STARS Quilt Along - Block 5

**  NOTE  - This post is part of a series of post for the STARS Quilt-A-Long.  If you would like to join (and have a chance to win a $50.00 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop ) you can find a list of the post links here :)

We are getting close to the end here!!  I am just so excited!!  Block 5, here we come!!!

STEP 1 - CUTTING


As a reminder, for the Queen size, you will be doing 6 blocks each of 6 different star pattern blocks.  You can pick any combination of the below sizes you want for your blocks.   (If you are doing a smaller size, it is probably best to divide the total number of blocks you want by the 6 different blocks we will be making and then make that many Block 5's in varying sizes, or all the same if you wish :)


So, once you have decided on your star sizes you can use the following chart as your cutting guide.  I know this is small to see but if you click on it, it will open in a new window much larger :)

Once again, I am not going to go over cutting out the yardage again in this tutorial.  If you need hints on how to best cut your yardage please see the STEP 1 of the Block 1 tutorial.  It is the exact same process :)

So for 1 star block you should have cut from your yardage  1 Goose Square, 4 Corner Squares, 2 long sashings, and 2 short sashings. (of course in the designated chart sizes :)

Now for your prints.    So referring to the chart above you will cut 1 square for your Center Square (referred to as fabric A) and you will also cut 2 squares from your Background Fabric for your Center Square.  (Yes I know this isn't a print, but I didn't want to throw everyone off by adding it up above :)  Lastly, you will cut 4 squares that will be used to make the star points (referred to as fabric B).

STEP 2 - MAKING THE CENTER SQUARE

So to start the center square we need to do some sub-cutting.  Grab your 2 squares from your background fabric and cut them in half once diagonally to make 4 triangles. 

Now go ahead and lay 2 of your triangles on opposite sides of your print squares with right sides together as shown.  Try to make sure that you have approximately the same amount of overhang on both sides of your square.

Pin the two triangles along the edges and then sew a 1/4" seam along both pinned sides.  Remember when working with triangles to keep those corners aligned, they will want to slide out on you :)

Now go ahead and press your print outwards toward the background fabric.

And now it is simply repeating on the other 2 sides.  Align your triangles on the opposite sides with right sides together, pin, and sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edges.  Your 1/4" seam should start right in the crevice created by the intersection of the 2 triangles :)  Press your 2 seams just like before.

Now simply clip away the little tails and your done!!  One beautiful diamond center piece.  Go ahead and set this aside for the moment.

**NOTE - The remaining steps are done in the same way as we did  Block 1.  Therefore I will be going over them in a condensed version.  If you need extra notes or clarification on any of the remaining steps, please feel free to see the Block 1 Tutorial STEPS 2 - 4 that will further explain these steps.  


STEP 3 - MAKING THE STAR POINTS 

With right sides together, lay two of your smaller print squares onto your large background square as shown.  Using your ruler, draw a pen line diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner.  Pin both sides of each square adjacent to that drawn line.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along both sides of the drawn line.

Clip your threads and then align your ruler along the drawn center line.  Cut your pieces apart along that drawn line.  Then press each piece towards your print fabric.

Grab your remaining two print squares and align them on your two pieces as follows with right sides together.  Once again, draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the print squares from corner to corner.  Now go ahead and pin each piece and then once again, stitch a 1/4" seam along both sides of the drawn diagonal line.

Clip your threads and then using your ruler aligned along the drawn line, once again, cut your 2 seperate pieces apart.  Press each  of the four pieces towards the print.

Lastly, trim away all those little corners and WhaLa!!!  You have 4 perfect flying geese.

STEP 4 - PUTTING THE BLOCK TOGETHER


Now you have all of the pieces you need to put your block together.  Grab all of your pieces except for the sashings and lay them out as follows.  Make sure that your star point fabrics match your center print fabrics.  We will be stitching these in rows first and then putting the rows together.

So start by stitching your rows together.  Lay the left hand pieces onto the center pieces with right sides together and pin.  Then lay the right hand pieces onto the center pieces with right sides together and pin.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along all 6 of those pinned edges.  Clip your threads and press.  Press the second or center row open to avoid bulk.  The first and third rows press out.

