Stars
Star patterns can be found in the full range of block grids. There is the one patch star, the 1904 star in the four patch block and the Maltese Star in the nine patch block to name but a few.
Several block patchwork patterns can also be found which incorporate the eight pointed star, for example: Sunshine and Shadow, Star of the East and Arkansas Traveller.
Setting-In
The creation of these star patterns is generally seen as being suitable for the quilter with some experience as the piecing of the fabric usually involves the technique of ‘setting-in’ and the eight-seam join. Harriet Hargrave and Sharyn Craig note in ‘The Art of Classic Quiltmaking’, that many quilters avoid set-in piecing either because they believe that it can only be done by hand or the methods they have tried have produced puckers, pleats and seams that do not lie flat. Harriet and Sharyn show that set-in piecing can be achieved by machine and how to avoid the above problems. Particularly with machine setting-in, they advise the use of either a straight stitch foot or an open toed appliqué foot.
Setting-in is also known as ‘Y-seaming’ as three pieces of fabric are attached in such a way as to create a Y shaped seam. A star shape is produced in several ways by piecing together diamond, triangle, parallelogram and/or square shaped pieces of fabric.
LeMoyne Star
A classic example of the eight seam join is the ‘LeMoyne Star’ which is made up of eight diamond shapes. The problem here is that with any eight pointed star, eight seams will meet in the centre of the star, thus creating the problem of bulk in the middle of the pattern.
In her book ‘The Complete Book of Patchwork, Quilting and Applique’, Linda Seward advises that if sewing the eight seam by hand then all of the seam allowances should be pressed in the same direction. Then swirl the seam allowances in the middle of the star to reduce bulk before gently pressing.
If machine piecing the eight point star, the advice is always to attach in the following way. First attach two diamonds together to form a quarter star and then do this with the other diamonds. Then attach two quarter diamonds to form a half diamond. At this stage clip off the fabric tails from the seam allowances which will be in the middle of the half star. Finally, with one seam right across, sew the two half stars together.
Setting-in and eight seam joins do not necessarily mean lumps and bumps in your patchwork and they are definitely worth trying. As Linda Seward notes, "Some of the most attractive patchwork patterns contain pieces that meet in a multiple join, such as the eight seam join in the middle of the LeMoyne star".