Delightful Stars Booklet

Finished size: 92″ x 108″
Skill level: Advanced Beginner
Technique: Piecing and Paper Piecing
Format: PDF file (download and save instantly) [195 pages]

Delightful Stars is an extra large, queen-sized quilt. This dazzling quilt top really shines with a high contrast colour palette. The unique top, set in a puzzle-like layout is certain to challenge the accuracy of your piecing! Five borders surround the centre top, bringing emphasis to all of your beautiful points. This project is sure to bring you from an advanced beginner to a confident intermediate quilter!

This comprehensive Booklet contains:

• 25 unique star blocks, seven of which are paper pieced.
• 28 comprehensive lessons including: full color drawings, construction diagrams, photos and numerous tips.
• Recommended products and tips for improving quilting accuracy.
• Tutorials for creating half-square, quarter-square, split quarter-square triangles, flying geese and skinny flying geese units.
• Finishing up instructions including creating the quilt back, choosing batting, basting, quilting and binding.
• Links to various tutorials, resources and videos for further information.
• Appendix A: Creating Triangle and Flying Geese Units – Includes step-by-step instructions of two methods for creating the triangle and flying geese units used in the star blocks.
• Appendix B: Paper Piecing Tutorial – Includes step-by-step instructions on how to paper piece along with six sample blocks aimed at the beginner to learn the technique.
• Appendix C: Color Charts – Contains blank color charts to assist in planning the quilt.

Delightful Stars is an advanced beginner quilt, leaning towards the intermediate quilter. Skills needed include the ability to accurately sew a 1/4″ seam allowance and accurate cutting so that the puzzle-like design will fit together correctly. You should be very comfortable making triangle units.

Fabric Requirements

Many of the star blocks have several different colors/fabrics used in them. I recommend a range of light, medium and dark fabrics for best results. The estimated fabric requirements are presented below and assume that the two colored borders will be pieced with scraps from the fat quarters used in the quilt top.

• 6.5 yards contrast for background.
• 34-40 fat quarters (8.5 to 10 yards) – you need a wide variety of different fabrics to complete the star blocks.
• Approximately 8 yards backing depending on how you choose to piece the back.
• One yard binding.

If you are using a white (or very light) background, you will need to have more dark fabrics so that they can be used on the outer edges of the star blocks for contrast. The same idea applies if you are using black (or very dark) as the background, you will need a wide variety of light (or medium) fabrics that will contrast against the black. Generally speaking, I don’t recommend a print for the background unless it is tone-on-tone and provides great contrast with your chosen fabrics.

Recommended Tools & Products

The following tools are recommended for completing this quilt. Further discussion is provided in the Booklet. Please note that these are not required, but only recommended.

• Easy Star & Geese Ruler 
• Specialty paper for paper piecing
• Add a Quarter Ruler
• Mary Ellen’s Best Press or Magic Sizing

If you have the Easy Angle & Companion Angle rulers, they will work perfectly in place of the Easy Star & Geese Ruler indicated above.