How To Sew a Star Block

This month for Saturday Sampler we are doing a really fun block that we thought needed a tutorial because it can get a little complicated.

Note: You will use the (3) square-in-a-square blocks you sewed last month for the centers of your blocks.

These (3) notions will really help with this block, but are optional:

Lazy Girl Flying Geese Ruler
Magic Wand
Corner Trimmer

 STAR BLOCK TUTORIAL

Cutting List for (3) 6 1/2″ star blocks:

Piece 1) 4 1/2″ square
Piece 2) 4 1/2″ x 9″ rectangle
Piece 3) 5″ x 14 1/2″ rectangle
Piece 4) 4 1/4″ x 12 1/4″ rectangle

1. Take Piece 1 and trim it to 4 1/4″ square (letter D on Lazy Girl ruler)

2. Take Piece 2 and trim it into (2) 4 1/4″ squares (letter D on Lazy Girl ruler)

3. Take Piece 3 and cut it into (12) 2 3/8″ squares (dashed lines marked D on your Lazy Girl ruler).

4. Take Piece 4 and cut it into (12) 2″ squares, using any ruler.

5. Mark your seam line on the back of all (12) of your black squares. You will mark each square on one diagonal. You can mark from exact corner to exact corner and sew 1/4″ away from the line on each side or you can mark your “stitching” lines using a Magic Wand. This see-through tool lets you line up the corners and draw a line on both sides of the wand to mark exactly where you will sew.

6. When you sew flying geese you have a lot of bulk in the center area where all the seams come cotgether. The “Corner Trimmer” notion helps eliminate that. You lay this tool on your black squares. You can then trim off one corner of each square so that when you sew your seams on the flying geese you won’t have an overlap.

If you choose to use this tool, trim one corner off your black squares. You don’t have to trim these corners but it makes it a lot less bulky.

7. Lay two of the trimmed and marked squares right sides together on top of one orange square. Have the trimmed corners touch each other in the center.

8. Sew (2) seams diagonally through the center. You should have the seams marked (step 5). Sew along the lines you marked, or 1/4″ away from the line if you don’t have the Magic Wand.

9. Repeat with remaining (2) large orange squares.

10. Cut each sewn set once diagonally between the seams.

You should have (6) pieces that look like this:

11.  With right sides together, place one black square on a heart shaped unit. Draw a line, or two lines with your Magic Wand. Sew on your lines (or 1/4″ away from your lines if you have only drawn one line down the middle) as shown and cut as shown:

11. Presss seams toward the black. You should now have (12) flying geeese units. Each unit should measure 2″ x 3 1/2″

12. Sew the flying geese units together with the square-in-a-square blocks from last month and the “corner” blocks you cut out in step 4.

13. You will mix up the patterns and units so look at the pictures closely and follow the placement of the fabric patterns:

You should have three star blocks, measuring 6 1/2″