Quilt block · Stars · Advanced

Star and Chains quilt block

A star in the center, with rings of parallelograms and half-square triangles making chains round it.

FamilyFour-patch

Grid8 × 8

Units4 flying geese, 13 squares

Pieces73

Design with Star and Chains 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.

Dark · Navy in the picture

12 squares and 36 triangles

A1 square 4¼″cut twice on the diagonals
C16 squares 2⅜″cut once on the diagonal
B12 squares 2″

⅜ yd

Medium · Denim in the picture

1 square, 8 triangles and 16 parallelograms

F1 square 3½″
A4 squares 2⅜″cut once on the diagonal
D4 pairs of parallelograms 3¾″strips folded in half, right sides together: lay the ruler's 45° line on the edge, trim the end, then cut every 3¾″ along it; each cut is a pair, one reversed
E4 pairs of parallelograms 2¼″strips folded in half, right sides together: lay the ruler's 45° line on the edge, trim the end, then cut every 2¼″ along it; each cut is a pair, one reversed

⅜ 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.

Add 16 corner triangles
Sew the Dark C triangle across each corner in turn, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
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 8 corner triangles
Sew the Dark C triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 2¾″ × 1¼″ (2¼″ × ¾″ finished).
Add 8 corner triangles
Sew the Dark C triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 2″ × 1¼″ (1½″ × ¾″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 3½″ × 1¼″
Sew 2 Dark B squares and a flying geese unit together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 3½″ × 1¼″ (3″ × ¾″ finished).
Make 1 section, 3½″ × 2″
Sew 2 flying geese units and a Medium F square together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 3½″ × 2″ (3″ × 1½″ finished).
Make 4 sections, 5″ × 1¼″
Sew 2 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 5″ × 1¼″ (4½″ × ¾″ finished).
Make 4 sections, 3½″ × 1¼″
Sew 2 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 3½″ × 1¼″ (3″ × ¾″ finished).
Make 1 section, 3½″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 3½″ (3″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 5″ × 1¼″
Sew 2 Dark B squares and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 5″ × 1¼″ (4½″ × ¾″ finished).
Make 1 section, 5″ × 3½″
Sew 3 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 5″ × 3½″ (4½″ × 3″ finished).
Make 1 section, 5″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. 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.

Add 16 corner triangles
Sew the Dark C triangle across each corner in turn, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
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 2¾″ × 1⅝″ (2¼″ × 1⅛″ finished).
Add 8 corner triangles
Sew the Dark C triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 3⅞″ × 1⅝″ (3⅜″ × 1⅛″ finished).
Add 8 corner triangles
Sew the Dark C triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 2¾″ × 1⅝″ (2¼″ × 1⅛″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 5″ × 1⅝″
Sew 2 Dark B squares and a flying geese unit together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 5″ × 1⅝″ (4½″ × 1⅛″ finished).
Make 1 section, 5″ × 2¾″
Sew 2 flying geese units and a Medium F square together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 5″ × 2¾″ (4½″ × 2¼″ finished).
Make 4 sections, 7¼″ × 1⅝″
Sew 2 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 7¼″ × 1⅝″ (6¾″ × 1⅛″ finished).
Make 4 sections, 5″ × 1⅝″
Sew 2 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 5″ × 1⅝″ (4½″ × 1⅛″ finished).
Make 1 section, 5″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 5″ (4½″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 7¼″ × 1⅝″
Sew 2 Dark B squares and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 7¼″ × 1⅝″ (6¾″ × 1⅛″ finished).
Make 1 section, 7¼″ × 5″
Sew 3 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 7¼″ × 5″ (6¾″ × 4½″ finished).
Make 1 section, 7¼″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. 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.

Add 16 corner triangles
Sew the Dark C triangle across each corner in turn, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
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 3½″ × 2″ (3″ × 1½″ finished).
Add 8 corner triangles
Sew the Dark C triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 5″ × 2″ (4½″ × 1½″ finished).
Add 8 corner triangles
Sew the Dark C triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 3½″ × 2″ (3″ × 1½″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 6½″ × 2″
Sew 2 Dark B squares and a flying geese unit together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 6½″ × 2″ (6″ × 1½″ finished).
Make 1 section, 6½″ × 3½″
Sew 2 flying geese units and a Medium F square together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 6½″ × 3½″ (6″ × 3″ finished).
Make 4 sections, 9½″ × 2″
Sew 2 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 9½″ × 2″ (9″ × 1½″ finished).
Make 4 sections, 6½″ × 2″
Sew 2 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 6½″ × 2″ (6″ × 1½″ finished).
Make 1 section, 6½″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 6½″ (6″ finished).
Make 2 sections, 9½″ × 2″
Sew 2 Dark B squares and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 9½″ × 2″ (9″ × 1½″ finished).
Make 1 section, 9½″ × 6½″
Sew 3 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 9½″ × 6½″ (9″ × 6″ finished).
Make 1 section, 9½″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. 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).

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Questions

Short answers.

Something else? A real person replies.

hello@quarterinch.app

What size should I make it?

Its 8 × 8 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 4″, 7″, 8″, 10″, 14″, 15″, 16″ 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 12 sections (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K and L), 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 6 different shapes and 32 points to match. Practise the hard seams on scraps first. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.