Strip-Piecing Instructions.
Select dark and light fabrics. You need about 15" of dark and 12" of light.
Cut 5 dark strips 2 3/4" each.
Cut 4 light strips 2 3/4" each.
Make 3 stripsets:
2 stripsets: dark-light-dark
1 stripset: light-dark-light
While making stipsets offset the beginning.
Press stripsets.
Position stripsets alohng the 45 degrees line on your mat.
Cut it 2 3/4" strips of 3 diamonds.
You need to have 8 light-dark-light pieced strips and 16 dark-light-dark strips.
Position pieces as a star point.
If you do not know how, pretend you are playing a puzzle with a kid.
Stitch them together. Pin if you need to, it is not an easy seam.
You should have 8 diamond points now.
Stitch them together in pairs. Press.
They should form a perfect right angle. Square with the rotary cutter if they do not.
Stitch pairs together to for 2 samicircles. Pin if you need to.
Stitch a middle. If you like how it matches, finish the seam. If you do not, redo it.
Star is done
Now we need a setting squares/triangles.
Choose the background fabric. Audition star against the background fabric. Do you still like it?
Measure the star point. Add 1 or 2 inches. Mine came as 11". Cut 6 squares of this size. Cut 2 squares diagonally to make 4 triangles.
Position your star, squares and triangles.
You need to do the Y seam to set squares and triangles. Yuk!
You can do it! Give yourself a chocolate candy for every seam made.
Press
Lone Star (Texas Star, Bethlehem Star) is done.
My star is 34". There are several ways we can finish it:
- Add borders and make a baby quilt.
- Put 4 stars together, add sashing, add borders.
Quilt with similar design won 1933 Centennial Show in Chicago (correct me if I am wrong with dates and names).
- Experiment and come up with something even better.