Patchwork Pillows

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Before you glance ahead at my directions for pillow construction, let me point out a few ground rules: Try to cut your patchwork pieces with the grain (or weave) of the material ... be sure that the individual components are as uniform as possible (even tiny inconsistencies can add up, sometimes causing lopsided blocks) ... always group the sections you're working with before you sew any seams (one seemingly endless session of ripping apart tiny stitches after you've mismatched the segments will convince you of the wisdom of this warning) . . . and press open each seam as you progress.

EIGHT-POINTED STAR

First select three fabrics. Then measure and cut out, from your cardboard, a 3-1/2" square and a right triangle whose equal sides, adjacent to the right angle, each measure 3-3/4" (the triangle's hypotenuse—or longest side—will span about 5-3/8"). Use the cardboard template to trace and cut out eight triangles from each of the two fabrics that will form the star motif in the patchwork's center. Next, snip out another eight triangles and four squares, which will become the star's background, from the third material.

Arrange the pieces of the quilt block as shown in Photo 1.

You'll see that the pattern is made up of 16 squares . . . and that 12 of these blocks are each composed of two right triangles. To make one of the bicolor blocks, match two triangles, right sides together . . . pin the pieces . .. and make a seam 1/4 inch from the edge of the triangle's hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle). Construct the other squares in the same manner.

Now, take your 16 squares and group them into eight sets of two side-by-side blocks, as illustrated in Photo 2 . . . then seam the appropriate edges.

When you've finished that step, pair each of the eight rectangles off with a neighbor to obtain the four squares de picted in Photo 3, and stitch the tong sides of the sections together.

At this stage, join the two pairs of squares, as in Photo 4.

Complete the Eight-Pointed Star patch work block by connecting the rectangles along the remaining seam, as in Photo 5.

ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL

To construct this slightly more complicated pattern, find two good-sized chunks of fabric—one light and the other dark—and cut cardboard patterns for a 4-1/2" square, a 2-1/2" square, and a right triangle that measures 2-3/4"-long on the sides adjacent to the right angle.

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