And this is what your block should look like now. And now you can sew the rows together.  So lay your first row onto your center row with right sides together.  Make sure that you match up your seams first, and pin.  Then lay your third row up onto your center row with right sides together and pin the same.  Sew a 1/4" seam along both pinned edges.  Clip your threads and press (once again, I pressed seams open.)

And now you should have a beautiful block that looks something like this!!  I just love how the center pops in this one!!  Way to go, now you just have one step left :)

STEP 5 - MAKING IT WONKY


To make the block wonky we first have to add the sashings.  So grab those sashings that have been sitting aside and lay the short sashings on the top and bottom and the long sashings on the sides.  Lay your sashing onto the top and bottom of your block with right sides together.  Pin the edge.  Stitch a 1/4" along the top and the bottom of your block go ahead and clip your threads and then press out towards the sashing.

Now you can add the sides the exact same way as you did the bottom.   Pin, stitch, clip, and press :)

And your block is sashed and ready to be cut wonky style.  Grab your 12 1/2" square ruler or template and lay it on your block.  Find the angel you like (remembering to alternate angels on blocks) and trim the excess outside the template or ruler.

And Ta Da!!!  You have a finished 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" Wonky Block 5!!!!

Now you can go back and make 5 more (or how ever many you want for your size quilt)

And don't forget, we all want to see your progress, so be sure to post your first set of Block 5's in our Flickr Group :)  Everyone's blocks are looking so great, only one more block to go!!!

And as always, should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me at happyquiltingmelissa (at gmail (dot) com!!

VIBee's

August has come and gone and with it is another VIBee Block.  August was Natalia's month and she had us make these adorable stack and whack blocks.  I cant wait to see them all put together with everyone's.  They will look so cool!!

And the super exciting part for me . . . September is my month!!!  The plan is to make a bedspread for my soon to be 5 year old with the theme "On the Go".  I am having the group each make me a block with a mode of transportation on it.  (some planes, cars, tractors, sailboats, ect.)  I am sticking with Primary red, yellow, and blue and bits of yellow, green, and purple thrown in.  I can't wait to see everyone's blocks!!!  Here is the material all cut and ready to be shipped.

And here is the pile that I took to the post office yesterday and held up the line for 10 minuites.  What ya gonna do :)  Thanks to all of the amazing ladies in the VIBee group!!  They are all truly amazing and I just can't wait to see what they create!!!

Progress

We'll the Happy Quilting STARS Quilt-A-Long is going along swimmingly!!!  I am in love with everyone's versions.  To have a look at the groups progress you can check out the flickr group here :)

So as to progress, I have a confession.  Up until yesterday I had a whopping 4 of my already demonstrated 24 blocks done.  Ya, those were the four that I had demonstrated.  But . . . I am happy to say that has now changed as I made some serious progress!!!  (Thank heavens for School and Nap Time :)

Here are my 6 Block 1's.  I did two 9", two 10", and two 11".

 

Here are my 6 Block 2's.  Once again, I did two 9", two 10", and two 11".

And I was on such a roll I sat down and cut out the remaining pieces I would need for the remaining 24 blocks.  Hopefully this will help to get me a little more on top of things.  (I can't say how embarrassing it is to be behind in your own Quilt-A-Long :)  

As to other projects . . . They have all pretty much been put on hold for the time being.

Grandma's Quilt got turned into a Christmas present instead of a birthday present.
Christmas dresses are still in their originial fabric purchase phase.
And even the Baby seems to be stalling.  I was having all sorts of contractions but no dilation.  (Which I suppose is good as I am now 36 weeks and that little one could do with staying in the oven a little longer.  

So here is to getting things done in the next 4 weeks before life goes topsy-turvy again :)

STARS Quilt Along - Block 4

**  NOTE  - This post is part of a series of post for the STARS Quilt-A-Long.  If you would like to join (and have a chance to win a $50.00 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop ) you can find a list of the post links here :)

Everyone is doing so great!!  Your STAR blocks look amazing!!  And today is a big day, because today's block is probably the most challenging of all 6 blocks.  I wanted to throw it in the middle so you had some experience and so it isn't the last one looming to get done.  With that said, it isn't super hard or anything, just a  bit of a change and therefor a bit more tedious.  So with that said, lets get going!!!

