Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Beothuk Star Quilt Along - Construction of HSTs and HST Tips

For ease of construction, we are going to make all the HSTs in this step, no complete blocks. In two weeks we will assemble the blocks. I hope you feel free to move around the colours if you're using the kits I curated. There is no need to follow my placement!

I've tried to keep this as clear as possible with four versions going on! Each step is one heading; you simply need to find your 'version' beneath as to what to do. Email me if there are any questions. I found an error in last week's cutting. In Version 2 Fat Quarter Bundle only, I had you cut 16 turquoise squares @ 4" and you only need 12. I have fixed it now. My apologies, but this is good news if you want more turquoise in your quilt, as you will have four extra 4" squares that can be trimmed to 3 1/2" for the cornerstones.


Step 1 For all versions

Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on either side of all 48 of your background 4" squares.
Tip #1: Drawing a diagonal line
I absolutely love my Hera marker for this step. (affiliate link below, that, sadly, only works for the Amazon.ca store for me to get commission, so if you want to support a blogger, find one in your own country who is an Amazon affiliate💖 please and thank you.)

It marks the line with a crease, no mark to spritz out, easy to see. I've tried marking two at once with some success; the square beneath doesn't get as sharp a line but it's visible. With the fine, as in beautiful, and as in lighter weight, Art Gallery fabrics I'm using, I have great success marking two at once!
Of course, having a Bernina extension table with the centre, 1/4" on either side of it, and so on, lines marked into it, I make good use of that too!

Step 2 Piece the HSTs for the Evening star points and star 'frames'


Version 1 - Original Quilt: all four stars in the four quadrants are the same fabric.

Pair 32 background fabric (BG) 4" squares with 32 squares of star point fabric. In my original quilt these are the mottled navy. This will yield 64 HSTs, enough for the four Evening Stars and star 'frames'.

Piecing for all versions: Sew a scant 1/4" on either side of the diagonal drawn line.

Cut apart on the drawn line, open and press.
Tip #2: You can stack two HST units, so four layers of fabric, atop each other, lining up the sewn seams carefully on top of each other and then holding your ruler firmly on the drawn line, slice through all four layers with your rotary cutter!

You may press the seams open or to one side. Press half to the star point fabric and half to the background so the seams nest, and so you can take advantage of tip #3 timesaver.

Tip #3: Trimming to 3 1/2" square
If you press your seams to one side, you can cut your squaring time in half by trimming two HSTs at once! This technique works much like the Bloc Loc ruler. There is a ridge formed by pressing the seams to one side. Butt that ridge up against the ridge of another HST. Feel along the ridge with your fingers and wiggle the seams together. Lay them carefully down on a cutting mat, either a rotating one, or I just use my small Olfa mat. Lay your ruler atop the pair, lining up the 45° line on the seam line. Trim two sides. Rotate the little mat, being careful not to disturb the pair of HSTs. Place your ruler again and trim the final two sides. Poof! Two HSTs in the time it takes to trim one. I always trim this way, have done for several years; it takes a tiny bit of practice but it works very well. I learned it years ago on Alex Anderson's Simply Quilts TV show. You can see more photos and details of how I do this in this post and in this post.

Version 2 - Original Blogger Bundle - The four stars in the four quadrants are made of just three fabrics.
Fabric 1: Pair 8 BG fabric 4" squares with 8 squares of star point fabric. Yield: 16 HSTs.
Fabric 2: Pair 8 BG fabric 4" squares with 8 squares of star point fabric. Yield: 16 HSTs.
Fabric 3: Pair 16 BG fabric 4" squares with 16 squares of star point fabric to yield enough HSTs for two stars and star 'frames'. Yield: 32 HSTs.

Follow Piecing for Version 1.

Version 3 - Original Blogger Bundle with Extension - The four stars are all different fabrics.
Take 32 BG fabric 4" squares, and pair four sets of 8 squares with 8 squares of each of your four star point fabrics. Yield: 64 HSTs, 16 of each of the four fabrics.

Follow Piecing for Version 1.

Version 4 - New kit: two stars each of two fabrics
Fabric 1: Pair 16 BG fabric 4" squares with 16 squares of star fabric to yield enough HSTs for two stars and star 'frames'. Yield: 32 HSTs.
Fabric 2: Pair 16 BG fabric 4" squares with 16 squares of star fabric to yield enough HSTs for two stars and star 'frames'. Yield: 32 HSTs.

Follow Piecing for Version 1.

Step 3 Piece the HSTs for the inner border

I've marked the inner border so you understand where these HSTs will go.

