Patriotic Star Wall Art

Inspired by Keep It Together from designer Lesley Chaisson

Quilt Tester: Jan Ragaller

• 6" square each red print, blue print, red floral, and red-and-white print
• 10" square blue floral
• 1⁄8 yard blue-and-white print
• Lightweight tracing paper or foundation material of your choice
• 6"-diameter embroidery hoop
• 7"-square felt (optional)

Finished Wall Art: 6-1⁄2" diameter

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

Cut pieces in the following order.

From red print, cut:

• 3--1-1⁄2 ×2-1⁄2" rectangles
• 1--1-1⁄2" square

From blue print, cut:

• 3--1×2" rectangles

From red floral, cut:

• 3--1-1⁄2 ×2-1⁄2" rectangles

From red-and-white print, cut:

• 3--1-1⁄2 ×3-1⁄2" rectangles
• 3--1-1⁄2 ×2" rectangles

From blue floral, cut:

• 3--2×5" rectangles
• 3--1×2" rectangles

From blue-and-white print, cut:

• 6--4×5" rectangles

To foundation-piece, you stitch fabric pieces to a foundation paper with the marked side of the paper facing up and the fabric pieces layered under the paper. The resulting pieced unit is a mirror image of the foundation paper.

1. Cut out one of Foundation Pattern A and three of Foundation Pattern B roughly 1⁄4" outside dashed lines.

2. For Unit A, gather A foundation paper, red print 1-1⁄2" square (position 1A), blue print 1×2" rectangles (positions 2A–4A), red floral 1-1⁄2 ×2-1⁄2" rectangles (positions 5A–7A), red-and-white print 1-1⁄2 ×3-1⁄2" rectangles (positions 8A–10A), and blue floral 2×5" rectangles (positions 11A–13A). Referring to Diagram 1, work in numerical order to foundation-piece Unit A. Do not remove the foundation paper.

3. For Unit B, gather one B foundation paper, one blue floral 1×2" rectangle (position 1B), one red-and-white print 1-1⁄2 ×2" rectangle (position 2B), one red print 1-1⁄2 ×2-1⁄2" rectangle (position 3B), and two blue-and-white print 4×5" rectangles (positions 4B and 5B). Referring to Diagram 2, work in numerical order to foundation-piece Unit B. Do not remove the foundation paper.

4. Repeat Step 3 to foundation-piece three B units total.

1. Referring to Diagram 3, layer a Unit B atop bottom edge of Unit A, aligning stitching lines. Pin through stitching lines. Open Unit B to check alignment; adjust and repin, if necessary. Once positioned correctly, sew units together along matched stitching lines, beginning 1" from left-hand edge and stopping at right-hand edge. Trim seam to 1⁄4", if necessary, and press open.

2. Place a second Unit B atop right-hand edge of Unit A, aligning stitching lines as before. Sew together, stitching from top edge to bottom edge (Diagram 4). Trim and press as before.

3. Holding unsewn portion of first Unit B out of the way, repeat Step 2 to add remaining Unit B to left-hand edge of Unit A (Diagram 5).

4. Finish stitching remaining portion of Step 1 seam (Diagram 6). Press open to make circle unit.

5. Remove foundation papers from circle unit with tweezers or blunt edge of a seam ripper, taking care not to tug or pull out any stitches. Press circle unit from wrong side. Center circle unit in embroidery hoop.

1. In the fabric outside the hoop, stitch a running stitch approximately 1-1⁄2″ from the edge. Pull the thread to gather the fabric in the back; knot the thread. Trim away the extra fabric approximately 1″ outside the gathered line.

2. If desired, cut a felt circle that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the embroidery hoop. Whipstitch the felt circle to the gathered fabric on the back.