Woven Star Block Quilt

Woven Star Block Quilt

Make bold geometry and smart constructions in the Woven Star Block Quilt. This pattern was designed by Joan of CaliQuilter and is a bold look as it has sharp points and a complex design of secondary stars that are formed after the blocks are assembled. What is more brilliant though is the technique: it is a reusable freezer paper underpinning technique. It is a foolproof method of piecing with high accuracy and does not result in the type of waste and frustration that may occur with paper backing, and this makes it an ideal project to the efficiency-conscious quilter.

What Is the Woven Star Block?

The Woven Star block is a 10'' finished quilt block that is made using foundation paper piecing (FPP)- however, Joan uses freezer paper as the foundation rather than paper. Freezer paper is shiny and just grips enough to be used during stitching and the templates can be used several times.

Every block consists of two types of units named Unit A and Unit B and four blocks are included in each of the two types. Since each unit has only three seams, it is a comparatively fast method of construction of an FPP block.

How the Block Comes Together:

1. Foundation Preparation:

When you use freezer paper you do not sew through the foundation, but through the folds that answer to each seam. Apply patches of press fabric on the glossy part of freezer paper as you proceed and crease along the reference lines of the seams in order to have the seams accurate.

2. Units A and B:

• Cut fabric pieces that are a bit bigger than the areas in the pattern indicated on the pattern so each one is able to cover over the area that it is supposed to cover.

• Align the patches one on top of the other (right-sides-together) with the patch that came before and sew along an adjacent edge of the template.

• Pin and bast as required between rows of stitching.

• Such a procedure is to be repeated with four A units and four B units.

3. Block Assembly:

Sew one A and B unit together when your A and B units are complete. Sewing on the press seams are done to allow the star pattern to lie flat. Then form pairs on the top and bottom rows and then the rows are sewn together to make the block complete.

This nesting and pressing one over another of the seams, produces a hollow-like center, flattish, and spiral in effect, which disperses bulk perfectly and gives to the back of the block nearly the look of polish that the front.

Design Appeal:

• Secondary Star Effect: When you stack up several blocks of woven stars in a quilt the placement of rich colors will have a secondary star effect over the top of the quilt- a gorgeous unexpected sight.

• Scrap-Friendly: The woven star blocks are an excellent method to employ the small scraps or contrasting prints to play with colors in a dynamic manner.

• Templates that can be used over and over again: Paper used with freezer paper templates conserves paper and also ensures that repeated blocks are more uniform.

Tips for Success:

• Proper Cutting: Cut the pieces of fabric slightly bigger than you need to be sure that you do not run out of fabric to cover the seams.

• Careful Pressing: To make the freezer paper straight and in line with your sewing lines, fold the paper along seam lines, then stitch.

• Color Placement: Use dark and light contrasts to dramatic stars, a tonal palette would create a lighter woven look.

The Woven Star Block Quilt is an exquisite piece of the combination of traditional star quilt design and accurate imaging with piecing. This block is versatile and aesthetic regardless of whether you are creating a sampler quilt, wall hanging or a large bed quilt. Freezer paper is also a better material to use with foundation piecing and also makes it easier and more fun, particularly when using repeat blocks.

Ready to Give It a Try?

🎁 Claim Your Free PDF Woven Star Block Quilt PATTERN Here. (by caliquilter.com)

Mystery Quilt Block 5

Mystery Quilt Block 5

Back to school quilting! We've hit the half way point and are now officially in block 5 of The Mystery Quilt designed by the super talented Monique Dillard at Open Gate Quilts. After four blocks, the design is really getting the momentum going. As you see all those finished blocks piling up, you must be getting excited. Our quilt top gets a bit of crazy geometry in Block 5, while practicing our piecing techniques and inspiring our creativity.

Technical Focus: Managing Bias Edges and Point Precision.

Monique Dillard's designs are a favorite for their use of traditional shapes and Block 5 is a brilliant example of the handling of fine bias edges. This week we're working with units with diagonal seams. Cutting on the bias (the diagonal grain) creates very stretchy and warping fabric. With a little bit of pulling, you can upset your whole block size.

It's more critical than ever to have a strict $1/4"-wide seam allowance with these units. When you join your triangles and squares, accurate seams will mean that the vertices will always be $1/4$” from the raw edge. This ensures your lovely points will not be lost when we put the entire quilt top together!

Information on success tips for Block 5.

