Star Gazing: How to Create Stellar Star Quilt Designs

---

What’s not to love about free star quilt patterns? Aside from the great price, they sparkle in holiday quilts, twinkle in Quilts of Valor®, and shine in traditional layouts. Plus, there is an endless variety of stars to choose from: four, five, six, and eight-pointed stars, traditional stars, modern stars, and even wonky stars!

When I play with designs in Electric Quilt, I reach for the stars first. If you also like to design star quilts, here are a few ways to incorporate them into your projects. And keep reading to the end to get some amazing free star quilt patterns from our Seeing Stars eBook.

1. Feature one star in the center of a medallion layout and add stars in the borders.

Math can be a little tricky to get decent-sized star blocks into borders. The Ohio Star blocks here are 12”, with the smaller Friendship Stars finishing at 6”.

Each plain border is 3”-wide. I like how the Nine-Patches and Hourglass blocks help frame these stars.

2. Create an on-point design with traditional star blocks.

Martha Washington’s star has a fun pinwheel in the center.

Alternating this busy star with Four-Patch blocks gives your eyes a place to rest.

3. Alternate two blocks in a horizontal setting with or without sashes.

The triangle-square units in the corners of these two variations of the Ohio Star block help create the fun diagonal that frames the stars.

What’s not to love?

4. Use a five-pointed star for a patriotic design.

These five-pointed stars are a little more complicated to piece.

But consider fusible appliquéd stars in a simple layout like this, and you’ll have a finished quilt top in no time.

---

Ready to stitch up some star quilts? Head over to our shop and browse around — you can find dozens of awesome patterns!

What’s your favorite star block?
Eileen