template A
- B8 squares 1¾″then cut with template B
Between the lines. Hope of Hartford cuts cleanly at 5″ or 7½″. At 6″ its half-square triangles' short sides are 1¹⁄₅″, so they need templates.
Worked out by @quarterinch/cutting · ¼″ seams included · strips cut across 42″ of usable width · the letters are the pieces the sewing steps name
A 9″ finished block measures 9½″ 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
8 squares and 8 triangles
- A8 squares 2⅜″then cut with template A
- B8 squares 2⅜″then cut with template B
Dark · Navy in the picture
The center square and 8 triangles
- A1 square 2⅜″then cut with template A
- B8 squares 2⅜″then cut with template B
Medium · Denim in the picture
4 squares and 8 triangles
- A4 squares 2⅜″then cut with template A
- B8 squares 2⅜″then cut with template B
Between the lines. Hope of Hartford cuts cleanly at 7½″ or 10″. At 9″ its half-square triangles' short sides are 1⁴⁄₅″, so they need templates.
Worked out by @quarterinch/cutting · ¼″ seams included · strips cut across 42″ of usable width · the letters are the pieces the sewing steps name
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
8 squares and 8 triangles
- A8 squares 3″then cut with template A
- B8 squares 3″then cut with template B
Dark · Navy in the picture
The center square and 8 triangles
- A1 square 3″then cut with template A
- B8 squares 3″then cut with template B
Medium · Denim in the picture
4 squares and 8 triangles
- A4 squares 3″then cut with template A
- B8 squares 3″then cut with template B
Between the lines. Hope of Hartford cuts cleanly at 10″ or 12½″. At 12″ its half-square triangles' short sides are 2²⁄₅″, so they need templates.
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 4 half-square triangle units: Background and Dark
Sew a Background B triangle to a Dark B triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 4 half-square triangle units: Background and Medium
Sew a Background B triangle to a Medium B triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Medium. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 4 half-square triangle units: Dark and Medium
Sew a Dark B triangle to a Medium B triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Sew the units and pieces into 5 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 5 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 5 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 4 half-square triangle units: Background and Dark
Sew a Background B triangle to a Dark B triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 4 half-square triangle units: Background and Medium
Sew a Background B triangle to a Medium B triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Medium. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 4 half-square triangle units: Dark and Medium
Sew a Dark B triangle to a Medium B triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Sew the units and pieces into 5 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 5 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 5 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 4 half-square triangle units: Background and Dark
Sew a Background B triangle to a Dark B triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 4 half-square triangle units: Background and Medium
Sew a Background B triangle to a Medium B triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Medium. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 4 half-square triangle units: Dark and Medium
Sew a Dark B triangle to a Medium B triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Sew the units and pieces into 5 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 5 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 5 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
Double StarFive-patch · Stars
Flying SquaresFive-patch · Pinwheels
King David’s CrownFive-patch · Stars
Broken ArrowsFive-patch · Pinwheels
More like this: Star quilt blocks · Pinwheel quilt blocks · Five-patch quilt blocks · all quilt blocks
Questions
Short answers.
Something else? A real person replies.
hello@quarterinch.app
What size should I make it?
On its 5 × 5 grid, 6″, 9″ and 12″ put some pieces between the ⅛″ marks, so they need templates. It cuts cleanly at 10″ or 12½″.
Can I paper piece it?
Yes. It splits into 5 sections (A, B, C, D and E), 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 intermediate block: 37 pieces in 2 different shapes and 8 points to match. Take it slowly and pin the points. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.