Let’s sew together this variation of the Crowned Star quilt block. It is a very pretty traditional block that uses half-square triangles, modified flying geese, and snowball units. The original block appeared in Stitch ‘n Sew Quilts but I altered the block a bit to make it easier to piece. Let’s get sewing!
Fabric Requirements for a 14″ Finished Crowned Star Variation Quilt Block:
- Light/White: 10 – 3″ squares, and 4 – 2.5″ squares
- Medium/Red: 2 – 4″ squares, and 4 – 2″ squares
- Medium/Blue: 1 – 4.5″ square, 4 – 3.5″ x 4.5″ rectangles, and 2 – 4″ squares
- Dark/Blue: 8 – 3.5″ squares, and 10 – 3″ squares
Sewing Directions:
Snowball Unit:
Step 1:
Using the Medium/Blue 4.5″ square and the four Medium/Red 2″ squares, sew together a Snowball unit. You can see the steps in the picture below and you can find my detailed tutorial for making a basic Snowball block at https://quiltembroiderypdf.com/how-to-sew-a-basic-snowball-block
Step 2:
You can see the finished unit in the picture below.
Half Square Triangle Units:
Step 3:
Using the picture below for reference, piece together two Half Square Triangle units using a Light/White 3″ square and a Dark/Blue 3″ square. Trim units to 2.5″ square. You will find a detailed tutorial for making a basic Half Square Triangle block at https://quiltembroiderypdf.com/how-to-sew-a-basic-half-square-triangle-block
Step 4:
Repeat Step 3 for a total of 20 White/Blue Half Square Triangle units.
Step 5:
Repeat Step 3 only using the Medium/Blue 4″ squares and Medium/Red 4″ squares for a total of four Blue/Red Half Square Triangle units. Trim units to 3.5″ square.
Modified Flying Geese Units:
Step 6:
Using two Dark/Blue 3.5″ squares and a Medium/Blue 3.5″ x 4.5″ rectangle, make a Modified Flying Geese unit. The construction of the unit is basically the same as a regular Flying Geese block, just the size of the patches are different. For a detailed step-by-step tutorial for making a basic Flying Geese block, check out my blog post at https://quiltembroiderypdf.com/how-to-sew-a-basic-flying-geese-block. In the picture below you can see the first four steps.
- Mark a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of the Dark/Blue squares.
- Sew a Dark/Blue square to the Medium/Blue rectangle along the marked line (top left image)
- Match the corners of the Dark/Blue square and press (top right image).
- Trim away the excess seam allowance (bottom left image).
- Refold (bottom right image).
Step 7:
Repeat Step 6 with the other Dark/Blue square.
Step 8:
Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for a total of four Modified Flying Geese units as shown in the picture below.
Star Unit:
Step 9:
Lay out the Center unit, the Red/Blue Half Square Triangles, and the Modified Flying Geese units as shown below. From here the block goes together like a basic Nine Patch block.
Step 10:
Sew the units together into three rows as shown.
Step 11:
Press the seam allowances toward the Modified Flying Geese units as shown in the picture below.
Step 12:
Sew the three rows together. (This would make a pretty block all by itself.)
Step 13:
Press the seam allowances away from the center.
Strip Units:
Step 14:
- Lay out four White/Blue Half Square Triangles and a Light/White 2.5″ square in a row (top image).
- Sew the units into a strip (middle image).
- Press the seam allowances toward the center (bottom image).
Step 15:
Repeat Step 14 for a total of four strips.
Putting It All Together:
Step 16:
Lay out the Star unit, the four Strip units, and four White/Blue Half Square Triangles as shown in the picture below.
Step 17:
Sew the units together into three rows as shown.
Step 18:
Press the seam allowances toward the strip units.
Step 19:
Sew the three rows together and…
Step 20:
Press the seam allowances away from the center of the block as shown in the picture below. All done!
Layout Options:
Here’s a basic 4 x 4 layout. It’s a little busy for my taste.
This example adds in sashing and cornerstones to highlight the blocks.
For this one I used an alternating Hourglass block.
Here I used a chain block for the alternating block.
And this one is a basic on-point layout.
And here’s the on-point layout but using the chain block in between the Crowned Star block. I think this is my favorite!
