Hello October!
This week I felt like starting some little scrap stars for fall. Care to join me?? I uploaded the pattern for these cute little stars made with scrappy fall colors to my Facebook group Kathleen Tracy Quilts. Look for it in the Files section. I'll also upload it to my website (www.countrylanequilts.com) as a free pattern.
Basically, you'll be using 1 1/2" squares and 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles to make the 4" x 4" finished blocks. It's a fun little block and you can easily set a few of them into a small quilt.
I like to press some of my connecting seams open for less bulk. And I also do this when sewing the rows together.
I will sometimes get questions about how to make sure star points are not cut off when sewing these types of blocks. The problem is that you are sewing into the seam allowance. Try this - See where those flying geese triangles overlap above? Make sure you leave 1/4" when you trim - that's your seam allowance and it will give you nice points (see the ones sewn on the sides) that are not cut off when you sew the rows together.
Make your flying geese unit with crossed seams by sewing a square on both sides of a rectangle. Make sure you have 1/4 " at top, above the triangle. This is your seam allowance. Do not trim this off.
Here's the back of the same unit with the crossed seams. The drawn line shows where to sew when attaching this to another piece (underneath). Sew with this piece on top so you can see the crossed seam. Where you sew on the crossed seam (where the stitches meet and form an X) determines whether your points will be cut off. If you sew above the line, or slightly to the right, you'll get nice points. If you sew BELOW the line, past the X, your points will be cut off. You may want to place a pin here where the seams meet.
Viola! I sewed on the line and did not sew past the X and got a Perfect point!
Do the same thing with your unfinished star block - leave 1/4" all around and no star points will be cut off when you sew the blocks together.
Have fun making a few little star blocks and use up some of those those scraps!!
My go-to box of 1 1/2" scrap squares . . .
Have a fun weekend!
-Kathy 💗
