Stars and Flying Geese

Every project starts with selecting your fabrics! Want to see them in a quilt? Check out my Quilts of Valor page!

Individual Flying Geese

You begin with a rectangle and two squares. There size depends on the size of the finished flying geese, mine here are: rectangle 4 1/2" x 2", and two 2" (cut size  4-1/2 x 2 1/2) squares. In the image above, you can see that I have already cut my fabric into strips of these two sizes, ready to go. In the image below, you can see that I have cut the strips into their piece sizes, and am chain stitching my pieces (the piece before almost abuts to the piece I am sewing.)

First, you draw a line diagonally on each of the squares, on the wrong or backside of the fabric. Place one square on the end of the rectangle with the right or front side together, and sew across the line you drew. 

If you are making more than one (and you usually are), cut out all your geese, draw lines across all your squares, and sew them all, one after the other. It saves time, and makes your job easier.

• 

  Sewing first square and rectangle together

• 

  Once sewn, trim to 1/4" 

• 

  Iron your new rectangle into shape

• 

  Repeat on the other side of the rectangle, trim.

• 

  Press open, the back should look like this

• 

  And your geese are made!

For 4 Flying Geese at a time

You begin with a square and 4 smaller squares. Start with the center fabric. Determine what size you want your finished flying geese unit and add 1 1/4". For a 4 1/2" finished flying geese unit, you add 4 1/2" + 1 1/4" = 5 3/4" which adds up to square of the center fabric. 

Now the corner or pointy fabric. Determine the finished height of your flying geese unit and add 7/8". The finished height is 2 1/4", so 2 1/4" + 7/8" = 3 1/8" squares. You will need 4 of these to complete your four flying geese units.

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of all of four point squares. Lay two of the point squares with right sides together, on the larger center square, as shown. Note, the point squares will overlap slightly in the middle. (please disregard the imperfections of these images. I will make this pattern soon and replace these with actual images, but they will give you some idea of what you should be seeing.)

Layout pieces and sew on both sides of the line

  

Stitch 1/4" away from the marked line, through all the layers, as shown. Repeat on both sides of the marked line. Cut on the line you drew. Open out pointy pieces and press.

Cut along the line you drew

Press pointy pieces out

Select one, it should resemble a heart shape, with the pointy fabric being the two top sections and the center piece the bottom. Add one of your remaining point squares right sides together, matching the bottom of the heart, on the center fabric. 

Add 'point' square and sew on both sides of the line.

Stitch 1/4" away from the marked line, on both sides. Cut on the line you drew, and iron with the pointy side open. You now have 2 flying geese, repeat on the second set you created and you will have 4.

Cut along the line

Press with points out, creating a bigger point with the rectangle.

Making Stars of Flying Geese

If your geese are 4 1/2" x 2 1/4" finished, your side corners will be 2 1/4" squares finished (or 2 3/4 before sewing together), and the center portion of the finished square will be will be 4 1/2" finished (5" before sewing). Using the images below, construct your star with flying geese.

• 

  Add corner sections to two of your flying geese sections

• 

  Add two flying gees to your center block section

• 

  Then assemble your blocks, to look like this.

• 

  Star in a star alternative. Lots of fun.

• 

  These make great squares for Quilts of Valor

• 

  And can be made with lots of FUN fabrics

My star in star in star blocks above feature a 6" star (1 1/2" finished flying geese and 3" center block) inside a 12" (3" finished flying geese and corner blocks. I made these for Quilts of Valor, counting each block as 2 stars, there were 25 star blocks in each quilt.

Making Stars!

I made these stars in two sizes. The small are 5" finished squares are 9" squares. Following are two methods for making these Hunter Stars. Here's how I made them, though not perhaps the easiest method...

Beginning with strips sewn together, 2 different sets, to add color to your stars, you cut star points. I used 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 inch strips, which together make a 2 1/2 or 4 1/2 inch strip as shown, at a 45 degree angle. These stars also featured in some Quilts of Valor that I completed,

• 

  Cutting strips at 45 degree angle

• 

  Adding a triangle, (small 2", larger 3" unfinished) gives your star background/sides

• 

  Sewing these assembles pieces together gets you a 1/4 star

• 

  Putting 4 of these together makes a star complete

• 

  Its best to put many stars together, finishing each step

• 

  Before moving to the next with all of them. 

