Ohio Star Quilt Making the Sashing

The sashing strips are made up of the 4 inch Quarter Square Triangle Block and the 4 inch squares cut from the Fabric B.

Quarter Square Triangles Sashing

Start sewing the Quarter Square Triangle blocks together in groups of 2.  Join the sides with Fabric A so you create the appearance of a square of your main fabric in the middle of triangles.  Use a 1/4 inch seam and 10 – 12 stitches per inch.  Pin the seam at the top and bottom of the piece by putting your straight pin in the seam allowance and matching to the bottom block just as you did to sew the triangles together to form your block in the last posting. 

Sew 40 sets of 2 quarter square triangle blocks.  Press seams flat and then open them from the back then press from the front.  Divide the sets of 2 into 2 groups of 20.

Creating Sashing Row

You will be making 5 sashing rows.  For each row you will need 5-4 inch blocks from Fabric B and 4  of the quarter square triangle sets.  The layout will look like this:

B = 4 inch square of Fabric B  and

QST = Set of 2 Quarter Square Triangles.

B – QST – B – QST – B – QST- B – QST – B

Press all seams flat then open from the back and then from the front.

Row 2

You will do 4 rows using the large blocks and the other sets of quarter square triangles.

QST = Set of 2 quarter square triangles

LG BK = The large block of Fabric A

QST – LG BK – QST – LG BK – QST – LG BK – QST – LG BK – QST

Press seams flat and open from the back and press again from the front.

Once you have all of the rows made we will be sewing them together.

Ohio Star Quilt Quarter Square Triangles Step 3

Making a Quarter Square Triangle Block   

Quarter Square Triangles Pinning & Sewing Block

  

Pinning and Sewing to form a Square

Insert a straight pin into the seam on the top triangle and match the point of the pin to the seam on the bottom triangle.  When this is matched up place a straight pin on each side of the seam to hold this in place.  Do not remove the pin matching the seam.  Pin on each end of the triangle.  This is a bias edge so a couple of extra pins are a good idea to keep the edges matched and when you sew the seam it will not stretch out of shape.

Sewing the Seam

You will sew a 1/4 inch seam using about 10 – 12 stitches per inch.  I prefer to backstitch at the beginning and end so my seam doesn’t come apart at any point.  When you get to the center where the pin is matching the seams leave it in the fabric until you are up to it.  Slip the pin out just as you sew across that seam and continue to the end of the triangle.  Then look at the right side of the block to see  that you have sewed this square so you have all 4 pieces meeting nearly perfectly in the center of the block.  If  they are off a thread or 2 don’t worry about it.  With flannel you can gently move it into place and when you press and later when you quilt it will not show if you are off just a little.

Pressing the Seam

Use the up and down motion to press the seam allowance closed just as you sewed it.  Then open the block and from the wrong side press that seam open.  Flip the block and press the seam from the front, again with the up and down motion, not a sliding action.

Quarter Square Triangle Block

Squaring the Quarter Square Triangle Block

Use one of the bias square rulers available.  You are making a 4 inch square.  The 2 inch line will match the center of the block and the bias line is with the seam line.  Trim along the outside edge of the ruler on two sides, then flip the square and line it up again to trim the other 2 sides.  Now you have a 4 inch block.

 

In our next post we will be sewing these blocks together with the 4 inch block to form the sashing of the quilt.

Ohio Star Quilt – Quarter Square Triangles – Step 2

My favorite technique for making Quarter Square Triangles comes from Wendy Gilbert  “A Star for All Seasons Table Runner and Placemats” a Quilt in a Day Publication

Cutting The Square                                   

Quarter Square Triangle Cutting

 

Cut along the pressed fold lines from corner to corner.  You will have 4 pieces.

 

 

 

 

Pressing the Seams

 Note:  Pressing is an up and down action with your iron rather than sliding the iron over your project.  Sliding the iron can result in stretching of the seams or the fabric.  I prefer to use a steam iron for a flatter seam.

 

Quarter Square Triangles Pressing

+Press the seams flat to seal the stitches into the fabric and to begin with a flat fabric.  Then from the wrong side of the fabrics use the tip of your iron or your finger to open the seam and press it open.  Then turn to the right side and press from the right side. 

 Note:  I like to press the seams open on flannel to reduce the bulk when joining blocks together.  If you are concerned about the seam coming apart, consider how you are going to quilt the blanket when you are finished.  If you use a quilting technique that sews across the seams you will reinforce the area. 

