- Background (muslin)
- Medium (goldenrod)
- Dark (indigo)
- Accent (madder red)
Block No. 02 · Star
Ohio Star Quilt Block
Also known as Variable Star, Eight Point Star, Lone Star (regional)
Part of: Star Quilt BlocksQuilt Blocks For Beginners
The Ohio Star quilt block pattern belongs to the long tradition of pieced star designs in American quilting. Its hourglass units surround a central square, creating the distinctive points without diamond-shaped patches.
- Level
- Confident Beginner
- Grid
- 3 × 3
- Pieces
- 21
Chart
Cutting for a 12" block
3 × 3 grid. All cuts fall on 1/8" ruler marks. Unfinished block: 12 1/2".
| Fabric | Shape | Cut | Size | Then | Pieces used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | Square | 4 | 4 1/2" square | Use as cut | 4 |
| Background | Quarter-square triangle | 1 | 5 1/4" square | Cut twice diagonally (4 triangles each) | 4 |
| Medium | Quarter-square triangle | 1 | 5 1/4" square | Cut twice diagonally (4 triangles each) | 4 |
| Dark | Quarter-square triangle | 2 | 5 1/4" square | Cut twice diagonally (4 triangles each) | 8 |
| Accent | Square | 1 | 4 1/2" square | Use as cut | 1 |
Method
Piecing steps
Step 1: Cut 4 background corner squares and 1 accent center square at 4 1/2".
Step 2: Cut the quarter-square triangle parents listed in the chart: 1 background, 1 medium and 2 dark squares. Cut each square twice on both diagonals to yield 4 triangles; handle the bias edges gently.
Step 3: Make each star-point unit: sew a dark triangle to a background triangle and a dark triangle to a medium triangle along short edges, keeping the dark triangle on the same side each time. Press toward the dark.
Step 4: Join the two halves along the long diagonal edge, nesting the center seams, so the background triangle sits on the outer edge and the medium triangle points toward the block center. Make 4 units.
Step 5: Trim each quarter-square triangle unit to 4 1/2", keeping the center intersection at the exact middle.
Step 6: Lay out three rows: corner, star point, corner / star point, center, star point / corner, star point, corner. Sew rows, pressing toward the plain squares.
Step 7: Sew the rows together, pinning at the star point tips. The block should measure 12 1/2".