• 

  Finishing them all at the same time

• 

  Then they are ready to add to your quilt!

• 

  Adding to my quilt!

An Alternate Method for Making a Hunter's Star

There's another way to make a Hunter's Star, and it's just a set up of half-square triangles and a full square.

• 

  The blues here are the outside of the star. The peach and purple make the star.

• 

  The top row, 2 full-squares, and two opposite facing half-square triangles (outside in, dark out)

• 

  The outside, center, to alternate colored opposite facing half-square triangles (outside in,light out.)

• 

  The center, 2 sets of opposite facing half-square triangles (light in, dark out)

• 

  You can see by turning the direction of the half-square triangles, you create a star

Making a Hunter's Star Quilt

For this method, you only need two blocks. Half square triangles and full squares, as shown below. Watch how they go together.

Half-Square Triangles

Full Squares

Start with you 'dark' full square, 4 1/2" (finished) square and 4 2 1/4" (finished) half-square triangles. Putting your 'dark' square down first, add to the right of it, aligning with the top of the block, 2 half-square triangles with the dark fabric to the bottom and left. Below this lay the third half-square triangle below the left half-square triangle, also with the dark fabric to the bottom and left. The last half-square triangle goes into the empty space on the right, and this triangle should be flipped, so that the 'dark' fabric is in the upper right.

Now, taking your 'light' full-square, and 4 half-square triangles, laying 2 half-square triangles to the right of the full-square, one below the other, with the 'dark' fabric in the upper right. In the upper right hand corner, lay your 3rd half-square triangle next to the top half-square triangle, with the dark fabric to the upper right. The 4th half-square will lay below this one, with the dark fabric to the lower left. So essentially, you lay a full-square and 4 half-squares together, with one of those half-square triangles flipped.

As always, I suggest that you first create all your half-square triangles, and have them pressed and set next to your machine, before you begin assembling these pieces. Then move on to assembling all the pieces above. These are the only two pieces that you need to assemble for the full quilt. They go together to complete the block, like this:

Create an Heirloom!

Surrounded Star Tree Skirt

These take easily as long as a quilt to make, they are time consuming. If you don't have the time to make one, and want one, you can buy one from me! I've made several, in different themes. Cookies, Grinch, Charlie Brown, Rudolph... check out my 'shop' page, and see if there's one you like. I am always creating more, so if I don't have it today, I might have one later.

Materials needed:

-       40-44 2½“ strips at least 13” long or comparable fabric amount (1¼ yard, if the star points are to be all one color. If using a jelly roll, and the strips are 42”, and you want to use the same fabric reoccurring in the skirt, this would be a minimum 12 strips. If you want no reoccurring fabric in your skirt it would be 40-44 strips. If you are using scrap or purpose purchasing the fabric for the star points, it would depend on how many different fabrics you would want in your tree skirt, but fabric up to at least 1¼ yard will be required.)

-       ½ - ¾ yard background fabric minimum (I suggest ¾ yard) (mine is blue in the image above)

-       Batting for crib-sized if purchasing in the package, 1½ yards if by the roll and at least 44” wide

-       Backing fabric 1½ yard of fabric at least 44” wide

-       Bias seam binding, all in one color 3 packages

The star portion of this tree skirt can be created using a jelly roll, or from scrap fabric, or purpose purchased fabrics you select. My blue edged skirt, pictured above, was created using 21-2 sided points, however, my star points overlap, as I like a wavy rather than flat skirt.

For a flatter circle, you would need 20 points. Most of my half points are of different fabrics, but this doesn't have to be so, each star point could be created using the same fabric. All the points could be of the same fabric. You are the artist, and this is your art. You must decide what the star will look like, and I am sure it will be absolutely beautiful.

First, I created this tree skirt is with a template, though you could as easily choose not to make a template. I created it using a template, because I knew I would be making more than one.

