May 2002 Block Party!

The Tessellating Star is a block pattern that is very simple, yet has a great look. And if you love star blocks, then I am sure this one catches your eye!

If you examine the tessellating star block carefully, you notice that there is only one block (which is called a "mini-block" in this page of instructions) needed to make this pattern. However it takes four (4) of these mini-blocks to make the larger block that forms the tessellating star, shown below.

Although the center strip of this block looks as though it might take some fancy manipulating to piece, the method that is going to be used is one that makes it fast and simple.

One final thought. If you are unfamiliar with the meaning of "tessellating", it is best described as saying that it is a pattern that repeats throughout the entire design, leaving no space that is not part of the tessellation. If you look closely at one of the pictures of an entire quilt made from this pattern, you can see how this repeating design works by noticing that once the larger blocks are all sewn together, the background (white in the example) also forms the same pattern as the star (purple print in the example). This is a tessellating pattern.

This block is made from two fabrics: A background fabric, called Fabric A, and the fabric that forms the star, called Fabric B. Samples of these two fabrics are below:

INSTRUCTIONS
The first step is to make the center strip. When finished, it looks like the diagram at the right, so begin by picking up two of the cut pieces: The Fabric A 2" x 3.5" strip and the Fabric B 2" x 3.5" strip.
Place the background, Fabric A, right sides up on a flat surface. Next, place Fabric B face down (so that the right sides of both fabrics are together) on top of Fabric A, at a 90 degree angle. Refer to the diagram at the right for an illustration of how this would look. It is very important to note two things about the illustration at the right: 1) The purple print is not face down in the picture so that you can see which fabric it is, but it must be face down when you place this on top of the background fabric, 2) The purple print is not lined up with the right edge of the background fabric in the first picture simply because I wanted you to see the placement. When you line it up evenly, it should form the 90 degree angle and be flush, as in the second picture to the right.
On the wrong side of the Fabric B, the purple print, draw a diagonal line from the top left corner down to the bottom right corner of Fabric A. Refer to the illustration at the right to see the diagonal line placement. The red line indicates where the drawn line would go.
The diagonal line drawn in step 3 is also the sewing line. Sew from one corner to the other corner on the diagonal line. Remember, your fabrics should be right sides together and you should be sewing on the wrong side of Fabric B!
Check the accuracy of your sewing in step 4 by opening the pieced unit out. When laying flat, Fabric A and Fabric B should form one continuous strip and be even. It looks like the illustration at the right. Note: If you want to trim the excess fabric from the back side to reduce bulk, feel free to do so. However, some people find that by leaving it, it helps to keep the strip straight and not become distorted. Press the seam toward the darker fabric.
Next, lay out the three strips that are going to form one mini-block: Fabric B strip, the pieced strip shown in step 5, and the Fabric A strip. Refer to the illustration at the right. Then, sew these three strips together, using a scant 1/4" seam allowance. There are no seams to match! Press the seams away from the center strip.
Make four of the mini-blocks, then lay them out as illustrated at the right.
Next, assemble the block into two rows, as illustrated at the right. Press the top row's seam toward the right (toward the purple strip) and press the bottom row's seam the opposite direction, which would also be toward the purple strip. By pressing in opposite directions, you ensure that the block will "snug" together when it comes time to join the two rows.
Lastly, complete the block by sewing the two rows together, being careful to match the center seams by snugging them together. A sample quilt using this pattern is shown at the right. If you click on the image, it enlarges it.
Click here if you're curious as to what this quilt would look like using a dark background, rather than a light one! Click here if you'd like to see the first few finished by Patty, from California! Here is a quilt made by Peggy, ID, using noodles swapped in 2006. Congratulations on finishing this block the fast and easy way!