February 2003 Block of the Month
Octagonal Star
(12 1/2" unfinished – 12" finished)
Make Side Units using quick flying geese units:
Cut four 6 1/2" x 3 1/2" rectangles of Light and eight 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares of
Dark to make the side units (flying geese units)
To
Make Quick Flying Geese Units:
Place a square on top of one of the rec
tangles,
right sides together, matching outside edges.
Stitch diagonally across square from corner to corner (dotted line on
figure), Cut on solid line, approximately 1/4" from the stitching
line. Press triangle out.
Place
a second square of fabric on the other side of the rectangle, again matching
outside edges. Stitch diagonally
across square, trim and press to finish flying geese unit.
After you have pressed out the flying geese units, square them up to 6 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Cut 4 light squares each 3 1/2" for corner squares. Sew a corner square to each end of two of the flying geese units.
To make the center square:
For a scrappy block with 4 different dark fabrics in the center pinwheel, cut one 3" square of each fabric and divide in half diagonally into half square triangles. Of the light fabric, cut one 4 1/2" square and divide it diagonally twice into four quarter square triangles. Sew each light triangle to a dark triangle, matching short sides.
Cut two 3 7/8" light squares and divide each diagonally into half square triangles. Sew each to one of the dark/light units.
Sew these four units into the center square. The center square should measure 6 1/2". Sew the two flying geese units without corner squares to each side of this center square.
Finish block by sewing the Flying Geese/Corner square units to the other two sides of the center square.