Tutorial: Modern Circle in a star Quilt

(NOTE! I’ve reloaded the pictures per request again- sorry about that, I hope I got the pictures in the right order)

As promised, I am listing my tutorial/ directions for how to make this modern looking circle in a star quilt!

using directional fabrics and having the star points all face the right way up!

finished size is

50″ x 61″

Items needed: a FQ bundle of 20 FQs WITH NO WASTE!!!

( have one piece from each FQ measuring 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ leftover)

( I used this FQ bundle of 21 from Riley Blake- but have one block leftover)

Backing 54 x 65″ ( or 3 yds approx for a pieced backing)

batting same size

Additional 1/2 yd for binding.

Heat n Bond for applique

I prewash all my fabrics and iron and starch them before cutting.

Cutting directions:

Lay out a layer of 4-6 FQs as shown and trim the edges.

Make sure the fabrics are laid out with the top of the fabrics being toward the top

( some of my fabrics had writing on them etc)

First cut a strip that’s 5″ wide ( x 18″)

then two strips 2 1/2″ each

Take the 5″ strip and cut it again 4 1/2″ across

then subcut into 2 1/2″ ( on the 5″ side- so you have two “towers”)

With the remaining 5″ strip, trim to 4 1/2″ now and cut two pieces 2 1/2″ across and one

4 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ square, lay them out like shown.

From the 2 1/2″ strips, cut (12) 2 1/2″ squares

(4 for the corners and 8 for the star points)

From the remaing FQ pile cut a 4″ strip ACROSS as shown and sub cut this into a 4″ square

(This is for the circle)

cut the remaining FQs like this and put the rest aside for now.

when I cut the pieces, I lay out the blocks and lay out the 8 squares for the star points on top of the side and top rectangles

you’ll mix up the order of them later

Now Go back to your LARGE leftover scraps from the FQs and cut as follows:

First cut ACROSS 2″ twice as shown on the bottom of the picture and trim to 8 1/2″

The cut DOWN 2″ strips (3 times) as well and trim (2) to 8 1/2″ strips also

the last strip, cut into (4) 2″ squares

Lay them out like this around your pile of block pieces

Now the FUN part of appliqueing and matching up pairs of fabrics.

I used my GO! cutter for this steop but you can trace and cut out instead.

first cut out 3 1/2″ squares of Heat N Bond and iron on the back of all the 4″ squares (20 of them)

then cut out a 3″ circle. I used the Go! cutter and circle die for this.

Now iron on the circle to the center of the 4 1/2″ squares.

Here it’s FUN to pick what colors go well together. You may want to match up the pairs first before ironing them together.

I machine appliqued the circles with a button hole stitch and grey thread.

This is how I did it.

After I stitched all the way around ONE circle I moved another circle block and started with a few stitches BEFORE cutting away the square already done.

Finish all 20!

Now to the TRICKY piecing! Here’s a mock up of what one block would look like, the stripes all go up and down and the text in the bubbles are also facing the right way

first take 8 of the 2 1/2″ squares and lay them out right side up and facing the right way

Flip them over (still facing the right way) and draw a diagonal line with a pencil and ruler, the pencil and ruler show the way.

The four on the left, the diagonal goes from top left to bottom right,

the 4 on the right, the line goes from top right to bottom left!

repeat with the other 19 sets.

some sets I was ‘lucky” that the fabric for the star points were non directional, but still the background is.

So next to my machine I lay out the mock block with the rectangle and the 2 1/2″ squares with the drawn lines. I position the squares on top of the rectangles on each of the four and have the line go from the upper corner (away from the center square and down toward the middle)

Then on my machine I FEED the DOG and sew ON the line.

This block had the opposite, the background fabric was non directional and the points of the star WERE.

I’m Just showing the LEFT side of the rectangles- so as you look at the rectangle from the center the squares is on the LEFT for now

the TOP rectangle, again with the drawn line going down as mentioned above.

The TOP of the 2 1/2″ is facing LEFT ( right sides together of course)

the right and left rectangles, the TOP of the 2 1/2″ squares are facing RIGHT

the bottom rectangle, same as the top, the top of the 2 1/2″ square is facing LEFT.

(So TOP and BOTTOM face LEFT)

(SIDES face RIGHT)

sorry for the blurry picture, but wanted to show that on STRIPED fabrics, you just lay them with the stripes going to the sides on all 4 rectangles

After the squares are sewn onto to rectangles, trim away the excess to 1/4″ and iron toward the square ( star point)

Now onto the RIGHT side of the rectangles

The TOP and BOTTOM rectangles the squares are facing to the RIGHT (opposite of before)

If you are ever confused, lay it out and flip and LOOK before you sew, just to make sure.

Now on the side rectangles, the 2 1/2″ squares are facing LEFT.

(again sorry for the blurry pic)

Again with another striped fabric, the stripes on the 2 1/2″ squares are facing sideways.

Again after all the squares are sewn on, trim away the excess to 1/4″ and iron toward the squares.

finish sewing together the blocks and have them look like this.

Now sew on the 8 1/2″ x 2″ strips and 2″ squares and pay attention to the TOP of the fabrics again.

finish all 20 blocks!

Here’s my pile of 20 blocks all done, now it time to SORT them

I sorted a pile for 10 where the circle was LIGHT and 10 where the circle was DARK.

sometimes it helps to take a B/W picture of the block to determine what’s darker and what’s lighter

then I took my blocks to the design wall and laid them out, alternating dark and light circles!

Then sewed it all together.

Now I went back to my scraps from the FQ piles and cut this for the borders:

From the larger scrap ( the one that’s TALLER than wide) I cut 3 1/2″ x 6″ ( the 6″ being on the LONG side) easy to see, there’s No other way!

20 of them for the side border.

then the piece left over from when you cut the 4″ square for the circle, trim that to 3 1/2″ and cut it 6″ also. You’ll have 20 but only need 16 for the top and bottom border,

so take 4 left overs and cut into 3 1/2″ squares.

(I used non directional fabrics on these)

Then I laid them out next to my completed top and played aorund with the placement of the border pieces and sewed together the side strips first and onto the top, then the top and bottom borders get the corner pieces attached and sewn onto the top as well.

A FUN quilt!!

and NO SCRAPS

(sorry for the LOOONG tutorial)

let me know any feedback 🙂 

Here’s a cutting file I created in EQ,

the dark parts are the ones that are scraps, depending on your FQ it may be even LESS