How to Sew a Patchwork Lone Star Quilt: Strip Sets and Matching Points

Once you’ve chosen and cut your fabrics for a Patchwork Lone Star quilt, it’s time for the fun part...

It's time to start sewing. Then cutting again. Then back to sewing!

This is one of my favorite parts of making this quilt. You start with simple fabric strips, cut them into diamond strips, and suddenly you can see the star taking shape.

If cutting on a 45-degree angle or matching diamond points is new to you, take your time. I’ll walk you through how I organize my strip sets, keep my cutting accurate, and mark and pin my seams to help those points line up.

Don't forget to get your Patchwork Lone Star quilt pattern handy for the complete instructions and diagrams. 

Plan Your Strip Sets Before Sewing

If you’re going for a completely scrappy look, organizing your strips might take very little thought. But if you want particular colors at the center or tips of your star, a little planning now will help.

One Color at the Center

To place a particular color at the center of your star, you’ll need either:

(1) WOF (width of fabric) strip of that color, placed at the top of one strip set

or

(2) 21" strips of that color, placed at the top of (2) strip sets

When you cut your diamond strips, set aside eight with that color placement for the center of your star.

One Color at the Center and Star Tips

To use the same color at both the center and each tip of your star, you’ll need either:

(2) WOF strips of that color, placed at the top of (2) strip sets

or

(4) 21" strips of that color, placed at the top of (4) strip sets

Set those diamond strips aside as you cut so you can place that color where you want as you arrange your diamonds.

Alternating Scrappy Fabrics With a Solid or Print

If you’re alternating scrappy fabrics with one solid color or print, half of your strips will be scrappy and half will be your chosen solid or print.

For scrappy fabrics at the center, start each strip set with a scrappy fabric at the top, then alternate. For the solid or print at the center, put that fabric at the top instead.

I've made a few versions like this. In one quilt I alternated dark fabrics in blacks and browns alternating with white low volume fabrics. I wanted the dark fabrics at the center, so those went at the top of my strip sets.

Sew Your Strip Sets

I like to group my fabrics before sewing. If I’m using a mix of WOF and 21" strips, I separate them by length first, then organize them into sets of four.

To cut the most diamond strips from each set, offset the strips by 2" before sewing, with the top strip overhanging the strip below it by 2". Refer to the pattern diagram as you arrange them. You should be able to cut at least (10) diamond strips from a WOF strip set and at least (5) from a 21" strip set.

I like to use a stitch length of around 1.8 mm when sewing strip sets. A shorter stitch helps keep the seams secure when we cut across them on the bias. This is especially important if you are sewing with a fabric with a looser weave than a traditional quilting cotton. I love to mix wovens and fabrics with texture into my quilts. I never have an issue, but reducing your stitch length will help reduce the fraying of a fabric with a looser weave.

After sewing your strips together press your seams open. I know pressing seams open can sometimes feel like an extra chore, but it makes the marking and matching steps much easier (at least in my experience). You’ll be able to see exactly where each seam meets your stitching line.

Cut Diamond Strips at a 45-Degree Angle

If this is your first time cutting on an angle, don’t rush. Accurate cutting here makes the next steps easier.

First, trim the selvage end of your strip set at a 45-degree angle. Align the 45-degree line on your ruler with one of the seams in the strip set, then make the cut.

Now you’re ready to cut your 2½" diamond strips:

1. Align the 45-degree line on your ruler with a seam or the straight top or bottom edge of the strip set.

2. Align the freshly cut angled edge with the ruler’s 2½" mark.

3. Check both alignments before cutting.

4. Repeat, checking the angle as you go.

Follow the pattern’s cutting instructions to cut a total of 52 diamond strips.

If you are a visual learner, check out this video on how to accurately cut diamond strips:

Check Your Angle as You Cut

It’s easy for the cutting angle to get a little wonky as you work across a strip set.

If your ruler no longer lines up correctly, stop and trim the angled edge back to 45 degrees before continuing. I find it helpful to turn the strip set around, align the ruler’s 45-degree line with the center seam, and trim. Then I turn it back and continue cutting.

It’s worth taking the time to correct the angle. Diamond strips cut at the wrong angle won’t fit together properly which will cause issues as you start sewing your strips and diamonds together.

Arrange Diamond Strips into Diamond Units

Before sewing your diamond strips together, lay them out into the eight large diamond units that will form your star. This is your chance to check the color placement and move things around before you start sewing.

And if the raw edges look a little strange where the strips meet, don’t panic!

The seam allowances and 45-degree cuts mean the unsewn pieces won’t look perfectly aligned at every edge. That alone doesn’t mean you cut something wrong. If you’ve checked your cutting measurements and angles, focus on matching the seam intersections along the stitching line.

Remember to set aside (20) of your diamond strips for your diamond border.

Mark and Pin to Match Your Diamond Points

Gather your ruler, pins, and a marking tool. A pencil, fabric marker or pencil, or hera marker can work for this step.

Keep each diamond unit’s strips in order as you start these steps. I stack mine with the strip containing the center diamond on top.

Mark the Seam Intersections

On the wrong side of the first diamond strip, align your ruler’s ¼" line with the edge you’ll be sewing.

Make a small mark at each place where a pressed-open seam crosses that ¼" stitching line.

Repeat on the wrong side of the next strip, marking ¼" from its joining edge at each seam.

These marks show where the seams need to meet when the strips are sewn together.

Pin Through the Matching Marks

Place the two strips right sides together.

Insert a pin through a marked seam intersection on the top strip, then through the corresponding mark on the bottom strip. Check that the pin passes through the seam at the mark on both pieces.

Repeat at each seam intersection, then pin the ends to help keep the strips from shifting or stretching.

Sew Through Your Marks

Sew the strips together with a consistent ¼" seam allowance. Your stitching should pass through the marks you made.

Repeat with the other two strips in that diamond unit, then join the two pairs using the same marking and pinning method.

Continue until all eight diamond units are sewn. Then press your seams open again.

Again, if you are a visual learner like me, here is a video to show this process step-by step:

A Little More Pinning, a Little Less Seam Ripping

Marking and pinning each intersection takes time, but I’ve found it takes much less time than sewing first, discovering the points don’t match, and doing it all over again.

This is the method I come back to because it gives me consistent results and keeps my seam ripper from getting too much use.

Aim for matching points, but also nearly perfect is great! Take your time, enjoy seeing your fabrics come together, and watch those strip sets turn into a star.

If you are ready to conquer your fear of angles and diamonds, get the Patchwork Lone Star quilt pattern here.

And if you missed Part 1 about choosing your fabrics and planning your quilt, you can read that post here.

Check out the final part of this series: Quilt top assembly.