Evening Star Quilt Block Pattern with Nine-Patch Centers

By Janet Wickell

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Intro to the Evening Star Quilt Block

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Quilt Block Patterns: Evening Star with Nine Patch Centers - © Janet Wickell

Evening Star Block with Nine Patch Block Center. Photo Credit: © Janet Wickell

Evening Star is an easy quilt block pattern. This version of the popular patchwork design has a nine patch unit at its center instead of a single large square of fabric. Evening Star is perfect for quilters of every skill level, and even beginning quilters can sew the block with ease.

The quilt block in the photo has dark star tips, and an "X" shape is created in the nine patch center by sewing medium dark fabrics next to light fabrics.

Turn to Page 6 to see how altering color value changes the look of this quilt block.

Evening Star Finished Size: 12" square

Quilt Block Materials and Cutting Chart

The pattern shows how to assemble three blocks at a time to help quilters draw from a stash of leftover fabrics. For lots of identical blocks, cut additional fabrics and substitute fabric colors as as desired

Squares for Quilt Block Corners

One: 3-1/2" x 44" light green strip cut into twelve 3-1/2" squares

Strip Pieced Nine Patch Centers

Two: 2-1/2" x 15-1/2" medium blue strips
One: 2-1/2" x 15-1/2" light green strip
Two: 2-1/2" x 8" light green strips
One: 2-1/2" x 8" medium blue strip

Half Square Triangle Units for Star Tips

Read the options on Page 3 before cutting fabric.

Twelve: 3-7/8" very dark blue squares
Twelve: 3-7/8" very light blue squares

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Sew Nine Patch Quilt Blocks for the Star Block Centers

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Nine Patch Blocks for Star Centers. Photo Credit: © Janet Wickell

Sew Nine Patch Block Strip Sets

Use a 1/4" seam allowance for all seams.

Strip Set A

Right sides together and edges aligned, sew a medium blue 2-1/2" x 15-1/2" strip lengthwise to a light green strip of the same length. Press seam allowance towards the blue strip.
Sew a second medium blue strip of the same length to the opposite side of the green strip. Press seam allowance towards the blue strip.
Square up one end of the strip set and cut six 2-1/2" segments from the squared up end. Set units aside.

Strip Set B

Sew a light green 2-1/2" x 8" strip lengthwise to each side of a 2-1/2" x 8" medium blue strip. Press seam allowance towards the blue strips.
Square up one end of the strip set and cut three 2-1/2" units from the squared up end.

Assemble the Nine Patch Blocks

Arrange two units from Strip Set A and one unit from Strip Set B as shown in the diagram above--with the Set B unit in the middle position.
Sew the rows together. Seams pressed in opposite directions should butt nicely for a good match. Press new seams away from center row.
Repeat to make three nine-patch blocks.

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Sew Half Square Triangle Units for Star Quilt Blocks

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Triangle Square Units for Star Block Tips. Photo Credit: © Janet Wickell

Sew the Star Tips

I made star tips from triangle square units, also called half square triangles and one of the most common quilting components.

I nearly always make the units by sewing two squares together with two diagonal seams, then slicing them apart midway between the seams to produce two identical triangle square units. The cutting instructions for this pattern match that method.

Read the triangle square instructions and make 24 triangle squares.

Sew 12 pairs together as shown in the diagram above, with the light fabric forming a "V" between the dark triangles.

Alternative Star Tip Method

An alternative method produces star tips without a seam running through the light blue fabric.

Cut squares and rectangles instead of light and dark blue 3-7/8" squares. Use the Alternative diagram above as a guide.

Cut

Twelve 3-1/2" x 6-1/2" light blue rectangles
Twenty-four 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" dark blue squares

Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the reverse side of each blue square.
Align the square with a corner of the rectangle, edges matched exactly and right sides together. Position the line as shown above.
Sew a seam on the line.
Cut away excess fabric, leaving an approximate 1/4" seam allowance past the seam (not shown; see this diagram for an example).
Repeat to sew a second square to the opposite side of the rectangle. Be sure to position the seam as illustrated. Trim.
Press seam allowances towards dark blue tips.
Make a total of twelve identical units.

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Assemble the Evening Star Quilt Block

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Evening Star Quilt Block Pattern - © Janet Wickell

Assemble the Evening Star Quilt Block. Photo Credit: © Janet Wickell

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Evening Star Quilt Layout Ideas

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Above are three simple layouts for nine evening star quilt blocks. The two examples on top show the blocks set on point. One in a strippy setting--with triangles running between block openings to create strips. The other using plain squares between blocks and triangles around the outer edges.

The bottom drawing illustrates how blocks would look set side by side. Squint when you look at that layout and some of the other value possibilities will become more obvious.

The quilt A Joyous Celebration contains a smaller evening star block without the nine patch center. Snowball blocks placed between the star blocks make the stars appear to be set on point.

Combine the evening star blocks with one or more other blocks. Use sashing between them. Add dramatic borders. There's no end to the layout possibilities.