Hive 5 April Tutorial -- Wonky Star block for Nina

 Hello!

This is my third year in StashBee, and I've enjoyed meeting and collaborating with other quilters so much!

I'd like my Hive 5 members to make me a 13.5" improv Wonky Star block this month. I made one for a Hive mate in my first year, in 2021, and loved it so much that I want a whole quilt of it!

There are lots of tutorials out there for the basic techniques of this simple improv block, which is a 9 patch with improv elements.

Michelle's 2021 StashBee Wonky Star Tutorial is perhaps the best - her finished size is 12.5 (she starts with 4.5" blocks instead of the 5" blocks I'm requesting) but the construction is identical otherwise. A nice, clear, simple tutorial. 

In that tutorial, Michelle reommends Scissortail Quilting's Wonky Star tutorial with a downloadable pdf. I also like HQ Stitch's Make a Wonky Star

Or if you like a video tutorial, you can check out: Jenny Doan's Tutorial

CHOOSING FABRIC

I'd like the background to be scrappy low volume and the star to be scrappy bold colours.

Background

Any low volume fabric in white, off white, pale grey -- blenders, solids, prints.

Star

I'm looking for super scrappy bright colours -- a variety of colours in each block! Brights can be blenders solids or prints that read mostly one colour. As long as you have a good contrast between the low volume background and the elements of the star it'll look great.

CUT LIST

You'll need

8 x 5" squares of various lowvolumes

1 x 5" square of a bold, bright colour, print or solid

8 scraps of brightly coloured fabric, prints or solids

Please follow Michelle's Wonky Star Tutorial for the method. 

Your finished block will measure 13.5" -- don't worry about squaring it up if it's a little over or under :)

Here are some photos I took during my own block construction:

First, I laid out my basic block -- 8 assorted 5" squares of low volume fabrics around a bold, bright 5" square in the centre. 

Pick one of four squares that get star points -- North, South, East and West. The corners stay plain. 

Place a scrap of bright coloured fabric on the square. It's best if you have a nice straight edge for sewing!

Angle it so its right sides are together with the background, and the scrap covers from near the centre of the square up the side. (but leave at least 3/4 of an inch between the top of the star point and the top of the square). 

Sew the colourful scrap to the background square and trim the excess. 

Press the coloured piece open and then trim the block to 5" square again.

Now add the second star point on this square. Take another colourful scrap with a straight edge -- angle it from the bottom of the the square up the side in the other direction. 

Sew and trim the seam. Then press the new star point out. And trim (for some reason not shown here :))

Now proceed as a normal 9 patch block.

Sew the squares into rows, and press alternate rows in different directions:

Row A -- press to the left

Row B -- press to the right

Row C -- press to the left

This will help your seams nest during construction and will help you get clean meetings between squares!

Then sew them all together :)

You can make your star points more varied than mine turned out -- narrower or less tall or chunkier or whatever. Wonky is good!

Thank you all so much for all your work -- I really appreciate being a part of this great Hive!

Nina