Sophisticated Stars

Inspired by Antique Chic from quilt collector Tara Lynn Baisden of Sew Unique Creations

Quilt tester: Laura Boehnke

• 1⁄2 yard each of blue tone-on-tone, red tone-on-tone, and green tone-on-tone (blocks)
• 1⁄2 yard cream tone-on-tone (blocks)
• 1⁄2 yard black floral (sashing squares)
• 5⁄8 yard tan floral (sashing rectangles)
• 3⁄8 yard binding fabric
• 1-1⁄4 yards backing fabric
• 41" batting

Finished quilt: 33" square

Finished block: 9-1⁄2" square

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

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

The following instructions involve machine-piecing the blocks, which have many set-in seams. If you prefer to hand-piece them, stitch carefully on seam lines between matching points, sewing from dot to dot.

Cut pieces in the following order. Click on "Download this Project" above for pattern pieces. Be sure to transfer the dots to the templates, then to fabric pieces. The dots are matching points that are used when joining pieces and setting in seams.

From blue tone-on-tone, cut:

• 48 of Pattern A

From red tone-on-tone, cut:

• 48 of Pattern A

From green tone-on-tone, cut:

• 32 of Pattern A

From cream tone-on-tone, cut:

• 32 of Pattern C (or rotary-cut 8-3-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 32 C triangles total)
• 16 of Pattern D (or rotary-cut 16-1-7⁄8 ×3-1⁄4" D rectangles)
• 48 of Pattern B (or rotary-cut 48-1-7⁄8" B squares)

From black floral, cut:

• 9--5" sashing squares

From tan floral, cut:

• 12--5×10" sashing rectangles

From binding fabric, cut:

• 4--2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips

1.    Gather 12 blue tone-on-tone A diamonds, 12 red tone-on-tone A diamonds, eight green tone-on-tone A diamonds, 12 cream tone-on-tone B squares, eight cream tone-on-tone C triangles, and four cream tone-on-tone D rectangles.

2.    Referring to Diagram 1, pin together a blue tone-on-tone A diamond and a red tone-on-tone A diamond, aligning two pairs of marked matching points. Sew together between aligned matching points-do not stitch into the 1⁄4" seam allowances-to make a diamond pair. Repeat to make eight blue-and-red diamond pairs total.

3.    Repeat Step 2 using green tone-on-tone A diamonds and red tone-on-tone A diamonds to make four green-and-red diamond pairs total.

4.    Repeat Step 2 using blue tone-on-tone A diamonds and green tone-on-tone A diamonds to make four blue-and-green diamond pairs total.

5.    Referring to Diagram 2, join two blue-and-red diamond pairs to make a star half. Repeat to make a second star half.

6.    Pin star halves together, aligning matching points. To prevent puckering at center, join star halves with two seams, beginning each seam at the center and stitching to outer matching points, to make a star unit (Diagram 3). Press all seam allowances in one direction; the seam allowances should swirl neatly, reducing bulk at the center.

7.    Referring to Diagram 4, sew a cream tone-on-tone B square into each angle of the star unit using set-in seams. Press seams away from squares.

8.    Referring to Diagram 5, join one green-and-red diamond pair, one blue-and-red diamond pair, and one blue-and-green diamond pair, stitching between dots as before; press seams in one direction. Using set-in seams, sew a cream tone-on-tone B square into the center angle of the joined diamond units and a cream tone-on-tone C triangle into the outer angles to make a corner unit (Diagram 6). Press all seams toward diamond units. Repeat to make four corner units total.

9.    Join a corner unit to each corner of Step 7 star unit using set-in seams (Diagram 7); press seams toward corner units.

10.    Referring to Diagram 8, join cream tone-on-tone D rectangles to sides of Step 9 unit using set-in seams to make a block. Press seams away from rectangles. The block should be 10" square including seam allowances.

11.    Repeat steps 1–10 to make four blocks total.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, sew together three black floral sashing squares and two tan floral sashing rectangles to make a sashing row. Press seams toward sashing rectangles. Repeat to make three sashing rows total.

2.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, join three tan floral sashing rectangles and two blocks to make a block row. Press seams toward sashing rectangles. Repeat to make a second block row.

3.    Join rows to complete quilt top. Press seams away from block rows.

1.    Layer quilt top, batting, and backing; baste. Quilt as desired.

2.    Bind with binding strips.