Ohio Star Quilt Block Pattern
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The Ohio Star quilt block is a classic block that features a large central star surrounded by smaller squares. Here are the steps to sew a basic Ohio Star quilt block:
Materials needed:
- Fabric for the star (1 color or print)
- Fabric for the background (1 color or print)
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Iron and ironing board
Instructions:
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Cut the fabric for the star into 1 square and 4 smaller squares. The larger square should be the desired finished size of your block, plus 7/8 inch for seam allowances. The smaller squares should be the same size as each other and 7/8 inch smaller than the larger square.
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Cut the fabric for the background into 4 squares, the same size as the smaller squares for the star.
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With right sides together, sew the smaller squares to the corners of the larger square, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Press the seams toward the star fabric.
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Sew two background squares together, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Repeat with the remaining two background squares.
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With right sides together, sew the two background squares to the sides of the star unit, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Press the seams toward the background fabric.
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With right sides together, sew the two remaining background squares to the top and bottom of the star unit, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Press the seams toward the background fabric.
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Trim the block to the desired finished size, making sure to keep the corners and edges square.
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Repeat the process to create additional Ohio Star quilt blocks as needed for your project.
Once you have created several Ohio Star quilt blocks, you can arrange them in different ways to create different quilt designs. Have fun experimenting with colors, fabrics, and layouts to make a beautiful and unique quilt!
On the back of the lighter fabric, draw a pencil line, diagonally from corner to corner.
Stack a pair of light and dark squares, right sides together. Sew a 1/4 inch seam allowance on each side of the line.
You will end up with something like this.
Now cut along the diagonal line.
Press the seam together to set the seam. Then press towards the darkest fabric.
To trim the block to the exact size line up the diagonal 45°angle with the ruler on your seam.
And then carefully trim your block with a rotary cutter.
On the back of the lightest square draw a pencil line 90° to the existing seam on the diagonal:
Butt the central seems:
Sew a 1/4 inch seam allowance on the right and left side of the diagonal line.
Then cut the seam on the pencil line.
The secret to the nine patch is all about ironing seams so that they butt when they are joined.
Cut 5 A squares and 4 B squares in the required size.
Chain piecing, join a B square to only 3 of the A squares, right sides together, with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. No need to press just yet.
The result will be:
Next, take the remaining A and B squares and, chain piecing, join them to these units, right sides together, with a one 1/4 inch seam allowance:
Your result will be:
To make this faster you can cut strips.
Cut A and B strips for the appropriate width, and join them into A/B/A and B/A/B units. Note you will need twice the length of B/A/B strips, as there are two of these units. Once your strips are joined, right sides together, with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Press every seam towards the dark fabric.
Cut across your pre-joined strips to create the units needed for the nine patch:
You will achieve the same result as above, but this method is faster.
To make a standard 9 patch, the width of the unit cut from pre-joined strips is the same as the width of the original strips.
Press all the seams to the dark fabric so that all the seems butt up.
Join the B/A/B units to your A/B/A units with butted seams, right sides together, with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
The direction of the final, central seam is optional. But guided by the placement of the block in the larger scheme, and wherever possible, iron to facilitate budding the seam joints.
Wider Application:
Just as the 4 patch, you can apply this methodology to all kinds of 9 patch blocks. As long as the patch has an underlying 3x3 grid, no matter how many pieces, the basic principle applies. It is repeated over and over, each 9 patch laying adjacent to the next 9 patch. As long as you keep pressing seams in pairs of opposite directions, piecing will be smooth sailing.
Try these out. Each block has an underlying 3x3 grid, and can be pieaced as a 9 patch.
Sometimes it is not obvious which direction is the dark with complicated blocks like those above. Just remember the basic ironing plan is:
How to Resize Quilt Blocks:
