Vital Statistics
Quilt size: 89in x 89in (226cm x 226cm)
Quarter-block size: 143⁄4in square (finished)
Number of blocks: 9
Setting: One centre star and eight three-quarter stars
Requirements
One jelly roll OR forty 21⁄2in strips cut across the width of the fabric
6yds (5.5m) of background fabric
3⁄4yd (65cm) of binding fabric
CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS
Background fabric
Cut eighteen strips 21⁄2in x width of fabric, for use as colour 3 in the diamonds.
Cut seven strips 95⁄8in x width of fabric. Subcut each strip into four 95⁄8in squares to make twenty-eight squares in total. Cut each square in half diagonally to form fifty-six large triangle A.
Cut five strips 7in x width of fabric. Subcut each strip into six 7in squares to make twenty-eight squares in total (two are spare). Cut each square in half diagonally to form fifty-six small triangle B.
Cut four strips 151⁄4in x width of fabric. These need to be cut into four 151⁄4in x 30in rectangles for the outer border but we would strongly suggest cutting these rectangles when ready to use them, in case your seam allowance is slightly different from ours and you need to cut them slightly larger or smaller.
Binding fabric
Cut nine 21⁄2in wide strips across the width of the fabric.
SORTING THE FABRICS
You need to divide your jelly roll into four colourways (artistic licence can be used here). Our Alison Glass jelly roll had two of each strip, which worked well. Note that colour 3 uses background fabric.
Colour 1 (black) – six strips.
Colour 2 (reds) – twelve strips.
Colour 3 (background fabric) – eighteen strips (see cutting instructions).
Colour 4 (blues/greens) – twelve strips.
Colour 5 (yellow) – six strips.
MAKING THE QUILT
Sewing the strip units
There are three different rows in each diamond and you therefore need to make three different strip units as follows.
1 Strip unit A: Sew a colour 1, colour 2 and colour 3 background strip together in the order shown in the diagram, offsetting each strip by 2in. It is important to offset the strips to avoid wasting fabric. Press seams in the direction shown. Make six of strip unit A.
2 Strip unit B: Sew a colour 2, a colour 3 background strip and a colour 4 strip together in the order shown, offsetting the strips by 2in. Press seams in the direction shown. Make six of strip unit B.
3 Strip unit C: Sew a colour 3 background strip, a colour 4 and colour 5 strip together in the order shown, offsetting by 2in. Press seams as shown. Make six of strip unit C.
Cutting the strip units
4 Take one strip unit A and turn it around 180°. Position your quilting ruler over the uneven right-hand edge, aligning the 45° line on the ruler along the bottom edge of your strip unit, and then trim the unit.
5 Rotate the strip unit 180° to start cutting your strips. Move your ruler so the 21⁄2in strip line on the ruler aligns with the 45° cut edge of the strip unit. Cut the first 21⁄2in wide segment. Continue like this to cut ten segments from the strip unit. Check every few strips to ensure you are always cutting at a 45° angle. Keep the ten segments from one strip together.
6 Repeat until all your strip units A, B and C are cut. It helps to label them A, B or C as you cut each set of segments. You will now have six separate piles with ten segments of A, B and C segments in each.
Sewing the centre star
7 Choose one pile to make your centre star and choose one A, B and C segment to make the first diamond.
8 Take a unit A segment and, with right sides together, sew it to a unit B segment. To match the seams, insert a pin through each seam to secure before sewing. You will notice that the rows are 1⁄4in out at each end but this is because you have an angled cut. It is important to check that your seams are nicely matched before sewing. You might have to unpick the first one but you will soon get the hang of it!
9 Take a unit C segment and, with right sides together, sew it to the sewn A and B units, as shown, to complete one diamond unit. Gently press open.
10 Repeat this process to make eight diamonds in total. The remaining segments in your pile will be used later to make the exploding stars.
11 Sew one large background triangle A and one small background triangle B to either side of one diamond, as shown, to make diamond A. Repeat to make four diamond A. Gently press as shown. The triangles are cut slightly larger and will overlap each side. Once sewn they need to be trimmed to size (allowing for 1⁄4in seam allowances).
12 Repeat with the four other diamonds but this time placing the small background triangle and the large background triangle on the opposite sides of the diamonds, as shown, to make four diamond B. Gently press as shown and then trim to size (allowing for 1⁄4in seam allowances).
13 Join a diamond A to a diamond B to make one quarter-block, pinning at every seam intersection to ensure a perfect match. Repeat to make four quarter-blocks.
14 You now have your centre star, but do not sew these quarter-blocks together yet.