I Wish You a Merry QAL! Block 11: North Star

Block 11 is here in the I Wish You a Merry Quilt-A-Long, and it is North Star by Kathleen McCormick! It is a beautiful block! I can't believe that there is only one more block after this one. As a host, I am presenting my version of the block and my tips for completing it. Remember that all 12 of the blocks in the I Wish You a Merry Quilt-A-Long are available for free on the designer's  web site until January 15, 2018 at midnight. I am  offering links to the released block patterns on my Quilt Alongs page until then. Collect them all!

Here is my version of North Star.

North Star by Kathleen McCormick

Kathleen provided instructions for paper piecing the block and for piecing the block using a Tri-Recs ruler. I really appreciate that because I prefer piecing over paper piecing. However, I do not have a Tri-Recs ruler. I  do have a Triangle in a Square Ruler from Quilt in a Day though. It turns out I was able to use it instead! 

However, the first thing I did was make the Square in a Square. center.  I decided to fussy cut the center.  I used my 4 1/2" Fussy Cut ruler from Quilt in a Day. When cutting the fussy cut, it is important to remember which corners will be covered by the corner pieces and to center your preferred image.  After cutting the center, I added the corner pieces as directed. See the photos below.

Fussy Cutting the Center

Completed Square in a Square Center

In order to make the Triangle in a Square blocks, I first cut a 3" by 21" strip of each triangle fabric and sewed the strips together with a 1/4" seam to make a strip set as shown below. Then I cut the strip set into 5" sub strips as shown. From each of these subsets, it was easy to cut triangles with the Quilt in a Day Triangle ruler and a rotating mat. I just centered the triangle by eye, See the photos below.

Cutting the Strip Set

Cutting the Triangles on a Rotating Mat

Once the Triangles were complete, pairs of 3" by 6" rectangles of background fabric were stacked right sides together and cut on the diagonal. Then, the triangles were stacked on each side of the center triangles. Notice that the stacks of the triangles are  the mirror images of each other. Sew the background side triangles to each side of the center triangle. See photos below.

Center Triangle and Background Side Triangles

Sewing the Background Side Triangles to the Center Triangle

After sewing on both background side triangles to each center Triangle, I trimmed the Triangle in a Square to a 4 1/2" square using the Quilt in a Day Triangle in a Square ruler and a rotating mat. See photos below.

Trim the Triangle in a Square.

Completed Triangle in a Square

​Then, the four corner blocks were completed as directed. See a finished corner block in the photo below.

Finished Corner Block

​The pieces were then laid out as shown below.

Sew the Blocks into Rows and Then Sew the Rows Together

​My completed version of the blcok is in the photo below.

North Star by Kathleen McCormick

Thanks for a great block, Kathleen!
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Where Can I Find the Pattern and the Designer's Tutorial?

Go to Kathleen McCormick for the pattern and designer tutorial.

What Are the Prizes for Block 11?

A big thank you to Shari Butler of Doohikey Designs and Jennifer Fulton at The Inquiring Quilter!

How Do I Enter to WIn the Giveaways for Block 11?

There are three ways to enter. Do one of the following by December 4, 2017 at 11:55 pm  EST:

1. Upload a photo of your finished block to Kathleen McCormick's Linky Party.
2. Upload a photo of your finished block to the I Wish You a Merry Quilt-A-Long Facebook Group.
3. Upload a photo of your finished block to Instagram using #iwishyouamerryqal.

I Want to See More Versions of the Block. Who are the other hosts?

Abbie at Sparkle On
April at JANDA Bend Quilts (That's me!)
Becca at Pretty Piney
Bobbi at Snowy Days Quilting
Diane at Cwilt Fabrics & Haberdashery
Jennifer at The Inquiring Quilter
Karen at Tu-Na Quilts
Laura at Slice of Pi Quilts 
Sandy at Sandy Star Designs
Sherry at Powered by Quilting
Vanda at Quilt in Piece

I Have Questions. Who Can I Ask?

You can ask me in a comment to this post or in an email, or you can ask the designer Kathleen McCormick.

When Will the Next Block and Setting Examples Be Released?

Block 12 and examples of setting  will be released Decemebr 5, 2017.

Where Will I Be Able to Find Block 12 and the setting examples on December 5th?

You can find the Block 12 pattern by Laura Piland at Slice of Pi Quilts. A link to her blog will be found here at JANDA Bend Quilts, on I Wish You a Merry Quilt-A-Long Facebook Group, or on any other host's blog.

Thanks for joining me and Happy Quilting!

This post was originally published at JANDA Bend Quilts.