Star Quilt Block Pattern

by Nell Mathern
(Jacksonville, OR)

Question

I have a photo of a star quilt block that I would love to identify.

I've tried searching for "Star" blocks, but nothing comes up that looks like my "Star" pattern.

The fabric in my photo looks 80's, so it's not a new pattern.

Any help would be appreciated. I'd like to make this block.

Reply

I've found two star quilt block patterns that are close relatives of this block.

The first is in the book "5500 Quilt Block Designs" by Maggie Malone on page 123.

Block 1642 is named "Star Bound". It looks like it was published in Quilters Newsletter magazine in 1990. This is what it looks like:



I found another variation of this block in Jinny Beyer's "The Quilter's Album of Patchwork Patterns" on page 160.

It's called simply 'Star' and appeared in "The Perfect Patchwork Primer" published in 1973. As you can see below, the square is on point behind the star and does not weave through the star points. It looks like this:



Notice that in both blocks above, all the points touch the outside edges of the block.

However, in the pictures you've provided, only the points of the square touch the outside edges. The star points do not.

So I have drafted the block in EQ7 from your pictures (by the way, I LOVE EQ) and this is what I'm calling Nell's Star.



I will be posting a 8" paper piecing pattern for this block in the next day or two and will leave the link to it here on this page. I will also post a set of templates for this block, again for an eight inch finished block. I want to double check the measurements, etc., before I make them live on the website.

Thank you for your question. I hope this helps...if you need a size other than 8 inches, do let me know through the 'comment' link just below.

Piecefully,

Julie Baird
Editor