Starflower Block Tutorial

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Starflower Block TutorialApril 27, 2011 byEllisonLane43 Comments

This is the block I chose for my quilting bee month.

I love the color wheel effect.

I was inspired byMuriels blockI saw on Flickr.

This is my finished quilt.
http://ellisonlane.com/author/ellisonlanehttp://ellisonlane.com/author/ellisonlanehttp://ellisonlane.com/author/ellisonlanehttp://ellisonlane.com/2011/04/starflower-block-tutorial.html#commentshttp://ellisonlane.com/2011/04/starflower-block-tutorial.html#commentshttp://ellisonlane.com/2011/04/starflower-block-tutorial.html#commentshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/doucepoints/5387706824/in/faves-54871961@N03/http://www.flickr.com/photos/doucepoints/5387706824/in/faves-54871961@N03/http://www.flickr.com/photos/doucepoints/5387706824/in/faves-54871961@N03/http://www.flickr.com/photos/doucepoints/5387706824/in/faves-54871961@N03/http://ellisonlane.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/DSCN4418.jpghttp://ellisonlane.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/starflowerfinished.jpghttp://ellisonlane.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/DSCN4418.jpghttp://ellisonlane.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/starflowerfinished.jpghttp://www.flickr.com/photos/doucepoints/5387706824/in/faves-54871961@N03/http://ellisonlane.com/2011/04/starflower-block-tutorial.html#commentshttp://ellisonlane.com/author/ellisonlane


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It is a fairly easy block to make if you take your time plus, you get two blocks for the price of one!

Gotta love efficiency!

To make 2 (12.5 finished) blocks you will need the following supplies:

8 white squares measuring 3.5 x 3.5

8 white squares measuring 4 x 4

16 colored squares (8 colors, 2 of each color) 4 x 4

rotary cutter & mat

ruler

pencil

iron

3.5 square up ruler (very helpful)

optional: quarter inch foot

Special Notes:

Non-directional prints work best Half square triangles are sewn together using a quarter inch seam. When you sew the

blocks together, you will use ascant quarter inch seam.

1. Lay out your fabric in sets grouped by size and color.
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2. Place your colored squares in a circle to see where you want them to go in your finished

block. I chose a color wheel type of layout.

3. Make note of their placements as you will need to know this later on. My colors go in the

following order, clockwise: red, pink, orange, yellow, green, aqua, blue, purple.

4. Divide the 4 x 4 colored fabric squares into two groups- put one of each color in each

group. Set aside four 3.5x3.5 white squares. You will use all of these squares for the second

block.

5. Now is the time to make half square triangles (HST) for your blocks.
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You can do it. Its easy!

6. Keeping in mind your color order, place your 8 colored squares together, right side, to right

side. Place the following colors together: red/pink, orange/yellow, green/aqua, blue/purple.

You will now have 4 pairs of colored squares.

7. Using your ruler and a pencil, make a diagonal line across the back of the fabric square pair.

8. Now, line up your presser foot with the pencil line so that you sew a quarter inch from the line.

You do not need to backstitch!
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9. After sewing on one side of the line, turn your square around and line up your presser footagain, sewing a quarter inch from the pencil line on the opposite side.

10. Now you should have stitches a quarter inch from the pencil line on both sides.
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11. Line up your ruler with your pencil line and use your rotary cutter to cut along the line. This willproduce two triangles that when open, are a square.
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12.Pressyour seams open.13. Use your 3.5 square ruler to trim your block.Be sure to line up the diagonal line of your ruler

with the diagonal seam on your block. Trim yourblock to 3.5 x 3.5.
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14. Repeat steps 7-13 with the remaining colored squares pairs (orange/yellow, green/aqua,

blue/purple.)

15. Take the additional 8 colored squares and place them right sides together with the 8 white 4

x 4 squares.
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16. Follow steps 7-13 to create half square triangles.17. Great job! The hardest part is finished! You should now have a lot of half square triangle

blocks.

18. Organize your blocks.
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19. Set aside one row of colored blocks and one row of colored and white blocks. These will befor your second starflower.

20. Now, place your blocks in the appropriate layout.

21. Take the middle two blocks on the top row, place them right sides together and sew them

together using aSCANTquarter inch seam. From this point on, you will use a scant quarter inch

seam. (Ascant quarter inch seamis slightly less than a quarter inch.) Be sure to line up your

blocks carefully.
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22. Next, sew the middle two blocks together from each row.
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23. Now, sew the outer blocks to the inner blocks on each row.

Please note that while your seams will line up, it may look like your colored fabric doesnt line up.

That is normal!
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You should now have 4 rows of 4 blocks sewn together.

Press your seams open.
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24. Take the first and second rows and place them right sides together. It is very important to lineup the seams carefully! Having pressed the seams open will help you line up your blocks more

easily.

Use several pins to make sure the blocks dont move.
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25. Sew your two rows together using a scant quarter inch seam.Open your rows and examine your seams. Do they line up? If not take out the seam ripper and

undo your stitches, then try again. (Ive had to do this several times before!)

26. Repeat steps 24 & 25 with the remaining two rows.

27. Press your seams open.

Remember the blue and green fabric that didnt seem to line up in step 23?

All fixed!
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28. You now have a top and bottom set. Place the top set onto the bottom set making sure theseams line up exactly. Pin liberally then sew together using a scant quarter inch seam.

29. Open your finished block and check your seams.

Do they line up to your satisfaction?

If so, press your block and admire you work!

Congratulations- youve completed your starflower block!
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If you arent satisfied with the finished product, get out your handy seam ripper and have a do-

over.

When I made these blocks, the first one didnt line up exactly even though I took the final row of

stitches out three times. And after three do overs, the red and pink are still slightly off point.
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On the second one, I paid extra close attention to the placement of my seams and it turned out

perfectly.

Either way, the blocks look fabulous and will be beautiful in a quilt!
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They would also make great pillows!

No matter what you do with these blocks, dont let small imperfections discourage you. The

more blocks you make, the more precise you will get!

Happy Sewing!

If you make one of these blocks, I would love to see it.

Please add yours to theEllison Lane Quilts Flickr Group.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/inspiredbyellisonlanequilts/http://www.flickr.com/groups/inspiredbyellisonlanequilts/http://www.flickr.com/groups/inspiredbyellisonlanequilts/http://ellisonlane.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/DSCN4418.jpghttp://ellisonlane.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/starflowertwoblocks.jpghttp://ellisonlane.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/DSCN4418.jpghttp://ellisonlane.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/starflowertwoblocks.jpghttp://www.flickr.com/groups/inspiredbyellisonlanequilts/

Starflower Block Tutorial

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