The template is used to trace it’s pattern on the fabric you will be using. You could as easily just use the instructions below to draw the pattern directly on the fabric. How you choose to proceed is completely up to you. If you are making a template, I prefer to use plastic, as cardboard tends to wear as it’s used. Paper alone, though it makes a great pattern for future use, doesn’t standup well to multiple tracings.

There are only two patterns or templates used to build this skirt. Each half point and background are cut out, and then put together, before you start putting the star together.

The points themselves are 13" long. You should get more than one from each jelly roll strip if that’s what you have chosen to use. How many you can get out of your fabric, depends on the size and shape of the piece you are using.

Star Point Pattern:

As noted, these pieces are 13” long. If you begin end of your fabric (no template) or your template material and at 0" on a quilt ruler or a yard stick, make a mark at 1" above the bottom line (at the 0" point on your 'ruler'.)

Move along bottom of that material to 13" and here draw a 1/4" line straight up from the bottom line. Go back to the 10" point and make a small dot 2 1/2 inches above the bottom line, onto your fabric/ template material.

You can then make a diagonal line from the 1/4" line to the 2 1/2" line, and another from the 1" line at 0" to the 2 1/2" spot. The image below is not to scale, but is here to help you see what you are creating should resemble.

 For the foreground (or background) or the outside of the skirt, you will need the second piece of the pattern. For this piece you will use the star point pattern as your guide to make the inside edge. For this portion, you will not be able to use a jelly roll, as it is wider than a jelly roll. The background fabric will add 5” to your star, bringing the individual sides of your skirt to 18”. Adding the center space (for the tree) and the other side, your skirt will be approximately 40” across.

To begin, you will make a straight line to a point 2 1/2" above the bottom line. Moving across 8 1/2" you will make a straight line up from the bottom line to the 4" wide mark. Then draw a line from the 2 1/2" to 4" point. Going back to 3" point on the ruler, make a mark at the bottom of this fabric/template, and then draw a line to the 2 1/2" top corner. Another way to get this bottom angle, what I did, was to put the two template pieces together to draw my line. Or use the 45 degree angle on your ruler. Either way is right.

You create each of your half star points first, by sewing the star point and foreground fabric together at the 2 ½” angle, with right sides together. When you open the piece up, what you should see before you would be right-side of the fabric for both the star point and the foreground fabric. Before moving to the next step, be sure to iron each piece so that it will lay flat and neat. Awful as ironing is, it’s very important.

Once ironed, you can begin assembling your star points. After first determining which colors will go together to make a star point, lay one half-point down flat, right-side of the fabric up, and then lay a second half-point on top of it, right-side of the fabric down. The right-sides of the fabric should be facing each other. Along the long side of the, pin the star point at the top, where it is sewn to the background fabric, checking to be sure that the pieces come together to form a sharp point. Pin and sew the two sides together, along this longer star point side. Sew all of your star points together this way, and then, once again, iron these new star points and backgrounds so that they lay flat and neat.

Now you can begin laying out your star, putting the different fabrics alongside each other until you have decided how they best create the design you are looking for. When you are ready, lay one finished star point down, right-side up, and then lay the one that will lay next to it in your skirt on top of it, right-side down. The points should have the right-side facing each other. Sew them together along the side you want next to each other, and open it out. You should see the right sides of both fabrics. Once again, and as always, iron these pieces.

You can continue creating multiple two star-points, or lay the next selected point on the star point it goes next to, and sew it together. In this way, you can be sure that your star will have the correct fabric sequence, as you laid it out.

Backing:

I cut my backing fabric into a circle, a couple of inches bigger than my skirt and ironed it. This would be just as easy to build if you leave your background fabric in a square, which is how it will come from the fabric store. If you are buying pre-packaged batting, you will need a crib sized package, not craft sized. added batting then placed my skirt on the sandwich. Pin it as you would a quilt. If there are extra star points, fold them over the top of your quilted skirt, to add batting and backing to after you have finished the greater or circle portion.

