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No collection of quilt block designs is complete without many stars as this
symbol was always a favorite.
The French Star is a Canadian pattern varying the eight-pointed star of
diamond-shaped blocks by introducing small melon-shaped pieces of the
background color or of contrasting hue. These melon-shaped pieces in turn form
a wreath and may divide the star into two colors, as rose and pink, two shades
of green or orange and yellow as suggested.
In making the French Star, sew two of the cone-shaped pieces to each white
triangle, and then sew the corner squares to two of these blocks. The small
melon-shaped blocks piece onto the center blocks; these in turn sew into a
circle to which are added the oblong blocks and strips which were made first.
This takes precise piecing but it makes an unusually attractive design when
complete, either for patchwork pillows or for a quilt top. For the quilt, piece
the star blocks together, using alternate squares of white of exactly the same
size as the pieced blocks and finish with a border of white and color set in
strips.
Material Estimate: 11-inch blocks which measure 15 1/2 inches
diagonally, may be effectively set together on the diagonal with alternate
plain white blocks. 25 pieced blocks with 16 plain blocks, 16 half blocks and 4
quarters, plus a 3-inch border of white at top and bottom only, finishes 78
inches by 84 inches, requiring 6 1/2 yards of white, 1 1/2 yards orange, and 2
yards of yellow.
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