Star of the Table

Inspired by the antique quilt Star Attraction

Quilt tester: Sharon McConnell

*    3⁄4 yard total assorted orange prints (blocks)

*    7⁄8 yard total assorted gray prints (blocks)

*    1⁄3 yard gray-and-white print (binding)

*    1-1⁄4 yards backing fabric

*    35×45" batting

Finished quilt: 27×36-1/2"

Finished block: 9×10-1/2"

Measurements include 1⁄4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width.

Cut pieces in the order that follows. Click on "Download this Project" above for pattern pieces.

From assorted orange prints, cut:

*    48 of Pattern A (6 sets of 6 matching diamonds and 4 sets of 3 matching diamonds)

From assorted gray prints, cut:

*    44 of Pattern A (10 sets of 3 matching diamonds and 14 more in any print)

*    8 of Pattern B (to match eight of the 14 nonmatching gray print A diamonds)

From gray-and-white print, cut:

*    3--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips

We recommend hand-piecing the blocks because of the many 60° diamonds that must be set in.

Hand-stitching from dot to dot on the sewing lines means seam allowances are not sewn down. You can choose the direction to press the seam allowances after you've pieced the units. Carefully machine-piecing from dot to dot also provides this option.

As you piece the blocks, finger-press seams in desired direction to help keep your work smooth. Press completed blocks and the quilt top with an iron, pressing the seams in directions that allow them to lie as flat as possible or that will enable you to quilt as desired without stitching through seam allowances.

1.     Referring to the Quilt Assembly Diagram for color placement, lay out all assorted orange and assorted gray print pieces on a design wall. Rearrange as necessary to make sure the gray print A and B pieces form the background hexagons.

2.     Pull from your design wall the pieces for one Six-Pointed Star block: six matching orange print A diamonds and six assorted gray print A diamonds.

3.     Referring to Diagram 1, join three matching orange print A diamonds to make a star half; make sure you do not stitch into the 1⁄4" seam allowances at the inner corners and do not stretch the bias edges. Repeat to make a second star half.

4.     Sew together star halves, making sure you do not stitch into the 1⁄4" seam allowance at either end, to make a star unit (Diagram 2).

5.     Set gray print A diamonds into star unit to make a Six-Pointed Star block (Diagram 3). Press seams toward orange print diamonds.

6.     Repeat steps 2–5 to make six Six-Pointed Star blocks total.

1.     Pull from your design wall the pieces for a half star block: three matching orange print A diamonds, two assorted gray print A diamonds, and two assorted gray print B triangles.

2.    Referring to Diagram 4 and Assemble Blocks, Step 3, make a star half. Set in gray print A diamonds; press seams toward orange print diamonds.

3.    Join an assorted gray print B triangle to each end of the Step 2 unit to complete a half star block. Press seams away from triangles. Repeat to make four half star blocks total.

1.     Lay out Six-Pointed Star blocks and half star blocks in four rows (Quilt Assembly Diagram). Sew together pieces in rows, making sure you do not stitch into the 1⁄4" seam allowances. Press seams open.

2.     Join rows, setting in seams as necessary, to make quilt top. Press seams in one direction.

1.     Layer quilt top, batting, and backing; baste.

2.     Quilt as desired. Quilt tester Sharon McConnell used orange thread to stitch straight lines across the quilt 1⁄4" on both sides of the star seams.

3.     Use gray-and-white print binding strips to bind quilt.