Start at the top, less than 1/4" seam to 'hold this together. After quilting, be sure to smooth out the bottom and baste the bottom together, this will make it easier to add your bias binding. Once it's bound it might be done. Or you can add colorful quilting with metallic threads, you can applique, you can embellish with sequins - the sky is the limit!

• 

  Making Your Skirt Sandwich

• 

  I quilted the star points

• 

  Making Your Bias Binding

• 

  Adding Your Bias Binding

• 

  Finishing your Skirt

• 

  Embellishing

The above skirt is made of mostly single colored half blades. I also made a tree skirt of quilt blocks (see the last photo above, with the white surround.) The only difference between the white surround and the blue surround, is that I cut the white out of finished strips of different sized squares.

The third tree skirt I created was of star points only, which is bigger than the other two, at 52" across. If you are interested in making the larger blade only tree skirt, seen here, you will want to consider creating a template. 

Materials needed:

-             - 40-44 4” strips at least 24” long or comparable fabric amount (2 yards, if the star points are to be all one color, and it’s ok to piece. For no reoccurring fabric in your skirt (assuming 36-44 half points), and you don’t want to piece star points you should have at least 3 yards. If you are ok with piecing the star points, 2¼ yards of fabric should just finish the job. I would give myself some wiggle room; 2½ + yards of fabric would give you that Doing the math? Its 36-44 pieces 4” x 24”.

-           - Batting for crib-sized if purchasing in the package should just cover it, with nothing to spare, 2½ yards if by the roll and at least 45” wide

-           - Backing fabric 2½ yards of fabric at least 44” wide

-           - Bias double fold tape (seam binding,) all in one color 1 packages, ½ yard if you are making the bias double fold tape

-           - May also need – template material, threads, decorations, beading, sequins…

My star tree skirt, pictured above, was created using 22-2 sided points, however, my star points overlap, as I like a wavy rather than flat skirt. All seams are sewn at ¼” unless otherwise stated.

For a flatter circle, you would need 20 points. Most of my half points are of different fabrics, but this doesn't have to be so, each star point could be created using the same fabric, or all the star points could be in the same fabric. You are the artist, and this is your art. You must decide what the star will look like, and I am sure it will be absolutely beautiful.

First, I created this tree skirt with a template, though you could as easily choose not to make a template. I created it using a template, because I knew I would be making more than one. The template is used to trace its pattern on the fabric you will be using. After tracing you would cut the piece out. You could as easily just use the instructions below to draw the pattern directly on each of the fabrics. How you choose to proceed is completely up to you. If you are making a template, I prefer to use plastic, as cardboard tends to wear as it’s used. Paper alone, though it makes a great pattern for future use, doesn’t standup well to multiple tracings.

Star Point Pattern:

This tree skirt has star points that are 24” long. If you begin at the end of your fabric (no template) or your template material and at 0" on a quilt ruler or a yard stick, make a mark at 1" above the bottom line (at the 0" point on your 'ruler'.)

Move along bottom of that material to 24" and here draw a ¼” line straight up from the bottom line. Go back to the 20" point and make a small dot 4” above the bottom line, onto your fabric/ template material.

You can then make a diagonal line from the 1/4" line to the 4" line, and another from the 1" line at 0" to the 4" spot. The image below is not to scale, but is here to help you see what you are creating should resemble.

For this one, I cut out the backing for the star points to the same pattern. I also cut the batting into individual finished star point shaped pieces, for the number of star points I was making.

Lay out your star points, and pair them with the fabric that will be the other side of the completed star point. Lay the first half point right-side up, and lay it’s counterpart on top of it, right-side down. Sew along the long side of the star point. Open it out, and you should see that both sides are showing the right-side of the fabric. Complete all the star points in the same way, and then iron them open and flat.

Placing right sides together, take one star point and one backing fabric, and sew them together along the point at the end of the wide end. Trim the point and turn it out, so that the right side of the star and the right side of the backing fabric are facing out. Do this for all your star points. Lay them out in the pattern of your choosing.

Batting is oversized, so that you can see it easily

Taking the first, star point, insert the shaped batting into the piece, laying it flat and smooth. Pin it closed. Pick up the next star point to go on this tree, turn it inside out, so that the stitching is showing. Insert the first star point into the second star point as tightly as you can. The right side of the tops should be facing each other, and the right sides of the backing should be facing each other. 

