Materials
- 50cm (⅝yd) multi-coloured stripe
print fabric #1 (large centre star) —
see note - 20cm (¼yd) orange print fabric
(inner star) - 30cm (⅜yd) white print fabric
(centre star background) - 18cm (7in) square of black print
fabric (star centre) - 50cm (⅝yd) purple spot print fabric
(star ring) - 50cm (⅝yd) yellow print fabric
(star ring) - 1.2m (1⅜yd) large-scale black
print fabric (star block surround)
— see note - 1.5m (1¾yd) black and yellow print
fabric (Border 1) - 1m (1⅛yd) black spot print fabric
(Border 2) - 1m (1⅛yd) cream print fabric
(Border 2) - 20cm (¼yd) grey print fabric
(Border 2 corners) - 65cm (¾yd) multi-coloured stripe
print fabric (binding) - 3.6m (3⅞yd) backing fabric
- Batting at least 170cm
(69in) square - 2.3m (2½yd) aqua jumbo ricrac,
35mm (1⅜in) wide - Freezer paper
- Paper for foundations — newsprint
is ideal - Compass and light
cardboard - Sandpaper board (optional)
- Spray starch
- Erasable fabric-marking pen
and fine mechanical pencil - Rotary cutter, ruler and mat
- Sewing machine with ¼in foot
- General sewing supplies
Note: If you wish to mimic Chris’ quilt
by fussy cutting a stripe print fabric
for the large centre star, you will need
sufficient fabric to enable you to
cut 12 shapes from identical printed
motifs. Depending on the nature
of the print you are using, you may
need more than 50cm (⅝yd) fabric.
The large-scale black print fabric
for the star block surround needs to
be wide enough to allow you to cut
a 42½in square from it. Foundation
piecing is used in this project and the
instructions assume a good working
knowledge of this technique. Sew all
the foundation-piecing seams with a
short stitch length to make it easier to
remove the papers without affecting
the stitching.
Preparation and cutting
1
Trace Templates A, B and C
onto the matt side of the freezer
paper — including the inner lines, dots
and markings — and cut them out
accurately on the outer lines. To use
these templates, lightly fuse them to
the right side of the fabric and cut the
shape out of the fabric immediately
next to the template. Take care not
to trim the templates as you do this,
otherwise they will diminish in size as
you work, leading to inaccuracies later
on. The templates are re-usable: gently
peel them off the fabric and lightly fuse
them to the remaining fabric to cut
additional shapes. If a template loses
its stickiness, make another one.2
Trace the foundations from the
Pattern Sheet onto paper and cut
them out outside their outer lines. You
will need to trace four Foundation D, 16
Foundation E, four Foundation F and
eight Foundation G.
From multi-coloured stripe print fabric
#1, cut:- 12 A shapes. Transfer the dots and
marks from the template onto the
fabric using an erasable fabric-
marking pen. If you are fussy cutting,
refer to the Fussy Cutting Tips
From the orange print fabric, cut: - 12 C shapes. Transfer the dots and
marks from the template onto the
fabric using an erasable fabric-
marking pen
Fussy Cutting Tips
- To audition a fabric for fussy
cutting, lay the template on the
fabric and move it round until
you find an interesting part of
the design to feature in your
shapes. Bear in mind that the
outer ¼in on each edge of the
shape will be lost in the seam
allowance. - Lay the fabric on a sandpaper
board if you have one: it will
grip the fabric and prevent it
from moving while you trace.
Lay the template on the chosen
part of the design and use a
fine mechanical pencil to trace
some of the printed lines on it.
Before moving the template,
cut the fabric for your first
shape around its outer edge. - Position the template on
the same part of the design
elsewhere on the fabric, exactly
matching the lines you’ve
traced on the template with
the printed lines on the fabric
and cut out the shape. Continue
in this manner to cut all the
shapes you need, each with
exactly the same part of the
design on them.