Hello sew-friends! Are you ready for the holiday season? I've been sewing a lot of Christmas stockings and slippers the last few months and today I've been playing around adding a patchwork block to them. Today’s post is the first in a series of three that will show you how to sew these yourself. Today, we’ll be making two-color patchwork star blocks. If you follow the tutorial and cutting instructions, you’ll have two identical blocks in the end, one for each slipper or one for each side of a stocking.
UPDATE, the final two posts in the series are now live:
POST 1: How to sew a two-color patchwork star block
POST 2: How to add a patchwork block to the Quilted Slippers pattern
I love the classic look of this star design and I'm honestly a little obsessed. It's a little Christmasy but still neutral, in a welcome-to-winter way. I think it looks great using two shades of one color, as I did here, but it would also work with two different colors for a bolder look.
If you've been following me for a while, then you know that I dabble in quilting as well as garment sewing. Mostly, I use my garment making scraps to make improvisational quilts. (I have an ecourse all about it.) But, I also really enjoy patchwork. Over the past few months, I've even started designing patchwork quilts and I'm excited to explore that more in the coming year.
If you’re interested in adding the patchwork star to a pair of slippers or a stocking, you can buy those patterns at the links above.
FABRIC RECOMMENDATIONS
I recommend using quilting cotton for this project, as it will be the easiest fabric to work with. You could also use flannel or linen. Fabrics that are medium-weight and press well will work the best. For my stockings, I used quilting cottons (or similar) for the colored fabric, and muslin for the background fabric. I love the natural look of the muslin as opposed to a stark white.
How to sew a two-color patchwork star
NOTE: This tutorial is designed to work with my Quilted Slippers and Stocking patterns, so you’ll end up with two identical blocks.
If you are adding the block to your slippers or stocking, you'll first need to determine what size of block will fit on your size of slippers or stocking.
For the Quilted Slippers:
Sizes A-F, make a 3" block (finished size).
Sizes G-K, make a 4" block (finished size).
For the Stocking:
Small: make a 3" block (finished size).
Medium: make a 4" block (finished size).
Large: make a 5" block (finished size).
For this design, we'll be sewing half-square-triangles to create the two color star. You will need three colors of fabric and we'll use the eight-at-a-time method to quickly make all the half square triangles.
SEWING TIP: The trickiest thing about this block is that the pieces can be tiny, especially if you’re making the 3” block. If your fabric is diving under the throat plate when you start stitching, you can have a few options for preventing this.
First, try pulling the threads to the back as you start to stitch.
Second create a more stable surface by placing a piece of tissue or tracing paper behind the fabric and under the first 1/8-1/4" of the fabric. Stitch through the paper and fabric together.
Third, you can use a piece of scrap fabric as a "leader". Place it just behind you fabric to give the feed dogs something to grip as you start to stitch your fabric.
HOW TO SEW A PATCHWORK STAR
TOOLS & SUPPLIES
Fabric (See graphic above for cutting instructions. The star patchwork requires just a few scraps of fabric.)
Thread
Fabric marking tool
Rotary cutter and ruler
Sewing Machine and Universal Needle
Iron
INSTRUCTIONS
Make half-square-triangles (aka HSTs) using the 8-at-a-time method. You will need to do this process three times, with threedifferent color combinations (A+C, B+C and A+B). (This makes enough HSTs for two star blocks, one for each side of a stocking or for two stockings.)
STEP 1: Place two pieces of fabric right sides together. On the top piece of fabric, draw lines diagonally from corner to corner.
STEP 2: Then, using a ruler, draw a second line .25" away from each side of the diagonal lines. Stitch along the second set of lines.
STEP 3: Cut diagonally from corner to corner along the first set of drawn lines.
STEP 4: Cut again through the center of each triangle, to create eight equal pieces.
Next, we will assemble the block.
STEP 5: Press the HSTs open and trim to size. (See the video above for a demonstration.)
For the 5" block, trim each HST to 1.75" square.
For the 4" block, trim each HST to 1.5" square.
For the 3" block, trim each HST to 1.25" square.
STEP 6: Arrange the blocks in order.
STEP 7: Stitch together the columns. Press the seams in alternating directions.
STEP 8: Stitch together the rows and press. (I find it easier to press these seams open.)
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! You can use this patchwork for any project you fancy. But, stay tuned for the next two posts in the series, where we’ll add the patchwork block to the slippers and stocking. Happy sewing!
UPDATE: The final two posts are live. Here are the links:
