Quilt block · Stars · Advanced
Star and Cross quilt block
A dark eight-pointed star of parallelograms round a center square on point, with medium rectangles set between the points to make a cross and a medium triangle in each corner.
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
4 triangles and 4 trapezoids
- A1 square 3½″cut twice on the diagonals
- E4 squares 2½″then cut with template E
Dark · Navy in the picture
1 center square and 8 parallelograms
- F1 square 2¼″then cut with template F
- B4 pairs of parallelograms 1⅞″strips folded in half, right sides together: lay the ruler's 45° line on the edge, trim the end, then cut every 1⅞″ along it; each cut is a pair, one reversed
Medium · Denim in the picture
4 rectangles and 4 corner triangles
- D2 squares 2¾″cut once on the diagonal
- C4 squares 2⅝″then cut with template C
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 Star and Cross’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
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
4 triangles and 4 trapezoids
- A1 square 4⅝″cut twice on the diagonals
- E4 squares 3⅜″then cut with template E
Dark · Navy in the picture
1 center square and 8 parallelograms
- F1 square 3″then cut with template F
- B8 rectangles 4″ × 2¼″then cut with template B
Medium · Denim in the picture
4 rectangles and 4 corner triangles
- C4 squares 3⅝″then cut with template C
- D4 squares 3⅜″then cut with template D
Between the lines. Star and Cross cuts cleanly at 8″ or 10″. At 9″ its parallelograms are 1¹¹⁄₁₆″ wide, 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
4 triangles and 4 trapezoids
- A1 square 5¾″cut twice on the diagonals
- E4 squares 4⅜″then cut with template E
Dark · Navy in the picture
1 center square and 8 parallelograms
- F1 square 3¾″then cut with template F
- B4 pairs of parallelograms 3″strips folded in half, right sides together: lay the ruler's 45° line on the edge, trim the end, then cut every 3″ along it; each cut is a pair, one reversed
Medium · Denim in the picture
4 rectangles and 4 corner triangles
- D2 squares 4⅝″cut once on the diagonal
- C4 squares 4½″then cut with template C
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 Star and Cross’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.
- Sew the set-in seams
These pieces meet where a straight seam can’t run right across, so they’re joined with set-in (Y) seams. Mark the ¼″ seam points at each piece’s corners. Sew each seam only from mark to mark, backstitching at both ends, so the seam allowances stay free; sew the two seams into the corner, then pivot and sew the last one. Press the allowances so they swirl round the point. The part measures 6½″ (6″ finished).
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Medium D triangle across each corner in turn, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add the last corner triangle
Sew the Medium D triangle across the last corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. The block measures 6½″ (6″ finished).
For the 9″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.
- Sew the set-in seams
These pieces meet where a straight seam can’t run right across, so they’re joined with set-in (Y) seams. Mark the ¼″ seam points at each piece’s corners. Sew each seam only from mark to mark, backstitching at both ends, so the seam allowances stay free; sew the two seams into the corner, then pivot and sew the last one. Press the allowances so they swirl round the point. The part measures 9½″ (9″ finished).
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Medium D triangle across each corner in turn, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add the last corner triangle
Sew the Medium D triangle across the last corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. The block measures 9½″ (9″ finished).
For the 12″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.
- Sew the set-in seams
These pieces meet where a straight seam can’t run right across, so they’re joined with set-in (Y) seams. Mark the ¼″ seam points at each piece’s corners. Sew each seam only from mark to mark, backstitching at both ends, so the seam allowances stay free; sew the two seams into the corner, then pivot and sew the last one. Press the allowances so they swirl round the point. The part measures 12½″ (12″ finished).
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Medium D triangle across each corner in turn, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add the last corner triangle
Sew the Medium D triangle across the last corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. The block measures 12½″ (12″ finished).
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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 6″ and 12″ every piece measures with a ruler. On its 16 × 16 grid, 9″ puts some pieces between the ⅛″ marks, so they need templates. It cuts cleanly at 8″ or 10″.
Can I paper piece it?
Not as drawn: it has set-in (Y) seams, where three seams meet and none runs straight through. Piece it with a rotary cutter and templates instead, as the cutting list above does.
Is it a good block for a beginner?
It’s an advanced block: 25 pieces in 6 different shapes, set-in (Y) seams and 16 points to match. Practise the hard seams on scraps first. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.