The folded-star quilt block is also called Somerset patchwork. Folded-star designs can be made into a square block for quilting, or made into a circle and used as a trivet. This quilt design involves overlapped layers of folded fabric, so it is important not to wash your folded stars in the washing machine. Machine washing can make the layers come unfolded, bunch up or fall open.
Things You'll Need:
- Iron And Ironing Board
- Scissors
- Measuring Tape
- Muslin Fabric, Enough For Two 10-Inch Squares
- One Yard Of Fabric With A Print
- 3/4 Yard Of Fabric In A Solid
Cut out two squares from the muslin, each 10 inches square.
Lay out the print fabric and cut out 32 squares, each 5 inches square. Also cut out two 10-inch squares.
Lay out the solid fabric and cut out 24 squares, each 5 inches square. Keep two small scraps, at least roughly 2 inches square.
Fold each 5 inches square in half with the wrong sides together. The print or solid should show on the outside.
Lay the new rectangle horizontally and fold the two top corners down to the middle. You should now have a triangle. Iron the triangle so that the folds are crisp.
Fold the muslin squares in half twice to find the middle of the square. Make a mark with a washable pen or pencil. Don't worry about it showing, as you will be covering it with other fabric.
Lay one of your solid-colored scraps down in the middle of one of your muslin squares.
Lay one of the solid-colored triangles in the middle of the muslin square, over the colored scrap. The selvage edges should be facing up, and the point should be at the center of the muslin square.
Lay three others in the middle, creating a square out of the four triangles.
Stitch the corners down where they meet in the middle. It is best to do this by hand, so the stitches don't show as much.
Measure 1/2 inch from the center point and lay a print fabric triangle down on top of the solid color. Again, make the selvage edges facing up. Repeat with the other three triangles to again create a square.
Place four more triangles in between the four you just put down. They will overlap towards the bottoms of the triangles, but that is okay. Sew down the tips.
Repeat the above steps with another layer of the solid color, making sure to sew them down 1 inch from the points. You will have eight triangles in this layer.
Repeat once more with the patterned triangles, laying down eight triangles. Sew the tips down.
Finish the block as you like, as a circular trivet or make it into a square to add to a quilt.
Writer Bio
Rebekah Martin is a freelance writer and tutor. Her work has appeared in various online publications. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Mississippi College. Martin teaches her young children at home and also teaches Sunday School to preschoolers.
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