ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A SIMPLE QUILTING BLOCK WITH A TWIST? LEARN TO MAKE THE FRIENDSHIP STAR QUILT BLOCK, A SIMPLE VARIATION ON THE CLASSIC 9-PATCH.
I think maybe the Friendship Star quilt block is my new favourite. At least this month, anyway! I’ve fallen a little bit in love with this simple but elegant variation on the classic Nine-Patch block. There’s something about the way it appears to move that I really like.
If you’re looking to add on to your quilting cache of blocks, check out the Friendship Star!
The history of the Friendship Star quilt block goes back more than a century, and it’s definitely worth reading up on. As there are so many sources and variations of the history of this block, I’m not going to choose just one to retell. But if you are interested in this block, and all quilt blocks throughout history, you’ll enjoy delving into the background.
Supplies for the Friendship Star Quilt Block
As always, we’re going to start with choosing our fabrics. Today, we’re making a 12-inch block, so you can actually make the star using just a Fat Eighth! All the pieces can be cut from yardage, Fat Eights or Fat Quarters. You’ll want to pick colours that have good contrast, which will allow the star to really shine. For some gorgeous fabric selections, be sure to visit the Fat Quarter Shop!
Here is a list of basic quilting supplies that you’ll need for this project:
- Rotary cutter and mat
- Quilting Ruler
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Iron and ironing board or pressing mat
- Pins or clips
- Fabric marker
- Spray starch – I like to use starch in this block, as we will be using the 4-at-a-time method for our HSTs and starching your fabric can keep it sturdy.
Remember to keep all your supplies organized in a Portable Sewing Room!
To see just how quickly this block comes together, be sure to check out my video tutorial here:
And remember to subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss any of my upcoming projects!
Continue reading below for the full instructions.
>> Be sure to download my FREE Friendship Star Quilt Block Sizing Guide from the Handmade Home Library! <<
Step by Step Instructions for the Friendship Star Quilt Block
These instructions are for a 12-inch block, with two fabrics. You can make star scrappy if you prefer, but mine will be based on using one fabric for the star and one fabric for the background.
For other sizes, be sure to visit the Handmade Home Library and download my Friendship Star Quilt Block Sizing Guide.
Cutting instructions:
- Star: Cut one 4 ½” square for the centre and one 7 ¼” square for the star points. We will be using the 4-at-a-time Method for making our Half Square Triangles. You can read the instructions or watch the video tutorial to learn more.
- Background: Cut four 4 ½” squares for the corners and one 7 ¼” square for the background of the star points.
We’re going to start by making our Half Square triangles. Using your two 7 ¼” squares, place them right sides together and stitch a ¼” seam around all four sides.
Make two diagonal cuts, like an X, to create your four HSTs. These are your star points. Carefully press the HSTs open, as using this method means you are cutting on the bias. The fabric can easily be distorted, which is why I like to use starch.
Trim each HST to 4 ½”. My favourite tool for this is the Block-Loc Half-Square Triangle Square Up Ruler.
The centre groove fits perfectly along the seam and the textured back keeps the ruler in place while you trim. Using a rotating cutting mat also really helps in this process.
I just love how crisp and clean these HSTs come out when I use this ruler!
Next, we’ll lay out our Star, as shown in the example below. At this point, our block is a simple Nine Patch quilt block. As shown in my video tutorial, I like to chain as many pieces as I can when assembling my block. I will stitching the centre column squares to the left column squares, and then add the right column squares after that.
Be sure to press your seams so that they will nest. I like to press my top and bottom rows to the right and my middle row to the left.
Finally, stitch your rows together to form your block. Press your block and trim to 12 ½”.
And just like that, you have a Friendship Star quilt block! It will is as easy as it sounds. The hard part is decide what to do with your blocks!
If you enjoyed the simplicity of the Friendship Star quilt block, be sure to visit these tutorials for more Essential Building Blocks of Quilting:
- Half Square Triangles
- 4-at-a-Time HSTs
- Four-Patch Quilt Block
- Nine-Patch Quilt Block
- Flying Geese Quilt Block
- Hourglass Quilt Block
Want to remember this? Save this Friendship Star Quilt Block Tutorial to your favourite Pinterest boards!