STEP 1 - CUTTING


As a reminder, for the Queen size, you will be doing 6 blocks each of 6 different star pattern blocks.  You can pick any combination of the below sizes you want for your blocks.   (If you are doing a smaller size, it is probably best to divide the total number of blocks you want by the 6 different blocks we will be making and then make that many Block 4's in varying sizes, or all the same if you wish :)


So, once you have decided on your star sizes you can use the following chart as your cutting guide.  I know this is small to see but if you click on it, it will open in a new window much larger :)  ***NOTE - You do not have to cut any additional blocks for the highlighted line, it is simply a reference for trimming.

Once again, I am not going to go over cutting out the yardage again in this tutorial.  If you need hints on how to best cut your yardage please see the STEP 1 of the Block 1 tutorial.  It is the exact same process :)

So for 1 star block you should have cut from your yardage  1 Goose Square, 4 Corner Squares, 2 long sashings, and 2 short sashings. (of course in the designated chart sizes :)

Now for your prints.    Referring to the chart above you will cut 4 squares for your Center Square, 2 from  a fabric of your choice (referred to as fabric A) and 2 more from another fabric (referred to as fabric B).   You will then cut 4 squares that will be used to make the star points, 2 from your previous first choice fabric (referred to as fabric A) and 2 from your previous second choice fabric (referred to as fabric B) .  *** NOTE These 8 squares are almost the exact same sizes, but not quite, so be careful not to mix up which ones are for the center square and which are for the star points.

STEP 2 - MAKING THE CENTER SQUARE


We will start by making 4 Half Square Triangles.  To do this, grab your four pieces for the center square.  Using your ruler, on the wrong side of the 2 lighter print blocks draw a diagonal line from corner to corner.

Now lay your lighter square blocks onto your darker square blocks with right sides together.  Pin the squares together along either side of the drawn line.  Now simply sew 1/4" along each side of the drawn line.  (You should be an expert at this now as it is pretty similar to our flying geese process :)

Using your ruler, cut along the drawn line to separate your 2 sewn pieces into 4 sewn pieces.

Now press your seams for all 4 pieces towards the darker print.

So now you have the 4 half square triangles you need and all you have left is to trim them down to the appropriate size.  To find the size you will be trimming down to refer to the highlighted line in the cutting chart.  So to trim your HST to the designated size, align the 45 degree angle mark along the center line of your HST.  Make sure that the 2 edges under your ruler are on or outside the designated size and trim along the 2 sides of your ruler.  (It won't be a lot to trim, you are just evening things up :)  

Now flip your block so the 2 sides you just trimmed are under your ruler.  You should be able to align those 2 already trimmed sides right along your designated measurement and by doing that the center seam should be right along the 45 degree angle mark on your ruler.  Now just trim away the excess on the 2 edges of your ruler.  Repeat these two trimming steps for all 4 of your Half Square Triangles.

And now you have 4 perfect Half Square Triangles and putting the rest of the center together is just the same process as we did for the center square of  Block 2. So if you need further clarafication please refer to Block 2 Step 2 .

Lay out your four HST's in the following layout to make a pinwheel.  Sew the pieces together to make 2 rows by laying the left hand square onto the right hand square in each row with right sides together.  Pin along the edge.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.  Press your seams open to avoid bulk.

You should now have 2 rows that look like this :)  Now sew the 2 rows together by laying the top row onto the bottom row with right sides together.  Now go ahead and line up your center seam and pin that first.  Then go ahead and pin the edges.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.  Clip your threads and press your seam open.

And your center square is completed. What a cute little pinwheel!!  You can set it aside for now.