Version 1 - Pair 12 background 4" squares with 12 inner border 4" squares. In my original quilt these are orange. Sew  a scant 1/4" on either side of the drawn line. Cut apart on the drawn line, open and press. You may press the seams open or to one side. Press half to the star frame fabric and half to the background so the seams nest. Yield: 24 HSTs.

Version 2 - Original Blogger Bundle
Half yard bundle and fat quarter bundle: follow Version 1 above, using your 12 turquoise 4" squares to make the 24 HSTs.

Version 3 - Original Blogger Bundle with Extension
Follow Version 1 above, using your 12 turquoise 4" squares to make the 24 HSTs.

Version 4 - New kit
Follow Version 1 above, using your 12 turquoise 4" squares to make the 24 HSTs.

Step 4 Piece the HSTs for the centre star that 'pops'

Version 1 - Pair 4 background 4" squares with 4 centre star 4" squares. In my original quilt these are eggplant.  Cut apart on the drawn line, open and press. You may press the seams open or to one side. Press half to the star point fabric and half to the background so the seams nest. Yield: 8 HSTs.

Version 2 - Original Blogger Bundle
As for Version 1.

Version 3 - Original Blogger Bundle with Extension
As for Version 1.

Version 4 - New kit
As for Version 1 using the yellow instead of the eggplant.

Here are my HSTs. The two pinks will be the Evening Stars, the yellow is the 'pop' centre star and the turquoise forms part of the inner border. I am in LOVE with how this is coming together!
Full disclosure: I have a few a lot more, HSTs to make!

You can still get this kit from Bernie at Needle & Foot Fine Fabrics. (no affiliation) Click the photo below to go directly to the listing. There is still the Blogger Bundle extension available, and I believe very limited amount of the original November Blogger Bundle. The yardage for the background, which I just love, is also still available.

Also I have another sponsor for final prizes! Tish of The Madd Quilter is offering one winner a choice of a PDF pattern of hers!

The winner of a charm pack of 40 charm squares of Limoncello by Greta Lynn for Kanvas Studio is Diann of Little Penguin Quilts. 👏👏

While FaceTiming with my grandson Brady last night, I asked him to pick a number between 1 and 11, the number of people who linked up two weeks ago. He chose 6 which was Diann. This is the fabric line I used when I designed a Log Cabin Block with a twist for the last issue of Modern by the Yard for Benartex, which you can still get for a little bit longer at their blog, Sew in Love With Fabric. A new issue is coming out very soon (and I may have insider info!)


Linking up
Sew Fresh Quilts

9 comments:

  1. Hi Sandra! Thanks for the info for this week. I wanted to use your Amazon link, but it takes me to Amazon Canada. Can you share one for your US friends please?? I've been meaning to get a Hera marker for ages and your link reminded me to it right now. Thank you!! ~smile~ Roseanne

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  2. Thanks, Sandra. Perhaps today I should pull out my fabrics and get them cut? Haha. I've been entertaining a few squirrels this week -- surprised? Haha. Time to hand the squirrels some nuts and get down to real business!

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  3. If I'm not mistaken, each HST pair is made with one 4" background square and one 4" square of one of the other fabrics? So if a body matched all the background 4-inchers to another fabric it would all work out. I had hoped so, since a body MAY have already started such a matching and stitching. Ahem.

    Your method for trimming two at a time is new and interesting! I do like my Bloc-Loc ruler, and am considering buying an Easy Angle ruler to try that method of pre-trimming.

    How cute that you used Brady as a random number generator! Congrats to Diann on winning the prize :)

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  4. I love my hera marker and use it all the time. Two HST's at a time a great time saver.

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  5. So glad to have the next clue. Congratulations to Diann. Will start sewing this afternoon with two other friends (maybe three). This is going to be so fun. Now I just have to be sure my brain is awake!!

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  6. Thanks for the trimming tip! I just bought a small rotating mat, so I’m excited to try it.

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  7. Thank you again for picking me to win the charm pack, Sandra! That will be fun to play with. I never would have thought to use my hera marker to mark the HsTs - thanks for the tip! I just used it this afternoon and it worked great.

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  8. HAHA - I'm giggling at Louise's message. She MAY have started making her HSTs already?!! What?!! Sounds like she has time to help me with mine. And congrats to Diann on winning the charm pack. Good pick Brady! Oh, and I'm still annoyed about the Amazon link. I wonder who else has an affiliate link with Amazon, because I really do want that Hera marker. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  9. Wow...that's a lot of work for you to give directions for four versions. I've never tried marking my squares with my Hera marker. Going to give it a try.

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