Directions for making a Friendship Star Baby Quilt 

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Disclaimer: We try our utmost to make sure our directions are accurate. However, we cannot guarantee our instructions. Mistakes can be made! If you see an instruction that looks wrong, or there is something you do not understand. email us: info@sewvac1.com. Have fun!

You need:

6" by 24" Omnigrid acrylic ruler, rotary cutter, mat, pencil.
For background fabric you need one & one-eighth yds. of 44" or wider fabric -(gives you a little extra for shrinkage and straightening up edges); 
For the center squares and inner border: 1 1/3 yds. ( you will have a piece left over); 
For the stars themselves (gold in the picture) you need a rectangle 22" by 26". 
For second border and binding (if piecing together) 1 yd.
For backing: 1 3/4 yd (allows for shrinkage and ease);
Batting: crib batting 45" by 60"
*Note: yardage estimates are approximate. How much fabric you will need depends on how carefully you cut, how much your fabric shrinks, whether you are willing to piece your borders, etc. When in doubt, buy more!
  1. Cut 60 3½" squares in background color (purple in picture).
  2. Cut 15 3½" squares for center square of friendship star.
  3. To make half-square triangles take two rectangles of fabric about 22" by 26". One should be your background color, one your star color (yellow in picture). Place them right sides together.
  4. Now to draw what will become your cutting lines. [Choose the fabric where markings will be the most noticeable. Since you will be cutting these lines use any marker that gives you a clear line. A pencil will do.] With a very accurate ruler  Mark off six rows by five columns of 3 7/8" squares (black lines) on one side. (see diagram.)  **This is a snap with the Omnigrid 6" by 24" ruler.** The Omnigrid ruler has 1/8" markings and because you can see through it it is easy to line up each square precisely. Then with a rotary cutter and mat it will be easy to cut apart your triangles as described in step 9.
  5. Now mark diagonal lines through the center of each block (red lines) Be careful to run line through each corner angle exactly.
    Making sure your rectangles are lined up and your fabric is on grain, pin every 4" or so all over the rectangle.
  6. Sew parallel lines on each side of your diagonal lines all across the square. (If you have a 1/4" foot put the edge of the foot or guide along the diagonal line.) using a 2.5 to 3.0 mm stitch length. You may sew across the tips of adjacent triangles. The stitches are easy to remove when you cut apart the squares later. (See bottom of diagram.)
  1. Now with a rotary cutter, ruler and mat cut along horizontal and vertical lines across each row and column. Then cut diagonal lines (between each line of stitching. Voilį! You'll find You have 60 3½" squares. Iron seams to darker side.
  2. To stitch your friendship star block lay out squares as indicated in picture. Stitch squares using ¼" seams -first in rows. Then stitch rows together.  Press. "Square up" your block so that it measures 9½" square.
  3. Lay out your finished block.  Follow it as you make your others. Make 14 more squares. If you want to "speed piece": stitch the first 2 segments of each of the remaining 14 blocks continuously -with just a whisper of thread between each. Next add the third piece of the first row to each. Follow same method with rows 2 and 3. Finally sew rows 2 to row 3; and row 3 to row 2.  You've got all your 15 blocks complete.
  4. Inner border strips: Cut 2 strips 5" by 45½". Sew to each side of quilt. (Or make strips a little longer; sew and then trim to match length of quilt.) Cut 2 strips 5" by 36½". Sew to top and bottom of quilt.
  5. Outer border strips: Piece together 2 outer border strips 2½" by 54½". Sew to each side of quilt. Cut 2 strips 2½" by 40½". Sew to top and bottom of quilt.
  6. Quilt and Bind Quilt as desired. Dimensions: 40" by 58".