On one side, the side that creates the design you are set out, and stitch along the open side through the tops of both star points and both backing, including the first star point batting. Along the unstitched side, gently push the second star point off the first star point, turning it back to the right side. 

Remove the pins on the sewn side of the first star point. Add the batting to the second star point and pin it closed. Turn the third star point inside out and place it over the second star point as tightly as you can, and stitch as above. Repeat this practice until the star points are all added. You should have only two open seams, one on the first and one on the last star point.

Once your star points are all together, stitch along the top of the circle the star points have made, just under ¼” from the top, and along your two open seams on your star points. 

Add your bias double fold seam binding along the top and down both sides of the opening, pinning and sewing into place, effectively finishing the edges of your open star point sides. Next, top stitch along the points of your star neatly, to hold the batting in place. Structurally, this will finish your star tree skirt. Now you can embellish it by quilting it with metallic threads, appliqueing, adding beads or sequins, the sky’s the limit!

Another Pattern For This Star

You will need to change your fabric needs, as you are adding inches with this method. Each half point is an inch wider, so purchase your fabric accordingly.

Method B - There’s an alternate method to create the star points for this tree skirt which is as follows: Again, for this, the star points are 24" long. Starting at 0" on a quilt ruler or a yard stick, make a 1" line at the beginning point on your 'ruler' or fabric, along the bottom of the material. Move along bottom of that material to 24" and here draw a 5" line straight up from the bottom line. You will put these together differently, so be sure to follow ‘Method B’ in the instructions, they are mostly the same, but there are some differences.

Method B: For both of these, I cut out the backing for the star points to the same pattern. However, for method B the backing is different. The backing pieces use the same pattern as the front, but only up to 20 ¼”. I also cut the batting into individual finishedstar shaped pieces, for the number of star points I was making.

Method B: Lay out your star points, and pair them with the fabric that will be the other side of the completed star point. Lay the first half point right-side up, and lay it’s counterpart on top of it, right-side down. Sew along one side of the star point. Open it out, and you should see that both sides are showing the right-side of the fabric. Complete all the star points in the same way, and then iron them open and flat.

At the wide end, fold the star point back from the top, on each side, creating a point at the center of the piece. Right sides together, you sew these two sides of the point together, trim and turn. (This is the finished star shape and should be used as the ‘template’ for the batting.) And of course, iron. You can take the backing, and trim if required. Sew the backing to the bottom of the folded section, do not sew through to the front of your star point. Be sure to sew with right sides together, so that your seam is inside the star point, not facing out.

Take the first star point, insert the shaped batting into the piece, laying it flat and smooth. Pin it closed. Pick up the next star point to go on this tree, turn it inside out, so that the stitching is showing. Insert the first star point into the second star point as tightly as you can. The right side of the tops should be facing each other, and the right sides of the backing should be facing each other.

On one side, the side that creates the design you have set out, stitch along the open side through the tops of both stars and both backing, including the first star point batting. Along the unstitched side, gently push the second star point off the first star point, turning it back to the right side. Remove the pins on the sewn side of the first star point. Add the batting to the second star point and pin it closed. Turn the third star point inside out and place it over the second star point as tightly as you can, and stitch as above. Repeat this practice until the star points are all added. You should have only two open seams, one on the first and one on the last star point.

Once your star points are all together, stitch along the top of the circle the star points have made, just under ¼” from the top, and along your two open seams on your star points. Add your bias double fold seam binding along the top and down both sides of the opening, pinning and then sewing it into place. This finishes the edges of your open star point sides. Next, top stitch along the points of your star neatly, to hold the batting in place. Structurally, this will finish your star tree skirt. Now you can embellish it by quilting it with metallic threads, appliqueing, adding beads or sequins, the sky’s the limit!

*One-of-a-kind – it’s unlikely that anyone would make the exact same pattern, in the exact colors, in the exact order that you will. Adding any decoration makes it even less likely that there will be another tree skirt exactly like yours, anywhere.