Many people have seen Jenny from Missouri Star Quilt Company’s video on making a quilt she calls Starburst, and would like to make it bigger. Me too.
Yes, I am breaking another rule, because I haven’t made this quilt yet. I’m actualy playing with HST’s right now in another project, but I thought I’d have some fun ‘on paper’ with this for a moment. I’ll post that project later.
Jenny’s quilt is 57×57 including a 4.5″ border [48×48 without border]. It uses 16 colored or focus print Layer cake pieces [10″ square], and 16 background layer cake [or 10″ square] pieces. She has 8 rows and 8 columns for 64 Half Square Triangle [HST] blocks.
I designed the same quilt using 36 colored Layer Cake pieces [plus 36 background Layer Cake pieces] based on her method shown in the video above resulting in a 6.5″ block. The blocks will actually be close to 6 3/4 inches, but most HST’s need trimming, so lets go with 6 1/2. The “finished” or sewn size of the block will be 6″
I am just going to call the 10″ layer cake pieces “LC” from here on because I don’t like to type that much.
With same size border [4.5 finished size – cut at 5″] as Jenny’s it will be 81×81 or 72×72 without. It is 12 blocks across by 12 blocks down = 144 HST blocks total and uses 36 print LCs and 36 background LCs
I also colored the original 8 rows and 8 columns of blocks differently to help visualise the added on rows.
Color option with the incomplete diamonds on the outside edges blending into the border, which I like better.
For the 81×81 quilt with border option above you will need:
30 print LC pieces
30 background LC pieces
10 LC pieces cut from border fabric
4 pieces 6.5 square also from your border fabric.
Yardage for this border layout is 2 1/2, but I would buy more.
to make
100 Print/Background HSTs – from 25 pcs of each LC
20 Border/Print HSTs – from 5 pcs of each LC
20 Border/Background HSTs – from 5 pcs of each LC
4 Background corner squares 6.5″
If you’re a math geek, I know this only adds up to 70 LCs but that is because you aren’t sewing HSTs in the 4 corners.
Want to go bigger?
How about 93×93 with the 4.5 border like Jennys, or 84×84 without. Layer cakes tyically come in packs of 40, so you’ll have to hit up your stash because this one will use 49 LC pieces [each of the focus print and background].
There are 14 rows and 14 columns. Again, I have colored the original 8 rows and 8 columns of blocks differently to help visualise the added on rows.
Even bigger?
This is 100×100 with the incomplete diamonds on the outside edges blending in to a 2″ border, that will take 56 LC pieces [each of the focus print and background].
Again, I have colored the original 8 rows and 8 columns of blocks differently to help visualise the added on rows. This one has 16 rows and columns.
Recipe for this 100×100 Starburst quilt with 2″ [cut 2.5] border blending into the design:
16 blocks across by 16 blocks down = 256 blocks
Center will be 96×96 and will require:
56 print LC pieces
56 background LC pieces
14 LC pieces cut from border fabric
4 pieces 6.5 square also from your border fabric.
Yardage for this border layout is 2 yds, but I would buy more to be safe.
to make:
196 Print/Background HSTs – from 49 pcs of each LC
28 Border/Print HSTs – from 7 pcs of each LC
28 Border/Background HSTs – from 7 pcs of each LC
4 Background corner squares 6.5″
but wait!
You talked and I listened – and it snowed – and I was bored – and I was waiting for coffee. . .
I went LONGER!
Oh yes, I did! The first one is off center with the added rows at the bottom. In case you started the 81×81 and gave up because you wanted it longer , or maybe you just want to be different.
This is a 81×93 Long OFF CENTER with 4.5 blended border [cut 5″] layout and uses 36 layer cake pieces. It is 12 blocks across by 14 blocks down for a total of 168 blocks
The recipe for the 81×93 LONG OFF CENTER with blended border quilt is
36 print LC pieces
36 background LC pieces
12 LC pieces cut from border fabric
4 pieces 6.5 square also from your border fabric.
Yardage for this border layout is 2 1/2, but I would buy more to be safe.
To make
120 Print/Background HSTs – 30 of each LC
22 Border/Print HSTs – 6 of each LC*
22 Border/Background HSTs – 6 of each LC*
4 Background corner squares 6.5″
* you will have 2 HST’s left over. Use all 4 and make a pillow!
Maybe you just need to stay centered. In that case, here it is. Also 81×93 but if you pay attention the corners are different on these two quilt layouts. The colors wrap around the outside corners on this centered one, and the off-centered one has a couple of orphan blocks that do not make a diamond by the two bottom corners. I know, you may not have noticed, but when you get to sewing it, I want you to be aware. I do like both of these much better than the square ones, and I intend to make one . . . . enventually.
To make this 81×93 Long CENTERED with 4.5 blended border quilt, you will need:
36 print LC pieces
36 background LC pieces
12 LC pieces cut from border fabric
The yardage for the border is 2 1/2
To make:
120 Print/Background HSTs – from 30 of each LC
24 Border/Print HSTs – from 6 of each LC
24 Border/Background HSTs – from 6 of each LC
One more size before my head explodes.
93×105 long with the blended border [84×96 before the 4.5 outer border], and uses 49 Layer Cake Pieces. It is 14 blocks across by 16 blocks down for 224 blocks total.
For this 93×105 Long CENTERED with 4.5 blended border [cut 5″] you will need:
49 print LC pieces
49 background LC pieces
14 LC pieces cut from border fabric
The yardage for the border is 2 3/4
To make:
168 Print/Background HSTs – from 42 of each LC
28 Border/Print HSTs – from 7 of each LC
28 Border/Background HSTs – from 7 of each LC
by the way, the prints for all 3 of these rectangular Starburst quilts are from the Kaffe Fasset Collective.
I hope you enjoyed my resized version’s of Jenny’s lovely quilt!
Now, incase you want to cut your own layer cake squares, here is a Pre-Cut Yardage Chart so you’ll know how much yardage you’ll need.
#JennysStarburstEnlarged #BiggerStarburstLayout #LayerCake4HSTmethod #StarburstUnsquared
whatwerks 