Hive 1 Tutorial for September--Friendship Star Block

 

“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”

--Carl Sagan, Cosmos

I recently went on a quilting retreat with Emily from Hive 6—it was a lovely time, and we got to meet two other people who are also in Stashbee hives (Hi Diane and Amy!)

(I also finished my first quilt top while on retreat: a sky of Friendship Stars for my niece 😊)

I enjoy making new friends and meeting people (whether online or in person), though I also feel shy and awkward when in new situations... Making quilt blocks each month pushes me gently out of my comfort zone and helps me interact with people—those are things I really appreciate about Stashbee.

I used Polkadot Chair’s tutorial for the Friendship Star Quilt Block. It’s a fantastic tutorial, and I referenced it while writing mine. 

 

Fabric: Quilter’s Choice (nothing patriotic or religious, please)—as long as there’s a clear contrast between the star and background fabrics, I’m not picky about what is used. 

Size: 12.5” x 12.5” finished block.

Cut Instructions:

• 1 piece 4.5” x 4.5” for center of star (can be the same fabric as the rest of the star or something different!)

• 4 pieces 4.5” x 4.5” background fabric

• 2 pieces 5” x 5” for star Half Square Triangles

• 2 pieces 5” x 5” background Half Square Triangles (can be a complementary fabric as in the example, or all same fabric!)

Assembly Instructions:

 

1. Create Half Square Triangles from background and star fabrics: place one 5”x5” star and one 5”x5” background right-sides together. Draw a diagonal line across the wrong side of one of the squares and stitch ¼” from each side of the line. Cut along the line, press seam to one side, and trim piece to 4.5”x4.5”. You will have 4 Half Square Triangles altogether. 

 

2 . Lay pieces in nine-patch formation as shown. Stitch by rows, press seams to one side (I pressed the middle row opposite from the outer rows so the seams nested a bit better), then stitch rows to each other. Trim if necessary. Voilà! Friendship Star!

Thank you all for your time <3 I can’t wait to see your stars!

“If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”

--Fred Rogers, You Are Special: Words of Wisdom for All Ages From a Beloved Neighbor