Double Star Block Instructions, continued...

From our Free Quilt Block Patterns Library

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Block, Page 1

The basic patches for our Double Star block are complete. It's on to stitching up the main units.

And finally.

Assembling the block.

To complete the tutorial, you'll find variations on this design that are more complicated to construct.

While y-seams aren't that big a deal to piece, they do take more time.

I don't know about you, but there's more quilts in my head than I'll ever have time to finish.

To provide a bit of inspiration ten sample layouts are shared so you can get a feel for what a quilt made with Double Stars will look like!

Let's get 'er done!

Page 2 of the Double Star Block tutorial starts here.

Remember to Pin for later!

Looking for another Double Star design?

It's a popular name—there's several blocks called 'Double Star'. Check out this version of the block.

General Instructions

If you need help printing this page, you'll find it here.

Double Star design

Several abbreviations are used on this page. They are:

SA - seam allowance

RST - right sides together

FG - Flying Geese

3P-QST - 3 patch quarter square triangle

1/4" SA are used through this tutorial.

When instructed to press, first press the patches in the closed position just as they came off your sewing machine.

This sets the seam, melding the fibers of the threads into the fibers of the fabric.

Then press the SA to the dark unless otherwise noted.

Try my favorite pressing technique if you feel your patches are lumpy. It's simple. No special tools. Your blocks will be hollering 'Uncle!' in no time. :D

The newest quilt fabrics to tickle your fancy...

Click the images below to see the full collection. We share any commercial and/or free patterns that showcase them, too. (For inspiration, of course!)

Southwold Blue fabric collection by Sanderson for Free Spirit

Southwold Blue
Sanderson
Free Spirit

Lights On
Various RBD designers
Riley Blake

Winged Things fabric collection by Kate Colleran Designs for Island Batik

Winged Things
Kate Colleran Designs
Island Batik

Step 3: Assemble the Double Star units

Center

Make 1

Arrange two long borders, two FG and #6 center square as shown below.

With RST, stitch a FG to opposite sides of #6.

Press with SA toward the center.

With RST, stitch the rows together. Follow the pressing directions indicated by the arrows below.

Use the table below to check the accuracy of your stitching. Make any needed adjustments.

Finished Block is...	Center measures... (from edge-to-edge)
10"	4½" x 4½"
15"	6½" x 6½"
20"	8½" x 8½"

Set aside for Step 4.

Partial Stars

Make 4

Each partial star requires a long border, two FG units and a 3P-QST.

To begin, with RST sew a FG to the opposite, non-background sides of the 3P-QST.

Repeat 4 times

With RST and seams nesting, add a long border to the non-background side of the 3P-QST. Pin as needed.

Press in the direction of the blue arrow.

Check for accuracy using the table below.

Finished Block is...	Partial Stars measure... (from edge-to-edge)
10"	4½" x 3½"
15"	6½" x 5"
20"	8½" x 6½"

Step 4: Assemble the Double Star block

Arrange your sewn units and cut patches into the Double Star design shown below. The background side of the 3P-QST is toward the center.

Patches arranged in the Double Star design

My personal favorite - click here to get yours!

With RST, sew the units in each row together.

There's one particularly great benefit to paperpiecing.

If you stayed on the sewing line, there's little worry about chopping off the points of the Flying Geese with your stitching line in either the top and/or bottom rows.

I encourage you to pin match the points in the middle row where the FG and 3P-QST points meet using this technique.

My favorite pins for this technique are here.

After stitching the patches into rows, press the SA in the direction of the arrows in the photo below.

Press SA in the direction of the arrows.

Finally, with RST, stitch the rows together using the same pin-matching technique.

One final session at the ironing board and our Double Star block looks like this...

Perfect. Pointy. Perfection.

Variations on a Double Star design

You can never have too much of a good thing, right?

Other quilters thought so, too, because you'll find other patchwork designs similar to our Double Star.

County Fair or County Farm

In this first variation, two-fabric quarter square triangles have been used in place of our 3P-QST. The center Sawtooth Star is gone.

A nice design with lots of movement.

Comparable piecing time.

Stars and Cube

This patchwork designs ups the piecing time.

Y-seams are not my favorite. Not because they're hard, but because I don't make them regularly (i.e. I don't practice them).

Lack of practice slows down the sewing.

What's next?

Why turning your Double Star blocks into a quilt, that's what!

Click here to see TEN different ways to set your blocks.

Which will you choose?

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Block, Page 1

What about a different quilt block?

For a list of all the 215+ quilt block patterns on this site, start here.

If you know the name of the block, shorten your search by using these links:

A-D

E-M

N-Z

Click here if you're looking for blocks with at least some paper piecing.

Click here if you're looking for the basic building blocks of quilting, i.e., Flying Geese, half square triangles, quarter square triangles, etc., along with several techniques to make each.

And finally, use these links to find blocks in these finished sizes: