Block of the month · November 2026

Friendship star

Four half-square triangles and five squares make a star that seems to spin. The friendliest first star block there is.

Email me each month's block Cutting chart

In the studio, cut every piece of your friendship star quilt in Cut Mode to earn the Block of the month badge.

What to cut for one block

Sizes include ¼" seam allowances. The finished block is the size in the heading; it measures ½" more before it's sewn into the quilt.

6" block

Background

  • 2 squares 2⅞ × 2⅞" (Pair each with a square of Star (B1), draw a diagonal, sew ¼" either side, cut on the line. Makes 2 half-square triangles per pair; trim to 2½")
  • 4 squares 2½ × 2½"

Star

  • 2 squares 2⅞ × 2⅞" (Pair each with a square of Background (A1), draw a diagonal, sew ¼" either side, cut on the line. Makes 2 half-square triangles per pair; trim to 2½")
  • 1 square 2½ × 2½"

Makes 4 half-square triangles.

9" block

Background

  • 2 squares 3⅞ × 3⅞" (Pair each with a square of Star (B1), draw a diagonal, sew ¼" either side, cut on the line. Makes 2 half-square triangles per pair; trim to 3½")
  • 4 squares 3½ × 3½"

Star

  • 2 squares 3⅞ × 3⅞" (Pair each with a square of Background (A1), draw a diagonal, sew ¼" either side, cut on the line. Makes 2 half-square triangles per pair; trim to 3½")
  • 1 square 3½ × 3½"

Makes 4 half-square triangles.

12" block

Background

  • 2 squares 4⅞ × 4⅞" (Pair each with a square of Star (B1), draw a diagonal, sew ¼" either side, cut on the line. Makes 2 half-square triangles per pair; trim to 4½")
  • 4 squares 4½ × 4½"

Star

  • 2 squares 4⅞ × 4⅞" (Pair each with a square of Background (A1), draw a diagonal, sew ¼" either side, cut on the line. Makes 2 half-square triangles per pair; trim to 4½")
  • 1 square 4½ × 4½"

Makes 4 half-square triangles.

The friendship star is a nine-patch with a twist: four of the nine squares are half-square triangles, turned so their points chase each other around the centre. That's why the star seems to spin.

It got its name from signature quilts. Friends each made a block and wrote their name in the plain centre square, and the blocks were sewn together as a gift. It still works that way: make one with your quilting group, or ask everyone in the family to sign a centre.

Tips for sharp points

  • Press each half-square triangle towards the star fabric before you trim, so the seams nest against the background squares.
  • Trim every half-square triangle to the size in the chart. A star with four slightly different triangles never lies flat.
  • Sew in rows of three, then join the rows, matching the seams where the star points meet.

Make it yours

Use a bold star on a quiet background, so the value contrast carries the shape. Scrappy stars (a different fabric in every block) look wonderful set side by side, and a jelly-roll border pulls them together.

Make it a quilt

Thirty blocks, five across and six down, with a 4" border: a throw. Open it in the studio to change the size, swap in your own fabrics, and get every strip and subcut worked out.

Join early access

A new block every month

One email a month with the new block, its cutting chart and a quilt to make with it. Stop any time from the email.