I’ve been playing among the stars, literally! In August I will be going to Amy’s Quilt Room in Union Town, PA to teach a One Block Wonder (OBW) Workshop. I want to show them how to design aound a panel and how to add hexies/stars of different sizes.

The panel is Salt Water Dreaming by Spirit of the Bush, it measures 41.5″ x 27″. I decided to cut my strips 3.25″ to yield 5″ finished hexies. When you want to add hexies/stars/cubes of different sizes, they must be divisible by the original size of the hexies. Deb Tucker’s Star 60 tool makes it easy to do this.

15″ Star Block – This 15″ star is divisible by 5″. This star includes 2 rings of 2.5″ finished Capped 60 units. Your units are always half the size of the finished hexie.

• Center:  6 repeats cut into 3.25” strips =  a 5” finished hexie.
• Companion Triangle:  (Black Fabric) Cut 1 – 3.25” WOF strip, cut 6 triangles using the 60 degree line .
• Inner Capped 60:  ( Orange point, yellow Trapezoid) Make 12 – 2.5” Capped 60 units.  Cut two 2” WOF strips from a medium and light fabric.
• Half Hexagons:  (Bronze fabric) Cut one 3” WOF strip. Using the Star 60 ruler, place the 5.5” line on the bottom of the strip and cut 6 half hexies from a medium fabric.
• Outer Capped 60:  (Gold points, orange trapezoids) Make 12 Capped 60 units. Cut two 2” WOF strips from a medium and light fabric.

Stitch the center hexie triangle to the black companion triangle. Press seams open.

I used Capped 60 units as side triangles to the diamond shape created by stitching the hexie center to the black triangle. I stitched the second ring of Capped 60 units on either side of the half hexie and then stitched that pieced unit to the pieced center triangle.

Stitch 3 triangles together, pressing the seams open, repeat with the other 3 triangles.

Creating with a Star Center

When I was cutting out my hexies from the aligned panels, I had a strip left that was less than 3.25″. I usually save these for cutting out smaller hexies to applique on the quilt top. This time I trimmed the strip to 2″, the size that would make diamonds for a 2.5″ finished Star 60 unit.

See Star 60 Instructions:

I cut the diamonds following the Star 60 instructions on pages 2 – 3. I made 12 – 2.5” finished Capped 60 units.  They were trimmed down to 2.25”. Stitch a Capped 60 unit on each side of the diamonds.

Cut a 3” WOF strip.  Cut 6 companion triangles. Stitch to the Star 60 Units creating a pieced diamond. Cut another 3” WOF strip.  Cut 12 companion triangles.  Stitch to each side of the pieced diamond.

Stitch 3 together, press seam open. Stitch the remaining 3 together and press seams open.

Another Star Variation

Center: 6 identical equilateral triangles cut from 3.25” strips. Make 6 – 2.5” Star 60 Units.  I used diamonds cut from a 2” strip of 6 repeats.  Follow Star 60 instructions pages 2 – 6. Stitch the triangles to the Star 60 Units.

Make 12 – 2.5” finished Capped 60 units.  Follow Capped 60 Technique Sheet  Instructions. Stitch the Capped 60 units on both side of the pieced diamond.

Carefully pin and stitch 3 pieced triangles together, press seams open.  Stitch the remaining 3 triangles together.  Press the seams open.

I encourage you to “Play Among the Stars” with the Star 60 tool and the 8 technique sheets that create:

• Checkerboard 60
• Hollow Cube 60
• Capped 60
• Quad 60
• Striped 60
• Framed 60
• Star 60 Log Cabin
• Power Strip 60

@studio180design #star60tool #debtucker @amysquiltroom