I have chosen the garden star quilt. You can find a tutorial for this on You Tube if you search for the free Garden Star pattern by Missouri Quilt Company. It is a combination of a Friendship Star and a four-square block. I hope you have fun with it.
My suggestion is you cut the pieces bigger and square them down. Theoretically you could use charm squares but they leave little room for error.
You will need five 5 1/2" white or white-on-white squares (background fabric).
Choose a bright color for the friendship star and lighter, complimentary colors for the 4-patch squares. You will need two 5 1/2" squares of the bright color, one 5 1/2" square of a complimentary color and a 5 1/2" square of lighter complimentary color.
Start with your white squares. Cut one down to 5". This will be your center square.
Take two white squares and on the back side of each, draw a diagonal line. The other two white squares will be used for your four block.
For the four Friendship Star squares, put a white square with the diagonal line drawn on it, right sides together with one of your bright color squares. Stitch 1/4" from each side of the diagonal line. Cut ON the diagonal line. Repeat this process. You will have four half square triangles. Press the 1/4" seam allowance to the bright color side and square these blocks to 5".
For the four patch squares, you may use any method you are comfortable with but I loved this approach. Match each complimentary colored square with a background square. Arrange them with right sides together as you did with the previous two squares. Sew a 1/4" seam across the top and bottom. Cut a straight line down the middle. Press the 1/4" seam allowance to the complimentary color side and trim this unit to 5" by 5 1/2".
Sew the units together on the 5" side, alternating the lighter complimentary color with the darker complimentary color rectangle units. Cut 2 1/2" off the bottom. Now cut the remaining units in 5" lengths so the measure 5" square. Assemble the 4-block unit so the complimentary colors are across from each other and the white squares are diagonally across from each other as well.
Now assemble the 9 units that make up this block. Below you will see an example of one that is all in the same color family and intensity of color... and one that is not assembled that has the two shades of complimentary colors. The friendship star pops in the latter but either is fine. You can really use any method that would yield a 5" four block square... who will know. I was not familiar with this method and found it fun.
Thanks so much. Sorry I'm late in posting this. My draft disappeared so I had to start over :) It has been one of those weeks. Let me know if my instructions are not clear or if you find an error.
Mary Ann
5 comments:
Mary Ann,
Question or clarification: what colorways do you want? Brights, batiks, all blues? Also do you have a preference for your background? muslin, off white, small prints, or white?
Looking forward to making it. Oh, and how frustrating to lose your post and have to redo it.
What is the finished size (does not include outside seam allowances) of the block? 13 1/2" ? I have other preferred methods of sewing the units so just need to know what size. Did I miss that in your tutorial?
Can we use prints or do you want only tone on tone fabrics?
Sorry - I did not mean to ignore you. I've had a challenging week.
A. Any color way is fine. I'm hoping for bright colors. For the background I would like white or white on white, though, because that can be the color all squares have in common.
B. The finished side should be 13 1/2" The block is made up by nine units - four half square triangles, four four-block squares and one plain square made of the background fabric. Each of those squares should be 5" by 5".
C. You certainly may use prints. My hope is that you choose the color for your friendship star, which will use the market colors. The color(s) you use for the 4 - square units should relate to the half square triangle color. For instance if you use a bright blue for the half square triangles (a fabric that reads as bright blue, whether it is a solid, a tone on tone or a print...) the fabric(s) used for the 4-square units could be a medium blue and a light blue... again a solid, a tone on tone or a print that reads medium or light blue. If the colors for the 4-square are not the same, it looks better if the darker (medium) shade is in the corners and the lighter shade is towards the middle.
I'm sorry I have confused you. I'm excited to see what you come up with!
Mary Ann
, , <2017>,
Thanks to Tammy Hutchinson for the beautiful blocks you sent me. I wish you still lived in Clinton. I'd love to meet you. We have a place in Bay Tree Lakes and our children cut through Clinton when they come to see us.
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