Stardance Free Quilt Pattern

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Star Dance Free Quilt Pattern

Perfect for the beginner, this very easy quilt will make up very quickly and be ready for that special event. Substitute your favorite colors for the ones suggested here - this would look great in Amish colors! These directions make a crib sized quilt, 48 X 60.

You will need:

Pink: 1 1/4 yards

Purple: 1 3/4 yds

Yellow: 1 yds

Green: 1 yds

Start by making the pink and purple hourglass units: Make a test block first. From scraps, cut two squares exactly
5 1/4" X 5 1/4", one from a dark scrap and one from a light. On the wrong side of the light colored square, lightly draw diagonal lines from corner to corner in BOTH directions with a soft lead pencil. This is not your stitching line! This is your cutting line. Stitch 1/4" on both sides of one of the cutting lines.

Cut apart on the drawn line. Press seam to the dark. Now match them up again, right sides together, alternating the light and dark so the seams "nest". On the light side, half of the drawn line will be visible. Draw the line on the dark side so it continues on the diagonal to the corner.

Once again, stitch 1/4" on BOTH sides of the diagonal line. Cut these apart and you should have two hourglass blocks. Press and measure. If your quarter inch seam is precise, they will measure exactly 4 1/2".

To make the 12 hourglass blocks needed, you will need to cut two 5 1/4" strips from both the pink and the purple fabric by the width of the fabric. Cut these again into 5 1/4" X 5 1/4" squares. You should be able to get 8 squares from each strip, depending on the width of the fabric. Follow the directions above to get the 12 hourglass blocks. Press, measure, cut to exactly
6 ½ X 6 ½ if necessary, and set aside.

Here is a tip to get a precise 1/4" seam: Go to the grocery store and buy a package of moleskin, in the foot section. This is spongy stuff, about 1/8" thick, which is sticky on the bottom. Cut a small piece and place it exactly 1/4" to the right of the needle of your machine. (Use 1/4" graph paper if available to position it precisely.) If you lay your fabric along the inside of this moleskin as you feed it through the machine, your seams should be precisely 1/4" wide. To test this, sew two 4" squares together, press and measure. If they measure exactly 7 1/2", you have the moleskin in the correct place. You can use layers of masking tape instead of moleskin if you prefer.

To make the yellow/pink/purple blocks, start by making the pieced half square triangle. Cut 2 rows of 5 1/4" by the width of the fabric of both the yellow and the pink fabric. Cut these rows into (12) 5 1/4 X 5 1/4" squares of each color. Put the yellow and pink squares right sides together, and draw a diagonal line on the yellow. Stitch 1/4" on both sides of the lines. Cut apart on the drawn line and press seam to the pink. You will have 2 two-color half square triangles. When you are done, you should have 48 of these.

Cut the purple into 3 strips 5 1/4" wide by the width of the fabric. Cut these into 24 squares 5 1/4 X 5 1/4. Cut these in half on the diagonal. Match them up with the yellow and pink half square triangles you just made. Sew these together by putting the purple half square triangle on the bottom face up and the yellow/pink half square triangle face down on top, making sure the yellow triangle is on top. Sew these in a chain, always keeping the yellow on top. After you have made the first block, press it and compare it to the picture. The block should be 6 1/2" square.

You are getting there! The rest is easy.

Cut 6 rows of the yellow 5 1/4" wide by the width of the fabric. Cut these into 5 1/4 X 5 1/4 blocks.

Cut 3 rows of the green 5 1/4" wide by the width of the fabric. Cut these into 5 1/4 X 5 1/4 blocks.

Cut 3 rows of the pink 5 1/4" wide by the width of the fabric. Cut these into 5 1/4 X 5 1/4 blocks.

Once again, draw one diagonal line on the back of the yellow block. Match it to a green block, right sides together, and sew 1/4" to the side of the line. Press and measure. You should have two blocks that look like this exactly 4 1/2" square. Make 24 of these.

Once again, draw one diagonal line on the back of the yellow block. Match it to a pink block, right sides together, and sew 1/4" to the side of the line. Press and measure. You should have two blocks that look like this exactly 4 1/2" square. Make 24 of these.

Now you are ready to make the blocks. Sew the units together like this:

Make 12 of these

Make 24 of these

Sew them together so they look like the block at the top of the page. You should have 24. Press and measure. They should be exactly 12 1/2" square. Sew your 12 blocks together in 3 rows of 4 columns. Press and measure your top, this time on the diagonal. The two diagonal measurements should match. If they do, you are a great piecer!

Measure your quilt top across the middle horizontally. (It should be 36 1/2"). Cut two 2 1/2" strips of green by the actual measurement. Pin evenly along the top and bottom, easing if necessary, and sew using a 1/4" seam. Press to the border. Now measure your quilt vertically up the middle . (It should be 50 1/2"). Cut two 2 1/2" strips of green by this actual measurement. You will need to piece this border. Pieced borders look best if the seam is on a diagonal. Pin evenly along the sides, easing if necessary, and sew using a 1/4" seam. Press to the border.

Do the same thing with the purple border. This border is 4" wide, so the strip you cut should be 4 1/2" wide. This time, start with the side borders and finish with the top borders. Your quilt should end up being about 48 X 60.