Next Post will discuss sewing the triangle shapes together to form a block.

Ohio Star Quilt – Quarter Square Triangles – Step 1

The technique I prefer to make quarter square triangles comes from Wendy Gilbert  “A Star for all Seasons Table Runner and Placemats”.  This book is a Quilt in a Day Publication. 

You will use the 5.5 inch squares of the Print A and Print B.

Marking the Diagonal Line on the Squares 

 

Ohio Star Quarter Square Triangles

 

 

   + Place squares right sides together and press with     your iron to help them stay together.

   + With the lightest fabric up, fold diagonally and press a light fold in the 2 squares.  The fold needs to be one you can see when sewing. 

      +Press a second fold by folding the squares diagonally the other way.  Do not press the other crease out of the fabric, press up to the first fold and away from it to the other corner. 

Note:  When I am working on a larger number of blocks I work on a third, or half of the total amount at one time. I go through the steps and then the total number of pieces doesn’t seem so overwelming to me. 

Stitching  the Seam 

 

Ohio Star Quarter Square Triangles

 

     +All Seams are 1/4 inch wide and from 10 – 12 stitches per inch

       + Line up one square with the point at the needle.  You will be stitching on the Left side of the pressed fold to the Center of the square

        +Leaving the needle in the fabric, lift the presser foot and turn to stitch along the pressed fold to 1/4 inch on the right side of the pressed fold.

+Now you will be sewing your seam  1/4 inch on the Right  side of the pressed fold to the bottom of the square.

Turn the block to the other diagonal line and stitch the 1/4 inch seam like you did for the first diagonal.

Continue to next post for Cutting of Squares, Pressing, and finished square

Ohio Star Baby Quilt – Cutting

Previously posts about this quilting project can be found under the CATAGORY:  MY CURRENT QUILTING PROJECT                 

  If you missed the first information on this project you can find all of the information under postings with the title Ohio Star Baby Quilt.

If you have prewashed your fabrics you are ready to begin cutting them into strips and squares.  You may choose to iron your fabric after laundering, be sure to iron carefully so you do not stretch it out of line. 

Basic Cutting Instructions:

My preference on flannel fabrics is to trim the selvedge (the finished edge on 2 sides of your cloth) and cut my strips vertically rather than horizontal.  This is to keep them more on grain than if we cut across from selvedge to selvedge. 

Print A  this is the predominant print in your quilt

• 2  strips  7.5 inches wide by length of fabric (2 yards)
• 16 squares 7.5 inches square  from the 2 strips
• 3 strips 5.5 inches wide
• 40 squares 5.5 inches square from the 3 strips plus cut 1 – 5.5 inch square from the piece left from the 7.5 inch strips.

Print B

• 4.5 strips  5.5 inches wide by the length of fabric (1.5 yards)
• 40 squares 5.5 inches square
• 2 strips 4 inches wide
• 25 – 4 inch squares

Label your fabrics  with size of square or put all of one size in a zip-lock bag to keep everything organized.

Ohio Star Baby Quilt

Join Me in Sewing a Simple Baby Quilt

The first project I want  to finish is a baby quilt using the Ohio Star pattern.  This is a drawing of the blocks used to form this design.  It is a large block, a small block and a block made up of quarter square triangles.

Ohio Star Quilt Drawing

This will require only 2 fabric choices for the top of the quilt.  A larger print is appropriate for this quilt because of a larger block (7 inch in this quilt).  A pieced block using an easy quarter square technic and a plain square form an interesting sashing and border around the large squares. 

You can order supplies for this project at flannels4baby.com.  The main print being used in this quilt is no longer available, but there are several other adorable prints in the print flannel selection or the cotton quilting fabric selection.  Get your fabrics lined up and laundered so you are ready to begin cutting.

OHIO STAR BABY QUILT

This makes 1 quilt approximately 45″ x 45″

Supply List

Print A     2 yards of 45 inch wide fabric (top only)

Print B      1.5 yards of 45 inch wide fabric (top only)

Backing    2.75 yards of 45 inch wide fabric

Batting      1 crib size quilt bat  45″x 60″

Cutting Board, Rotary Cutter, Scissors, Ruler for cuttin long strips and a Square Ruler at least 4 inches  with a bias line, and  Thread