Snowball Stars Quilt
Looking for a quick and easy way to use up your scraps? Well, look no further!
Snowball Stars is a perfect Sawtooth Star inspired pattern to put all your 2½" square scraps to use…because I cannot possibly be the only one with extra binding strips just floating about (or the only one who loves a break from HSTs!).
And, bonus, there isn’t a HST in sight: all the triangles are made by “snowballing” the corners of the blocks (because I cannot possibly be the only one who gets tired of trimming HSTs).
Snowball Stars Quilt Pattern
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Finished Size: 60" x 60"
Seam Allowance: All cutting instructions factor in a ¼" seam allowance
Yardage/WOF: Width of fabric (WOF) is assumed to be 42"
Materials
Accent Fabrics: you’ll need a total of (128) 2½" squares. Don’t have the necessary scraps? Want to use yardage? You’ll need five ¼ yds (FQs will work too) of different fabrics.
Background Fabric: 3¼ yds (you can get away with 3 yds. but it leaves no room for error: if you want extra room to make mistakes (like me!), get the extra ¼ yd.)
Binding: ½ yd.
Backing: I love the idea of pairing the "scrappy" stars on the front with a scrappy back, but if you’d prefer to have a single fabric back, you’ll need 4 yds. of backing fabric.
Cutting Instructions
Cut the following pieces (total number of pieces required are in parentheses):
Accent Fabrics:
2½" x 2½" (128)
If you’re using yardage, here's how I'd cut it:
Fabric A, B, C, D:
2½” x WOF (1): subcut 2½" x 2½" (16)
2½” x 22½" (1): subcut 2½" x 2½" (9)
Fabric E:
2½” x WOF (1): subcut 2½" x 2½" (16)
2½” x 30” (1): subcut 2½" x 2½" (12)
Background Fabric:
You’ll need the following pieces of Background Fabric (total number is in parenthesis):
6½" x 6½" (36)
6½" x 8½" (36)
8½" x 8½" (9)
Here’s how I’d cut it out from your yardage:
6½" x WOF (6):
subcut (6): 6½" x 6½" (6)
8½" x WOF (8):
subcut (1): 8½" x 8½" (1); 8½" x 6½" (4)
subcut (2): 8½" x 8½" (4); 8½" x 6½" (1)
subcut (5): 8½" x 6½" (6)
Binding: 2½" x WOF (7)
How to snowball your blocks
To start, you’re going to snowball your blocks. How do you snowball the corner of a block, you ask? Don't worry: it's easy!
To start, draw a diagonal line on the back of a 2½" square, then line it up on the corner of the background piece, pin, and sew down the diagonal line (step 1). Trim the corner (along the dotted line in step 2), leaving a ¼" seam allowance (step 3). Press. And voila (step 4)!
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Quilt Block Assembly
Make (16) of the following blocks with (16) of the 6½" x 6½" squares by snowballing two adjacent corners:
Make (24) of the following blocks with (24) of the 6½" x 8½" rectangles by snowballing all four corners:
Side note: I like to toss all my 2½” squares in a bag and draw them out randomly as I sew. But you do you and plan as much or as little as you want!
Quilt Top Assembly
Once you’ve got all your blocks ready to go, it’s time to lay them out following the diagram below. Once you’ve got an arrangement of your scrappy (or not so scrappy) blocks that you like, sew it all together (by rows first or by columns: it doesn’t matter!).
Finishing Instructions
BASTE + QUILT
Trim the backing fabric to size. Place the backing fabric wrong side up on a flat surface, followed by the batting, and then the quilt top right side up. Baste using your preferred method and quilt as desired.
TRIM + SQUARE UP
Square up the quilt, trimming the excess batting and backing.
BIND
Make the binding tape by joining the strips right sides together on the diagonal, pressing seams open. Fold the tape in half lengthwise with the wrong sides together and iron flat. Line the raw edges of the binding tape to the edge of the quilt and sew. Fold the tape over and either whipstitch the binding by hand or machine stitch the binding to attach it.