For a clear, easy-to-navigate point setup and relaxing sewing time, here are three key habits to implement this week at your sewing station:

• Starch Before You Cut: If you should not have done so already, starch or use an alternative starch on your fabrics before cutting. This ensures that the bias fibers are not stretched and remain stable.

• Handle With Care: When transferring your cut pieces from your cutting mat to your sewing machine, handle gently. Don't pull or tug the bias edges.

• To keep your raw edges from shifting out of alignment under the presser foot, pin the Critical Intersections: Align your raw edges and place a pin exactly where your seams meet.

Final Thoughts

Block 5 is a really nice step up and a beautiful rhythmic piece for our mystery layout. Each completed block steps us one step closer to the unveiling of Monique's great vision!

Full Post: Mystery Quilt Block 5 Free PDF Pattern

Mystery Quilt Block 4

Mystery Quilt Block 4

Hi, Quilters! Welcome back, my quilting friends! We are half way through our creative trip on The Mystery Quilt, the design made by the amazing Monique Dillard of Open Gate Quilts. Did you realize that we have already completed Block 4? This is an enormous achievement in our 8 block journey. After the first three blocks, your custom color palette is beginning to start taking shape. The quilt top will be a beautiful anchor in Block 4 with a balance of geometry to wrap the top of the quilt with the exciting blocks still to come.

The class will focus on training and developing skills in symmetrical alignment. Technical Training Focus: Symmetrical Alignment.

In Block 4, one can see a lot of the mathematical work done by Monique Dillard. This block is all about beautiful symmetry; crisp corner units and precise angles. Symmetry is beautiful, but requires extreme precision to put together. Just a slight change in your seam allowance can compound as the garment progresses, so that your final piece of fabric is warped or slightly undersized.

This week it is especially rewarding to consider your value contrast. When using accent prints, make sure to choose your background fabrics that are lighter (or darker) than your accent to make the motif stand out to add so much depth to your block.

Success tips for Block 4:

Try these 3 helpful practices in your sewing space to ensure your sewing session is accurate, relaxing and fun:

• Seem units that include more than one intersection, use fine, sharp pins to pass through the intersecting seams, so they do not dislodge under the presser foot.

• Measure twice, cut once: Double check ruler on cut before making cuts. It's much easier to match your corners if you have accurate starting pieces.

• Keep Seams Flat: Smooth out any seams in alternating directions to "nest" them or smooth them out open so they do not build up where several seams meet.

Final Thoughts

Finished with Block 4, it's officially halfway to our last reveal! These complicated blocks take shape little by little, and are so satisfying!

What are your colors doing at the halfway point? Did you keep to your initial fabric plan or have you made any changes mid-way through the project? Please comment below!

Full Post: Mystery Quilt Block 4 Free PDF Pattern

Mystery Quilt Block 3

Mystery Quilt Block 3

It's back to another fun quilt for The Mystery Quilt - beautifully designed by Monique Dillard from Open Gate Quilts! We're now at Block 3 and the artistic flow really is gathering. You've finished two blocks and have a good foundation and you are beginning to create a lovely story with your fabrics. The design starts to change in block 3, as geometric motifs are added to create beautiful structure and visual rhythm in our mysterious layout.

Focusing on technical skills and value play.Emphasis on value and precision play.

The patterns that Monique Dillard creates are adored for their mathematical precision and Block 3 is a delightful demonstration of her signature method of construction. Our main technical task for this week is the clean and consistent piece of highly consistent angles. No matter what kind of pattern you are following, whether it is half square triangles, flying geese, or corner square units, you have to be very careful when handling your points so you will have a professional looking finish.

Value contrast continues to be our best friend. If you're going to be doing a mystery quilt (one you can't see how the blocks will lay together yet), it's important that you have a good separation between your light background fabrics and your rich medium or dark prints. The crisp intersections that we sew today will make the final secondary patterns stand out when the top is finished.

Success Tips for Block 3

Relax and make your sewing session very rewarding by trying to do these 3 things at your cutting mat and sewing machine:

• In this block, with many little pieces coming together, it is important to leave a scant 1/4 inch seam so that your blocks don't shrink.
  
  
• Press seams moderately with little dragging and pulling of the iron. Too much stretching will lead to distortion of bias edges, which will make it hard to get your units aligned.
  
  
• Group Pre-cut Pieces by Unit Type: Keep your pre-cut pieces in clusters on your design board in order to avoid confusion when chain piecing.

