Quick and easy star block tutorial

I love making this block.  Its quick, easy and stress-free with perfect points every time!!  I dont even use pins until the very last part.  Love that!

Let's make one.  You will need a dark and a light.  Cut a 4 1/2" square out of the dark fabric.  Also cut eight 2 3/4" squares from the same dark fabric.  Now, from the light fabric cut out four 3 1/2" squares and four 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles.

 

Now turn your dark 2 3/4" squares over and draw a line down the center from one corner to another.  Notice in the picture below that I have also drawn a line a half inch away from the center line.  Go ahead and do that too.

 

 

Place your little dark squares onto your light rectangles right sides together.  They need to be placed at the top upper right side with the second drawn line closest to the upper right corner.

 

 

Sew down that center line on all four of your pieces.

 

 

Then go ahead and sew down the other line that you drew a half inch away from the center.

 

Cut in between your sewn lines.  Set those tiny triangles aside for a while and iron the larger pieces toward the dark fabric.

 

Your rectangle will now look like the one on the left.  Next place a small dark square onto the left top of the rectange.  Make sure the second line is close to the upper left corner.  Do this on all four rectangles and sew them together like you did before.

 

 

Trim between the sewn lines as before, saving your little triangles.  Iron toward the dark.

 

Set up your star like this.

 

Flip the pieces on the left over top of the pieces in the center and sew them together.  Iron the first row toward the light square, the second row toward the dark square and the third row toward the light square.

Next, flip the pieces on the right over top the the center and do the same.

 

This is what your star should look like so far.

 

Now sew the top row to the center row.  This is the time to use pins so you can be sure to line up your seams.  Iron toward the center row.

 

Almost done!  Sew bottom row to center row, again ironing toward the center row.

 

Yayyy!!  A beautiful block!  It will measure over 10".  I squared mine to exactly ten inches but you could make it smaller if you like.

 

Now for all those leftover triangles.  Iron them open and save them.  After you have made several stars you will have plenty of these little half square triangles to make something else that's super cute.

 

Here's what I have so far.  My plan is to alternate light and dark backgrounds like you see here.  Im hoping to make a king sized quilt for my bedroom, but we'll see.  That would be a stinkin lot of stars. 

 

I hope you'll give this method a try.  I'm sure you will have as much fun as I did!!!

 

Happy quilting,

 

Jessica