Stars Through the Windows Baby Quilt Pattern

By Janet Wickell

Quilting Expert

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How to Make the Stars Through the Windows Baby Quilt

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Stars Through the Windows Baby Quilt. Photo Credit: Janet Wickell

Updated May 07, 2015.

Get Ready to Make the Baby Quilt

This easy baby quilt pattern is made from two simple quilt blocks, a four-patch variation and a Snowball block. The large openings of the Snowballs are filled with images from a wintry night sky. The smaller openings in the four-patch variation are filled with characters bundled-up for the cold.

Two neutral fabrics, one lighter than the other, are used as frames to surround each block center, making the window contents more visible.

Place anything you like in the windows -- a beach scene, summer skies, birds... anything. The pattern would also be a good choice for an I Spy quilt.

Finished block size: 6" x 6"

Finished quilt size: 34" x 46"

Quilting Fabrics and Materials

Deep blue starry skies for Snowballs: 3/4 yards

Coordinating pictorial for center of four patch variation: 1/2 yard (allows for fussy cutting to place images within the square, 1/4 yard if you cut normally

Light neutral for four patch variation bars: 3/4 yard

Slightly darker neutral for four patch variation corners: 1/4 yard

Dark brown mottled for border: 1/2 yard (for border strips pieced from crosswise grain strips, 1-1/3 yards for lengthwise grain borders, cut and sew sides first; will have leftovers)

Backing: 1-5/8 yards (Quilt Backing Instructions)

Batting: About 42" x 54"

Binding: About 185 running inches of doublefold continuous binding (Binding Strip Instructions)

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Make the Baby Quilt's Four Patch Quilt Blocks

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Make the Four Patch Variation Window Quilt Blocks. Photo Credit: Janet Wickell

Assemble the Four Patch Variation Quilt Blocks

The quilt block's top and bottom rows are strip pieced. We'll assemble the middle row piece by piece, so that the center square can be easily fussy cut to display a specific portion of the fabric. Use your rotary ruler to center the image you choose within each square, or construct a window template to preview and mark fabric.

A couple of people have written to ask if this quilt block is truly a four patch, and wondering if it is perhaps a nine patch because there are, well, nine patches.

It is indeed a four patch design. Look at the block's bone structure along one side and you'll see two equally sized square corners with a bar between them. The bar's width is the same as the squares and its length is double the size of the squares.

A four patch block starts with four equal squares, but the components can be divided, as they are in this block. It's easier to illustrate than explain, so take a look at Quilt Block Structure if you aren't sure how to analyze a block.

Cut a 3-1/2" wide light neutral strip from selvage to selvage. Cut another strip that measures 3-1/2" x 35" (allows some excess).
Cut (2) 2" wide darker neutral strips from selvage to selvage. Cut two more that measure 2" x 35".
Sew a full selvage width darker strip lengthwise to each side of the same length light strip as shown, top left. Press seam allowances towards the darker strips.
Square up one end of the strip set and cut as many 2" wide segments from it as possible.
Make a strip set from the shorter strips and cut 2" segments until you have a total of 36.

Cut a 3-1/2" wide light neutral strip from selvage to selvage. Cut another strip that measures 3-1/2" x 35".
Square up one end of each strip and cut (36) 2" wide bars.
Cut (18) 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" squares (if not fussy cut, can be cut from 3-1/2" wide strips of fabric).
Arrange components into three rows as shown.
Sew units in middle row together. Press seam allowances towards the center square.
Sew all three rows together, butting seams for a good match. Press. The quilt block should measure 6-1/2" x 6-1/2".
Make a total of 18 quilt blocks.

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Make the Baby Quilt's Snowball Quilt Blocks

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Snowball Quilt Blocks for the Baby Quilt. Photo Credit: © Janet Wickell

Cutting

Dark blue night sky fabric for Snowball centers: cut (3) 6-1/2" x selvage width strips; cut (17) 6-1/2" x 6-1/2" squares from strips.
Light neutral for Snowball corners: cut (3) 2" x selvage width strips and (1) 2" x 12" strip; cut (68) 2" x 2" squares from the strips.

Snowball Quilt Block Assembly

Draw a diagonal line from one corner to the opposite corner on the reverse side of each of your 2" x 2" squares.

Align a small square in each corner of a large square as shown, right sides together and edges matched. Sew a seam directly on each diagonal line.
Cut through both layers 1/4" past each seam line to create a seam allowance.
Carefully press the Snowball corners open. The Snowball quilt block should measure 6-1/2" x 6-1/2".
Make a total of (17) Snowball quilt blocks.

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Finish Making the Stars Through the Windows Baby Quilt

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Stars Through the Windows Baby Quilt Row Layout. Photo Credit: Janet Wickell

Assemble the Baby Quilt

Create seven rows, alternating quilt blocks from row to row.

Choose three four patch variation quilt blocks and two Snowball quilt blocks. Arrange them into a row as shown, top, beginning with a four patch and then alternating block types within the row. Sew the blocks in the row together. Press seam allowances towards the four patch variations.
Choose three Snowball quilt blocks and two four patch variation blocks. Arrange them into the second row as shown, beginning with a Snowball and then alternating block types within the row. Sew the blocks in the row together. Press seam allowances towards the four patch variations.

Make additional rows, a total of four rows that match Step 1 and three rows that match Step 2.
Sew all rows together as shown, alternating row types. Press the quilt.