How to Sew a Friendship Star Quilt Block

Hi again! Let’s learn how to sew a simple Friendship Star block. This block is one of my favorite blocks to put together. It goes together fast and its called “Friendship Star”! It’s gotta be good! This tutorial is for a 6″ finished block. I probably should have used a more distinct color than yellow for the star points – oh well – lesson learned!

Fabric Requirements for a 6" Finished Friendship Star Quilt Block:

• Light: 2 – 3″ squares, and 4 – 2.5″ squares
• Medium: 2 – 3″ squares
• Dark: 1 – 2.5″ square (center square)

Sewing Directions:

Step 1:

Half-Square Triangle Units:

First you need to make 4 Half-Square Triangle (HST) patches using the 2 Light 3″ squares and the 2 Medium 3″ squares. Square up each patch to 2.5″ square. You can see my tutorial on how to sew a Half-Square Triangle block here: https://fabric-406.myshopify.com/blogs/fabric406-blog/how-to-sew-a-basic-half-square-triangle-block

Step 2:

Now you need to lay out the HST patches and the 2.5″ squares in a typical nine-patch layout as shown in the pictures below. You can have your points go either clockwise or counter-clockwise, just make sure they all go the same way!

Step 3:

Sew the patches together in 3 rows.

Step 4:

Press the seam allowances away from the HST patches as shown.

Step 5:

Last step is to sew the 3 rows together! I said it was quick!

Step 6:

You can press the seam allowances in whatever direction you like. I think that the block lays better if the seam allowances are pressed away from the center. However, if you are putting these blocks together without a sashing between them, I recommend pressing the seam allowances toward the center of the block. This way you can rotate every other block and the seams will nest together nicely when you join the blocks together. Trim/square up the block to 6.5″ square if necessary. All done!

In Conclusion:

Hindsight being 20-20, I should have used a darker print for the star points. Sometimes you just can't see what a block will look like until you make one.

I hope you like this sweet Friendship Star quilt block! If you like it and want to see more, just click HERE to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free PDF quilt pattern called "Chained Weathervane".

Happy Quilting!

Elaine

P.S. In case you missed it, check out my roundup post of easy quilt blocks at https://fabric406.com/blogs/fabric406-blog/30-easy-quilt-block-tutorials-for-the-beginning-quilter

P.P.S. Check out my patterns I have for sale on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/fabric406