Delaware Quilts

Nancy's Star

For this block you will need:
From the dark gold, four 3 1/2 by 6 1/2 inch rectangles and two 3 7/8 inch squares
      From the light gold, four 3 1/2 inch squares
      From your background (blue), eight 3 1/2 inch squares and two 3 7/8 inch square 		     


Mark a diagonal line on the reverse side of eight of the 3 1/2 inch background squares, the four light star 3 1/2 inch squares and the two dark star 3 7/8 inch squares.
     

First we will make diagonal half squares using the 3 7/8 inch squares, same way we always do.
Place a background square and one of the colors right sides together. Carefully draw a line down the center, corner to corner, diagonally across the block. (This will be a cutting line when you are finished.) Now if you have a true 1/4 inch foot on your machine, you can sew on either side of this drawn line. If not, you will have to draw a second line on either side, exactly 1/4 inch from the first line. This will be your sewing line.
After you have sewn on your sewing line, 1/4 inch on either side of your corner to corner to line, you will cut this square in half on your cutting line. You will now have two diagonal half-squares, which should measure exactly 3 1/2 inches. Repeat this step with both 3 7/8 inch squares to get the four diagonal half squares you need.


Sew a background 3 1/2 inch to each diagonal half star, paying close attention to the direction your diagonal half square goes. They should all look just like this one.

This is unit one.



Next step are the parallelograms, not as hard as they look, really. Put a marked background 3 1/2 inch square right sides together on the dark star rectangle, with the diagonal line as shown. Sew on that diagonal line. Trim leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Press the seam allowance towards the background fabric.


Place a light star 3 1/2 square on the other end of that same rectangle. Make sure your diagonal line is going in the right direction. Sew on the diagonal line, trim leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance, and press toward the light star fabric.
This is unit two.
Repeat with the remaining three rectangles.

This block is assembled in quarters as shown here. Place a unit one right sides
together with unit two and sew together with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Repeat to complete four quarters of the block.
Now sew two of these units together. This is half a star.

Repeat and then sew the two halves together, finishing your star. Your finished star should measure 12 1/2 inches.
     


Nancy's Star © Delaware Quilts June 2006
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Updated June 5, 2020

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