Quilt block · Stars · Intermediate

Our Country quilt block

A star with a cross at its centre: four wide arms and four narrow points, set in a background with a red square and two red-cornered strips at each corner.

FamilySeven-patch

Grid14 × 14

Shapes7

Pieces55

Design with Our Country 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

8 squares, 8 strips, 8 small triangles and 8 triangles

B8 squares 2⅜″then cut with template B
C8 rectangles 4″ × 2¼″then cut with template C
G8 squares 2¼″then cut with template G
E8 rectangles 2⅜″ × 1½″then cut with template E

⅜ yd

Dark · Navy in the picture

4 points, 4 arms, 2 squares and 1 bar

A1 rectangle 5¾″ × 2¼″then cut with template A
F4 rectangles 5¾″ × 2¼″then cut with template F
D4 rectangles 2⅜″ × 2¼″then cut with template D
G2 squares 2¼″then cut with template G

¼ yd

Medium · Denim in the picture

4 corner squares and 8 triangles

B8 squares 2⅜″then cut with template B
G4 squares 2¼″then cut with template G

¼ yd

Between the lines. Our Country cuts cleanly at 10½″ or 14″. At 12″ its half-square triangles' short sides are 1⁵⁄₇″, 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.

Add 8 corner triangles
Sew the Medium B triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Dark D triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background B triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 2 sections
Sew 2 Background G pieces and a Dark G piece together in a row. Press the seams 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.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background E triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background B triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. 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 sections and a Dark A piece together in a column. 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 4 sections
Sew 3 sections together in a row. Press the seams 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 2 sections
Sew 2 Background G 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
Sew 3 sections together in a row. Press the seams 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 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams 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.
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.

Add 8 corner triangles
Sew the Medium B triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Dark D triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background B triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 2 sections
Sew 2 Background G pieces and a Dark G piece together in a row. Press the seams 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.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background E triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background B triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. 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 sections and a Dark A piece together in a column. 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 4 sections
Sew 3 sections together in a row. Press the seams 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 2 sections
Sew 2 Background G 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
Sew 3 sections together in a row. Press the seams 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 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams 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.
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.

Add 8 corner triangles
Sew the Medium B triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Dark D triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background B triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 2 sections
Sew 2 Background G pieces and a Dark G piece together in a row. Press the seams 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.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background E triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background B triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. 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 sections and a Dark A piece together in a column. 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 4 sections
Sew 3 sections together in a row. Press the seams 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 2 sections
Sew 2 Background G 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
Sew 3 sections together in a row. Press the seams 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 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams 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.
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 · Seven-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 14 × 14 grid, 6″, 9″ and 12″ put some pieces between the ⅛″ marks, so they need templates. It cuts cleanly at 10½″ or 14″.

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 intermediate block: 55 pieces in 7 different shapes and 24 points to match. Take it slowly and pin the points. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.