Blazing Stars Wall Quilt
Materials
Inspired by Floating Stars from quilt collector Julie Hendricksen of JJ Stitches
Quilt tester: Laura Boehnke
1/3 yard total assorted dark prints in black, blue, and brown (blocks)
1/2 yard total assorted light prints in gold and green (blocks)
1/3 yard total assorted medium prints in green, blue, and red (blocks)
4-3/8-yard pieces assorted tone-on-tones in light green, brown, black, and olive green (blocks)
4-3/8-yard pieces assorted metallic prints in olive green, gold, aqua, and red (sashing)
1/2 yard mottled dark blue (binding)
2-2/3 yards backing fabric
48" square batting
Finished quilt: 39-1/2" square
Finished block: 12-1/4" square
Quantities are for 44/45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics.
Measurements include 1/4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.
Cut Fabrics
Cut pieces in the following order.
From assorted dark prints, cut:
4-1-3/4 x42" strips
From assorted light prints, cut:
8-1-3/4 x42" strips
From assorted medium prints, cut:
4-1-3/4 x42" strips
From each tone-on-tone, cut:
1-6-1/2" square, cutting it diagonally twice in an X for 4 triangles total
4-4-1/8" squares
From each metallic print, cut:
2-4-1/8 x20" sashing strips
2-4-1/8 x12-3/4" sashing strips
From mottled dark blue, cut:
5-2-1/2 x42" binding strips
Assemble Diamond Points
1. Sew together a dark print 1-3/4x42" strip and a light print 1-3/4x42" strip, offsetting strips by 1-1/4", to make Strip Set A (Diagram 1). Press seam toward darker print.
2. With a ruler and rotary cutter, trim right-hand edge of strip set at a 45˚ angle (Diagram 2). To easily trim at this angle, align the 45˚ line of an acrylic ruler with top edge of strip set (see blue line in Diagram 2).
3. Rotate strip set 180˚. Cutting parallel to trimmed left-hand edge, cut strip set into eight 1-3/4"-wide A segments (Diagram 3). Check every two or three segments to ensure you're still cutting at a perfect 45˚ angle. Repeat Step 2 to correct the angle, if needed.
4. Using a light print 1-3/4x42" strip and a medium print 1-3/4x42" strip, repeat Step 1 to make Strip Set B (Diagram 4).
5. Repeats steps 2 and 3 using Strip Set B to make eight 1-3/4"-wide B segments (Diagram 5).
6. Sew together an A and B segment to make a diamond point (Diagram 6). Press seam in one direction. Mark a dot 1/4" in from each corner of the diamond point.
7. Repeat Step 6 to make and mark eight diamond points total.
8. Repeat steps 1–7 to make four sets total of eight matching diamond points.
Assemble Blocks
1. Gather a set of matching tone-on-tone triangles and 4-1/8" squares and a set of eight matching diamond points.
2. Sew together two diamond points, without sewing into 1/4" seam allowance, to make an angled unit. Finger-press seam open. Referring to Diagram 7, set a tone-on-tone triangle into angled unit to make a diamond pair. Begin each seam from the center of the angled unit as the tone-on-tone triangle will extend slightly beyond finished edges of diamond points. Press seams toward diamond points. Repeat to make four diamond pairs total.
3. Referring to Diagram 8, join two diamond pairs without sewing into 1/4" seam allowance. Set a tone-on-tone 4-1/8" square into joined diamond pairs to make a star half. Begin each seam from the center of the joined diamond pairs as the tone-on-tone square will extend slightly beyond finished edges of diamond points. Press seams toward diamond pairs. Repeat to make two star halves total.
4. Sew together two star halves without sewing into 1/4" seam allowance. Press seam open. Set tone-on-tone 4-1/8" squares into open corners (Diagram 9) to make a Blazing Star block. Press seams toward squares. If necessary, trim edges of diamond pairs even with tone-on-tone squares. The block should be 12-3/4" square including seam allowances. The star should "float" slightly within background pieces.
5. Repeat steps 1–4 to make four Blazing Star blocks total.
6. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, sew matching metallic print 4-1/8 x12-3/4" sashing strips to opposite edges of a Blazing Star block. Add matching metallic print 4-1/8 x20" sashing strips to remaining edges to make a sashed block. Press all seams toward sashing strips. The sashed block should be 20" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four sashed blocks total.
Assemble Quilt Top and Finish Quilt
1. Sew together sashed blocks in pairs. Press seams in opposite directions. Join pairs to complete quilt top. Press seam in one direction.
2. Layer quilt top, batting, and backing; baste. Quilt as desired.
3. Bind with mottled dark blue binding strips.