Final Thoughts

This is a very cute continuation of our quilting journey and a chapter we are very excited about. It provides just enough technical information to keep the reader interested, but no more than is necessary to get you the really satisfying results.

How is the building of your blocks progressing? Do you have a definite palette, or did you include an unexpected "scrap" fabric? Share in the comments below!

Full Post: Mystery Quilt Block 3 Free PDF Pattern

Mystery Quilt Block 1

Mystery Quilt Block 1

Welcome to the official start of our very exciting adventure of The Mystery Quilt, beautifully created by the wonderful Monique Dillard, of Open Gate Quilts! It's the one thing that you just won't find anywhere else: The unique thrill of a mystery quilt-along. The excitement of selecting a harmonious color scheme, painstakingly cutting into your favourite prints and then tackling the initial few seams without having an idea of the overall design is pure heaven in quilting. Let's get down and dirty and learn all about Block 1 in order to get your project started with confidence.

Make sure that you have a solid foundation to ensure you have a good start.

Block 1 is the introduction to this 8-block mystery game, and is focused on setting the rhythm and learning the basic units. Monique Dillard is known throughout for her beautiful traditional designs using clever and highly efficient piecing techniques.

The design is strongly focused on creating a good value contrast between the fabrics in this first part. Since the final arrangement is still kept secret, it is crucial to make the right placements of your light, medium and dark fabrics at this stage. The structural units that are pieced in this block, create amazing secondary patterns when pieced with upcoming blocks; the accuracy at this stage is of utmost importance.

Block 1 Success – Top Tips

Here are some key tips for the sewing machine to make sure your first block is nicely square and will nest correctly in the future:

• Test your seam allowance: Chain-piece your units but make a quick test piece to ensure that you are getting an exact and scant 1/4-inch seam.

• Starch for Stability: If you use a crisp fabric starch before cutting, you will create extra stability to your pieces and prevent any small triangles or bias edges from getting stretched out of shape.

• Keep Your Background Strips and Accents Organized: Label them with small labels or sticky notes so they're easy to find and separate.

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Mystery Quilt Block 1 is available for a free download from AllPeopleQuilt:

Mystery Quilt Block 1 FREE PDF PATTERN by AllPeopleQuilt.

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Final Thoughts

Block 1 is the ideal introduction to the thoughtfully designed approach of Monique. It helps you develop confidence in your building skills, get your hands on the fabric that you want to use and gives you a great head start on the other seven steps.

Mystery Quilt Block 2

Mystery Quilt Block 2

Back to the Quilting Friends! With Block 1 laid down we now need to move forward in our creative journey through The Mystery Quilt designed by the great Monique Dillard of Open Gate Quilts. Block 2 is actually the beginning of the momentum in any mystery quilt. We're starting to see how our chosen fabrics are working together and the mystery has begun to deepen in the most gorgeous way.

Moving Design Elements:

Monique Dillard is known for her ingenious methods of construction, while Block 2 turns the spotlight to precision units that convey motion and geometry within the design. We are going to stress value placement a whole lot this week! Since we aren't sure what the finished top will look like, what will really be the key to making this block (and finished quilt) pop will be ensuring a crisp contrast between your light background fabrics and your rich medium or dark prints.

This block is a beginning of units demanding continuous cutting and flawless seam alignment. Monique's patterns may employ clever over-sized sewing technique, and then cut to size later. It is a fantastic method to guarantee the most ideal points each time, even with intricate angles.

To get the best out of Block 2:

Here are three helpful practices to put into place at the cutting table and sewing machine to make this second block sewing a fun and relaxing experience:

• Use a Specialty Ruler: When working with half-square or quarter-square triangles, a trimming ruler like Monique's signature “Fit to Be” Rulers will save you time and effort in getting things square.

• Keep Your Pieces Organized: When cutting, place your pieces on a design board or a piece of batting to see the value match-up before sewing.

• Pay attention to the pressing directions in the pattern: Press to Nest. Your seams will be pressed in alternate directions, which will make it very easy to nest your units.

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Mystery Quilt Block 2 is available for a free download from AllPeopleQuilt:

Mystery Quilt Block 2 FREE PDF PATTERN by AllPeopleQuilt.

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Final Thoughts:

Block 2 is a great next step in our Mystery Quilt Journey. It is a challenge to our precision just enough to keep us engaged and yet gives us gorgeous and sharp points.

Do your points match up nicely, or do you need to make a little bit of adjustment? Please share in the comments below and share how you are enjoying your fabric with us!