Swirling Lone Star Quilt

NOTE The April-May 2025 class is cancelled.  Will be rescheduled for a different time slot.

“Lone Star, Bethlehem Star, Blazing Star---by any name this glorious quilt pattern has captivated quilters for generations… Quilters have been entranced by stars for as long as they have been putting needle to fabric. This geometric design, filled with movement, showcases a quilter’s skill as well as her fabric collection. Tiny diamonds of blazing color, any color, can create radiance unlike any other patchwork patterns.” Helen Frost and Blanche Young, All Star Quilts. 
The center star is approximately 60” x 60” and that can be the completed size of the quilt. You can plan a larger quilt by adding borders. The 8 large diamonds that make up the ‘arms’ of the star are strip-pieced, i.e., fabric strips are cut and sewn together. Each large diamond is made up of 6 rows of 6 diamonds each, i.e., a 6x6 grid. 8 different fabrics are used for the star. The quilt can be constructed with or without Y-seams, based on how you choose to design the background that surrounds the star; more about that in the first class.

In the first class session you will need the 8 fabrics to make the star because we will be jumping right into layout, cutting and sewing. Click here for the Fabric Requirements list. Because the strips for the star will be cut 2 ½” wide, you can choose to use a 40-strip jelly roll, but choose carefully. See comments on the Fabric Requirements List.  Click here for supplies to bring to the first class.

Fabrics for the background that surrounds the star and fabrics for optional borders, can be purchased after the first class session. If you have questions about the background design and/or size of borders, those can be discussed in the first class.

In the class sessions, along with work at home, the quilt top will be constructed and ‘sandwiched’, ready to quilt. In the last class we will discuss ideas and tips for quilting and finishing the quilt.

In the quilt shown in the photo below, the corner blocks are paper pieced. The borders are 4” wide. The inner red and gold accents are folded-fabric inserts. The star in this quilt is made as a 4x4 grid, i.e., the diamonds within each star arm are larger than we will be making in this class.

We will have lots of fun in the class, learn a lot about our sewing machines, learn how to sometimes salvage mistakes by turning them into creative opportunities, and we learn a lot from each other as well as from the fuddy-duddy old instructor.  I hope you will come join the class.

Questions: contact Susan at debonair2@bellsouth.net or 704-674-4391.

Note that I communicate about the class via email.   Please be sure your email address is correct.  You might want to add my email address to your contacts to help ensure that my emails do not go to spam.

Classes are small; limited to 6 people.  If a class is full, you can send me an email with your name and email address, to be notified when new classes are scheduled. Please read about our class policies at the bottom of the Class List webpage.

Susan is an award-winning quilter who has been sewing all her life making garments, quilts, slipcovers, home decor and more.  She has been embroidering by machine since the mid-1980s.  She is trained on Pfaff, Viking and BabyLock machines, is certified to teach Pfaff/Viking software, is a licensed Sulky teacher and has been published in THREADS magazine.