Welcome back to the Swiss Star Quilt Along, where every stitch brings us closer to quilted Swiss Star perfection!
This week marks an exciting chapter as we dive into the creative process of crafting square-in-square units using the stitch and flip method.
Additionally, we’ll be assembling our center star which is the focal point for the quilt (and ohhhh so magical as you’ll see!).
Important Notes:
- Don’t forget to post progress pictures!
- To download the PDF of the following steps, click here: Swiss Star Quilt Along Part 3
Brewer Give Away
Before we continue, I have a special announcement to make. Certainly you want to know the winning comment or user gallery entry in the Community section for the signed Tula Pink scissors set, sponsored by Brewer. It is the following photo from…
…Saara! Congratulations! You will be contacted by BERNINA in the next few hours.
Making Chevron Blocks
These blocks are fast to whip up if you’ve already sewn you’re half square triangles from the last blog post!
Sew (2) HST’s right sides together as indicated, press seams flat (to the side or open).
Repeat to create another set, making sure the colors of the triangles are correct.
Sew RST, both sets, pinning from the center to make sure both sets are centered. Repeat to make 8 chevron blocks in total.
Square-in-Square Units: The Stitch and Flip Method
Using the stitch and flip method, we’ll transform our selected dark blue, gray, and off-white fabrics into dynamic geometric shapes that will enhance the visual impact of our Swiss Star quilt.
This technique adds a layer of complexity to our design, creating depth and interest within each block.
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Creating Square-in-Square Units: A Step-by-Step Guide
Square in square blocks are so fun, especially when using the “stitch and flip” method which makes it nearly foolproof.
Lay (1) 7” Fabric B square (D) right side up. Align (1) BG 3.75” square (N) in the top and bottom corners right side down.
Mark a diagonal line corner to corner on the smaller square, pin and stitch just a hair on the outside of your marked line (this accounts for the seam allowance when it’s been flipped).
Iron flat first before flipping the triangle up, trim off the excess fabric and then iron the triangle up so that it fills out the top right and bottom left corners of the large square.
Repeat with the opposite corners, making sure to change the direction of the drawn line/sewing line to make a “diamond”.
Repeat 7 more times to create 8 Diamond in Square blocks. They should measure 7” x 7”.
Making the Long Strip Units
The Swiss Star Pattern comes together in phases, I love making all of the necessary units before beginning the actual quilt, that way I have everything ready to go before we sit down to piece the quilt top.
Theses are the last units before we get started on the center star!
To create the long strip units, sew (2) 3.25” x 21.5” Fabric A rectangles (B) to opposite sides of (1) 3.25” Fabric B square (C).
Iron seams flat, repeat 3 more times to create 4 in total.
Assembling the Center Star
The center star is the most dramatic design element of the Swiss Star quilt, and comes together in a very straightforward way.
Pin and sew RST the long edge of (1) 5” BG half square (K) to the top left edge of a Fabric A diamond. There will be about .25” overhang on the corners of the half square.
Pin, sew, open, and iron seams flat. Repeat, making sure to flip 4 of the diamonds (sew to the top right edge). There will be 8 total, 2 sets of mirrored diamonds.
Pin and sew RST the short edge edge of (1) 6.5” BG half square (L) to the right side of a Fabric A diamond, making sure to align the tops.
Press seams flat. Repeat 3 times to make 4 total.
Pin and sew RST the short edge edge of (1) 6.5” BG square half square (L) to the left side of a Fabric A diamond, making sure to align the tops. Press seams flat. Repeat 3 times to make 4 total.
There should be 8 diamonds, 4 right and 4 left.
Pin and sew RST 1 left and 1 right diamond unit to both sides of (1) 1.5” x 11” BG rectangle (G). Make sure all flat edges are aligned before sewing. Repeat 3 more times to create 4 units total.
Before beginning, feel free to square off the G strip in the diamond unit. Then pin and sew RST 1 diamond unit to both sides of (1) 1.5” x 16” BG rectangle (F).
Make sure all top edges are aligned before sewing.
Repeat once, to create 2 side star units total. Before continuing, you can trim off any excess fabric to make the next steps easier.
Fold both diamond units in half and make a mark on the long side (I usually pinch the fabric slightly to leave a small mark). Fold (1) 1.5” x 32” BG rectangle (E) in half lengthwise and make a mark.
Pin and sew RST both halves of the diamond unit to opposite sides of the E strip, lining up all of the center marks. Iron seams flat.
Square the corners of the center star unit using a clear acrylic ruler. The center is done!
This is what the center unit should look like when it’s sewn into the quilt, aren’t you so excited?!
As we conclude Part 3, take pride in the intricacies you’ve woven into your Swiss Star quilt.
The square-in-square units and diamond blocks bring a new dimension to our modern interpretation of this classic pattern.
Next time, we’ll work on the building out the center and finishing the corners, Happy Quilting!
Der Beitrag Swiss Star Quiltalong – Assembling Blocks + Center Star erschien zuerst auf BERNINA Blog.