Quiltspiration

Friendship Star quilt block

Four half-square triangles turned like a pinwheel around a center square, with plain squares in the corners. It is small and quick, and a favorite for scrappy and signature quilts.

The Friendship Star is pieced on a 3 × 3 grid, so a 12" block has 4" grid squares.

Friendship Star quilt block in cranberry and cream
In cranberry and cream
Friendship Star quilt block in navy and white
In navy and white

Cutting for 6", 7½", 9", 12" blocks

Cutting for one block
FabricPiecesCut6" block7½" block9" block12" block
backgroundSquares42½"3"3½"4½"
backgroundHalf-square triangles22⅞"3⅜"3⅞"4⅞"
mainHalf-square triangles22⅞"3⅜"3⅞"4⅞"
mainSquares12½"3"3½"4½"

Cut sizes include ¼" seam allowances.

How to sew a 12" Friendship Star block

Friendship Star block laid out in its units before sewing
  1. Make 4 half-square triangles, 4" finished. Pair a 4⅞" background square with a 4⅞" main square right sides together. Draw a line corner to corner, sew ¼" on both sides of it, cut on the line and press. Each pair makes 2.

  2. Lay out the units as drawn and sew them into 3 rows. Press the seams of each row the opposite way from the one before so they nest, then sew the rows together. The block measures 12" finished, 12½" with seam allowance.

Quilts made with the Friendship Star block

To paint it on a board, the Friendship Star barn quilt pattern has the measurements for 2, 4 and 8 ft boards and the paint for each color.

Design a quilt with this block

Quiltspiration draws it in your own fabric and gives the cut list for any size.

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