The Friendship Star block is a classic that combines simple techniques to create a beautiful star pattern. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how to make a four-patch block. (Read that post HERE.) The friendship star is a beginner friendly block that teaches another new technique that you will use over and over in piecing. Sewing a four-patch was all straight lines. A friendship star throws in a few angles.
Why I’m Qualified
Hi, I’m Mary Beth Krapil, Handi Quilter National Educator. I’ve been making quilts for more than 40 years! I love to piece and applique. But I’ve got to be honest, quilting on the longarm machine is my favorite part of the entire process of making a quilt. You can’t get to the most fun part til you have a quilt top to quilt. So today I’ll share the steps to sew a friendship star block with all of you, my quilty friends.
Friendship Star Block
The four-patch consisted of 4 units or patches. The friendship star consists of 9 units. We call that a nine-patch.
Diagram of a Friendship Star block
Five of the units (#1, 3, 5, 7, 9) are simple fabric squares, just like the four-patch. The other four units (#2, 4, 6, 8) are half square triangles, also known as HST.
Diagram of a half square triangle
Half square triangles consist of two triangle patches.
Diagram of two triangle patches.
Half square triangles are used so many times in creating different blocks in quilting! Knowing the best way to sew HST is a must-have skill. So let’s get busy and celebrate friendship by making this fun block.
Supplies Needed
- Sewing machine (or go old school and use a needle and thread)
- Iron – for pressing seams flat
- Rotary Cutter, Ruler, and Mat – You can use scissors but accuracy is important in quilting. Invest in rotary cutting supplies. Worth every penny!
- Fabric – You need a minimum of two contrasting fabrics. One for the background, and one for the star. You can get creative with your friendship star blocks by using a third fabric for the center of your star or even take it further using more fabrics in each block. But the basic block requires two fabrics.
- Thread – a neutral thread works great for piecing. I like grey and use a light grey for lighter fabrics and a darker grey for darker fabrics. My preference is a cotton 50 wt thread like Superior’s PIMA or Connecting Threads’ Essential.
Step #1 – Cutting
This is the first step in creating an accurate block. Always measure and cut your fabric carefully to ensure your blocks come out the correct size. If you are off on your cutting, you have little-to-no chance of consistently making a block that comes out the right size and square! Use your rotary cutter, ruler, and mat to cut some squares. Measure twice, cut once.
Cutting Sizes
- You need 4 squares all the same size for your background (the sky behind the star). In the diagram above they are patches 1, 3, 7, and 9. Note: your star fabric and background fabric should have high contrast so that your star points stand out from the background. You can accomplish this using color and/or value.
- The size of your squares depends on the finished block size you desire. My finished block will be 12 inches. That is the size it will be when sewn into the quilt. The unfinished size measures 12.5 inches. The extra half inch is the seam allowance (1/4 inch all the way around). To figure the size of your fabric squares, take the desired finished size of your block. Divide it by 3 and add 1/2 inch. So in my case, 12 divided by 3 = 4, plus 1/2 = 4.5. Therefore, I need four 4.5 inch squares for my background.
- You need one center square the same size, in my block 4.5 inches. The #5 center yellow square in the diagram. This can be the same fabric as the star points or get creative and use a different fabric.
- To make the four HST units I cut two 5 inch squares of background fabric (white in the diagram) and two 5 inch squares of the star fabric (pink in the diagram). A simple formula to follow is to add 1” to the finished size of your HST. There are many charts online that tell you what size square to cut to make HST. You can Google it. Or just add 1 inch to the finished size needed.
You should have:
- 2 larger background squares
- 2 larger star-point squares
- 4 smaller background squares
- 1 center square
Step #2 – Create the Star Points (HST)
To make the half square triangles that form the star points, we will use the “two-at-a-time half square triangle” technique. Here’s how:
- Draw a diagonal line from one point to the opposite point on each of the larger background squares.
Marking a line from corner to corner on a fabric square with a pencil
- Match up a background square with a star point square, right sides together.
Placing a light square and a dark square together for sewing.
- Stitch 1/4 inch on both sides of the line you drew.
Sewing 1/4 inch next to the drawn line
- After sewing on both sides of the line, cut along the drawn line. You now have 2 identical half square triangle units.
Cut on the drawn line after sewing on both sides of the line.
- Press the seam allowance to the darker side.
- The resulting units will be slightly oversized.
4 oversize HST units
Step #3 – Trim the HST
- Trim the units to the appropriate size. It is important that the seam goes right into the corner points of the block. I use a nifty tool called the Bloc-Loc ruler. You can also use a regular rotary cutting ruler to do this step.
The Bloc-Loc ruler nestles up against the seam, allowing for accurate trimming.
- Place ruler and trim 2 sides.
Trim 2 sides
- Reposition the ruler (measure carefully) and trim the other two sides.
Trim the other 2 sides.
- Repeat these steps for the other two HST you need for your friendship star block.
Four perfect HST units and the slivers that were trimmed away
Step #4 – Arrange Units
Arrange the 9 units in the Friendship Star pattern. Pay close attention to the direction of the star points.
Friendship star units arranged for sewing.
I changed up two of the corner units and used fabric matching the center. The Friendship Star block is an excellent place to experiment with different fabric combinations. Try using different prints, solids, or even go scrappy! Just keep in mind the contrast needed to be able to see the star.
Friendship star with 2 corner fabrics changed up
Step #5 – Sew Rows
Sew the units together into 3 rows. Once again pay close attention to the orientation of the half square triangle units.
Three rows sewn
Step #6 – Press Seams
When sewing Friendship Star blocks, or any nine-patch type block, I press the seams so that the intersections will nest together. This will make sewing the rows together and getting corners to match so much easier! Here is how I press the seam allowances:
Arrows show the direction to press the seams of the rows.
Step #7 – Sew Friendship Star Block
Now all that’s left is to stitch the rows together and press! Do your best to match the intersections with the nesting seams.
My completed friendship star block with another on my design wall
Maybe now you can see why I wanted to change the fabric for the two corner units. That gold honey-comb fabric is going to form a secondary design within my quilt. Do you see how it turns the corner? When all the blocks are together it will look like a square frame. Fun!
The Friendship Star block is a timeless design that’s both simple and beautiful. With these easy-to-follow steps, you’ll be on your way to creating a stunning quilt full of stars and friendly love. And then get on to the BEST part, the QUILTING!
Next Steps
Check out this video for some quilting ideas:
Watch the quilting ideas video on YouTube
And this Minute Motif for a cute star quilting design:
Watch the star Minute Motif on YouTube
And this blog post about another kind of star quilt:
The Quilting: Seeing Stars Quilt Along
Hope you enjoy making Friendship stars and remember to Quilt Every Day!
by Mary Beth Krapil