STEP 3 - MAKING THE STAR POINTS 

Okay, so this is where this block goes a little different from the other blocks.  Unfortuantly, we have to work with some triangles now.  But don't worry!!  It isn't much harder just a little more tedious.  (And some of you might ask, wouldn't it be easier to just do it all in HST's and the answer would probably be yes, but then they wouldn't match the other blocks, and I am a bit OCD so that would drive me nuts :)

So start by getting your 4 squares for your star points and cutting them in half diagonally by using your ruler aligned from corner to opposite corner.

Now get 2 triangles of one print and 2 triangles of the other print and with right sides together, lay them out as follows.  Make sure that the "top" print on your pinwheel is the same print that is the top print on your goose block. (see the arrows :).  Your triangles should be aligned together 2 make 2 "squares".

You won't need to draw a pen line diagonally  as you can just use the intersection of your 2 pieces.  Pin all four triangles in place.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along both sides of the drawn line.  This is a little more difficult as you are using triangles and not squares but just take a little extra care when sewing the edges to keep them aligned and it shouldn't be much more difficult.

Clip your threads and then align your ruler along the drawn center line.  Cut your pieces apart along that drawn line.  Then press each piece towards your print fabric.

Grab your remaining 4 triangles and and lay them out as follows with right sides together. Make sure that your prints are opposite where they touch the other print. Once again, no need to draw your diagonal line.

Now go ahead and pin each piece and then once again, stitch a 1/4" seam along both sides of the drawn diagonal line.  Once again, take care to keep those edges lined up as they will want to slip outwards.

Clip your threads and then using your ruler aligned along the drawn line, once again, cut your 2 separate pieces apart.  Press each  of the four pieces towards the print.

Lastly, trim away all those little corners and WhaLa!!!  You have 4 perfect flying geese.  Sorry these were a bit more of a pain, but trust me, they will be worth it when you see how awesome this block looks!!  (It is by far my favorite!!!)

**NOTE - The remaining steps are done in the same way as we did  Block 1.  Therefore I will be going over them in a condensed version.  If you need extra notes or clarification on any of the remaining steps, please feel free to see the Block 1 Tutorial STEPS 3 - 4 that will further explain these steps.  

STEP 4 - PUTTING THE BLOCK TOGETHER


Now you have all of the pieces you need to put your block together.  Grab all of your pieces except for the sashings and lay them out as follows.  Make sure that your star point fabrics match your Half Square Triangle print fabrics.  We will be stitching these in rows first and then putting the rows together.

So start by stitching your rows together.  Lay the left hand pieces onto the center pieces with right sides together and pin.  Then lay the right hand pieces onto the center pieces with right sides together and pin.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along all 6 of those pinned edges.  Clip your threads and press.  Press the second or center row open to avoid bulk.  The first and third rows press out.

And this is what your block should look like now. And now you can sew the rows together.  So lay your first row onto your center row with right sides together.  Make sure that you match up your seams first, and pin.  Then lay your third row up onto your center row with right sides together and pin the same.  Sew a 1/4" seam along both pinned edges.  Clip your threads and press (once again, I pressed seams open.)

And now you should have a beautiful block that looks something like this!!  I know it was a bit of a pain but wasn't it totally worth it!!  I just love how this star looks like it is spinning!!!

STEP 5 - MAKING IT WONKY


To make the block wonky we first have to add the sashings.  So grab those sashings that have been sitting aside and lay the short sashings on the top and bottom and the long sashings on the sides.  Lay your sashing onto the top and bottom of your block with right sides together.  Pin the edge.  Stitch a 1/4" along the top and the bottom of your block go ahead and clip your threads and then press out towards the sashing.

Now you can add the sides the exact same way as you did the bottom.   Pin, stitch, clip, and press :)

And your block is sashed and ready to be cut wonky style.  Grab your 12 1/2" square ruler or template and lay it on your block.  Find the angel you like (remembering to alternate angels on blocks) and trim the excess outside the template or ruler.

And Ta Da!!!  You have a finished 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" Wonky Block 4!!!!

Now you can go back and make 5 more (or how ever many you want for your size quilt)

And oh how I love seeing everyone's progress so be sure to post your set of Block 4's in our Flickr Group :)  I just love this block and I can't wait to see everyone's!!

And as always, should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me at happyquiltingmelissa (at gmail (dot) com!!