Tips for Stitching Your best Six Pointed Star Quilt Pattern
I've been drawn in order to the geometric beauty of the six pointed star quilt pattern since it feels like the step up through basic squares without having being too intimidating for someone with a little experience. There will be just something extremely satisfying about viewing those sharp points come together to form a perfect star. If you've invested any time looking at vintage quilts, you've probably observed this design below a few different names, like the Star of Donald as well as just the classic 60-degree star. It's a timeless look that manages to feel both traditional and modern depending on the fabrics you pick.
Among the things that will makes this particular pattern stand away is its dependence on the 60-degree angle. Unlike the greater common eight-pointed star (which uses 45-degree angles), the six-pointed version creates a more open, well balanced shape that suits perfectly into hexagons. If you're such as me and you also like a good "kaleidoscope" effect, this will be the pattern with regard to you.
Having the Math and Sides Right
Before you even touch your own fabric, we require to discuss the particular geometry. I know, "math" is a four-letter word in a few sewing rooms, but for a six pointed star quilt pattern , it's actually pretty straightforward. The particular whole thing is built around the equilateral triangle. If you take six equilateral triangles plus point them towards a center, a person get a hexagon. But to get the star, we use diamonds.
Specifically, you're looking for 60-degree diamonds. For those who have a clear fat quilting ruler, appearance for that 60-degree line. That's going to be your best friend. I highly recommend using a dedicated 60-degree diamond ruler if you are planning on making several of these types of. It saves therefore much headache plus prevents those small cutting errors that lead to the "lumpy" center where all of the points meet.
When you're cutting, accuracy is everything. Even being off by the sixteenth of the inch can add upward quickly when you have six points converging in one spot. If your slashes aren't precise, you'll end up with a center that won't lay smooth, and nobody desires a "volcano" within the middle associated with their quilt stop.
Picking Your own Fabrics for Maximum Impact
Choosing colors for the six pointed star quilt pattern is definitely where the actual fun starts. Because the star is definitely made of six identical diamond devices, there is a lot associated with room to try out along with "value"—which is just a fancy way of saying how light or dark a material is.
I usually like to choose three different fabrics for the single star. If you utilize two diamond jewelry of just one color, two of another, and two of the third, you can generate a 3D effect that looks like a tumbling block. It offers the quilt a lot depth. Additionally, you can go totally scrappy. Using a different fabric regarding every single stage looks amazing within a "grandma's scrap bag" kind of method.
One suggestion I've learned the particular hard way: become careful with hectic prints. If the print is too large, it can consume the shape from the star. Small-scale designs, solids, or "read-as-solids" (like batiks or even tiny dots) generally work best in order to keep those factors looking crisp plus defined.
The particular Infamous Y-Seam
We can't speak about the six pointed star quilt pattern without having addressing the hippo in the room: the Y-seam. I understand a lot of quilters who avoid this pattern specifically because they're worried of Y-seams, yet I promise they aren't as bad as people create them out in order to be.
A Y-seam will be basically precisely what happens when you require to join 3 pieces of fabric together at a single point, but you can't just sew a right line right across. The secret—and I mean the absolute secret—is to stop sewing exactly the quarter-inch before the end of the fabric.
Most of all of us are used to sewing from edge to edge, but with a six pointed star quilt pattern , you need to leave that will little bit associated with "flap" on the edges. This allows the fabric to pivot. If you backstitch a couple of stitches right at that quarter-inch mark, it remains secure as you proceed the pieces around. It takes a little practice, but once you get the tempo, you'll feel like a quilting superhero.
Why British Paper Piecing will be a Great Option
If the particular idea of Y-seams on a sewing machine makes you want to conceal under your trimming table, you may want to try English Paper Piecing (EPP). This will be a hand-sewing technique where you cover your fabric close to paper templates plus whip-stitch them collectively.
I actually find EPP quite relaxing. It's the particular perfect "couch project" for when you're watching a movie or even waiting at the doctor's office. Since the paper holds the material in the precise shape of the diamond, your points can come out completely all the time. There's no guessing where that quarter-inch mark will be because the paper acts as your own guide. It takes much longer than device sewing, but the particular precision is unbeatable, and you don't have to worry about the feed dogs on your own machine chewing upward those sharp gemstone points.
Placing the Blocks Jointly
Once a person have your stars finished, you have got to decide how to join all of them. This is one more area where the six pointed star quilt pattern offers a wide range of range. You can "float" the stars on the background of huge hexagons, which produces a very clean, well-ventilated look. This will be often called the "snowflake" layout since of how the particular stars seem in order to drift over the quilt top.
An additional option would be to sew the stars edge-to-edge. If you perform this, you'll in fact be creating additional shapes within the damaging space between the celebrities. It's a bit like a puzzle. You'll need to reduce "setting pieces"—usually hexagons or triangles—to fill in the spaces and turn the particular stars into the rectangular quilt best.
I've seen some stunning modern quilts exactly where the maker uses a six pointed star quilt pattern but just makes one large star as the particular entire quilt top. You simply keep incorporating larger and bigger diamonds to the outside. It's the bold look and a great way to demonstrate off several really special material in those large diamond fields.
Pressing for Success
I did previously believe pressing was just a suggestion, using stars, it's a requirement. Because you have so a lot of seams meeting within the center, things can get large fast.
My best advice? Press your seams open. I know traditional quilting frequently calls for pushing to the side, but with the six pointed star quilt pattern , pressing to the aspect creates a large lump in the middle where six layers of seam allowance meet. In case you press them open, the middle stays much more shapely, that makes the quilting process a great deal easier later on. Just be sure to use the bit of steam (or a tailor's clapper if you have one) in order to get those seams to stay place.
Finishing Splashes
When a person finally get that top finished, consider a second to appreciate it. The six pointed star quilt pattern isn't the fastest task in the globe, but it's a single that people often notice. It looks complicated, even if you understand the "cheats" to get this done.
Whether or not you're making a tiny wall hanging or even a king-sized mattress quilt, this pattern is really a classic regarding a reason. It's versatile, it's the great way in order to practice your accuracy, and it just looks plain cool. Don't let the 60-degree angles or the Y-seams frighten you off. Get some scraps, reduce a few diamond jewelry, and just notice what happens. You might find that it becomes your new favorite way to invest an afternoon within the sewing room.