Make an Easy Carpenter Star Quilt with Jenny Doan of Missouri Star
Jenny Doan- Layer Cake
- Traditional
- Double
- Beginner
- Quilt size 83" × 83"
Jenny Doan demonstrates how to make an easy version of the classic Carpenter Star quilt block using 10 inch squares of precut fabric (layer cakes). For this project, Jenny chose an Abby Rose Layer Cake by Robin Pickens for Moda Fabrics. This traditional quilt is also known as the Star of Bethlehem and Carpenter's Star. It is often made with squares and diamonds, but Jenny does it with half square triangles because they're so quick and easy to make and don't require y-seams!
Instructor
Jenny Doan
Jenny Doan is an American quilter, author, and YouTube personality. Jenny started Missouri Star Quilt Company in 2008 and today it is the largest quilting supply vendor in the United States.
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Common Questions
What is covered in Make an Easy Carpenter Star Quilt with Jenny Doan of Missouri Star?
Jenny Doan demonstrates how to make an easy version of the classic Carpenter Star quilt block using 10 inch squares of precut fabric (layer cakes). For this project, Jenny chose an Abby Rose Layer Cake by Robin Pickens for Moda Fabrics. This traditional quilt is also known as...
How long is the tutorial video?
The tutorial video is 00:06:19.
Are supplies listed for this tutorial?
Yes. The tutorial page includes the supplies and materials connected to this project.
Is a transcript available?
Yes. A written transcript is available on the tutorial page.
Video Transcript
Hi everybody, it’s Jenny from the MSQC. And look at this project behind me. This is an old block called the Carpenter Star. And I love that we made it with layer cakes and I love that we made it big and I love that we made it easy. This, we’ve got a really simplified method for you to make this quick and easy. So to make this quilt what you’re going to need is one package of ten inch squares. And we have used Abby Rose by Robin Pickens for Moda fabric. It’s a gorgeous line, isn’t it darling? It just a sings springtime. You’re going to need some background fabric for your squares. And you can use layer cakes. You’ll need 32 of those or you can use yardage, that’s 2 ¼ yards. If you use the layer cakes you will need to cut some of those down because we’ve got some squares in here that have to be cut down to 9 ½ but you know that’s worth it for me not to have to cut the whole thing. Also your border fabric, 1 ½ yards of border fabric. We’ve got a nice big six inch border out here. And then our backing, 7 ¾ yards and look at that big cabbage rose. Isn’t that gorgeous? Just a gorgeous line of fabric. Alright, let me show you how to make this because it’s super easy. It is all just squares and half square triangles. And the whole thing about this quilt is in the layout. So you just want to look at it and watch this layout because it’s going to make it all worth it to you.
So the first thing we’re going to do is we’re going to sew some squares together that are print on print. And we’re going to make half square triangles that are print on print. So you want to find some squares that have a little bit of contrast. And I’m going to find one here that’s maybe will do this pink and orange and we’ll put those together. And what we’re going to do is we are going to draw a line side to side and sew on both sides. These are great big half square triangles. And so let me draw my line here. And you’re sewing a long way on this so you’re going to want a line to help guide you. And we’re going to sew on both sides of that and that’s going to give us two 9 ½ inch half square triangles. So we’re going to go right along here. And then we’re going to flip this around and do the other side. Alright now we’re going to cut this diagonally corner to corner and press these open. Alright so now I’m going to press these. Let me move these out of the way. And you’re actually going to do, on the print on print, you’re going to make eight sets of these for a total of 16. So let me just press this back like this. And you’re just going to set these in a pile because you’ll notice for every one of these you make, on the quilt behind me you can see, there are sister blocks. So you’ll have one of these here and you’ll have one of these here. But you would never notice that until I told you.
Alright the other ones you have to make are the blocks sewn on white so these are going to be, you’re going to use a ten inch white square and a ten inch printed square. And you’re going to do the same thing. You’re going to draw the line corner to corner, sew on either side. And you’ll get two of these out of each square. So for those, for the print on white, you need 16 squares to make a total of 32 half square triangles because you’re getting two out of each one. Then you’re going to need some white squares right here, like here, up in the corner. And they are 9 ½ inches and they’re for a total of 16 of those you’re going to need. Then it’s just in this layout.
Now I tend to want to start from the middle, make my big pinwheel, add my big star legs. You know, that’s kind of how I do it. Natalie goes by quadrant so she’ll do a whole corner of it and do four of those just the same and sew it together like a big four patch. So you just want to look at that and look at how it’s going to go together and follow the diagrams so you get this beautiful Carpenter Star effect. It’s just so quick and easy. Let me show you how a few of these lay out right here.
So this quilt is a square quilt. It’s 83 by 83. And so we are going to start by laying out a quadrant right here, just one quarter because if you have four of these you’re going to put it together like a big four patch and it just makes a lot of sense to do that. So we’re going to start with four rows of four in each row. And we’re going to just pull these out and make a row to show you how to put together one quadrant. Now if you think about it you’ll be able to get your greens lined up and that sort of thing. Like I have my greens and my pinks lined up and they make those legs. And you might, you know, if you can plan that way. But I think if it’s all scrappy it’s not going to matter either because it just goes together so cool. There will be a diagram in your pattern for you to follow. And if you’re at all angley challenged like I am you will live by that diagram. Alright so we’re up to our third row here. And we’ve got these up here like this. And pulling them over. See how we’ve got these matched up, we’ve got the blues, we’ve got the oranges. And then we’re going to pull this top row up over here. And pull that across and then we have just two blank, plain white squares right here that make the corner. And you can see, that is a quadrant of the quilt.
So you put four of those together and you get this great big beautiful Carpenter Star. It’s just fun. It’s just quick and easy. It’s made with a layer cake of color, a layer cake of solids so it’s super easy to think about yardage and things like that. And it just makes such a great statement. And we hope you enjoyed this tutorial on the easy Carpenter Star from the MSQC.
So the first thing we’re going to do is we’re going to sew some squares together that are print on print. And we’re going to make half square triangles that are print on print. So you want to find some squares that have a little bit of contrast. And I’m going to find one here that’s maybe will do this pink and orange and we’ll put those together. And what we’re going to do is we are going to draw a line side to side and sew on both sides. These are great big half square triangles. And so let me draw my line here. And you’re sewing a long way on this so you’re going to want a line to help guide you. And we’re going to sew on both sides of that and that’s going to give us two 9 ½ inch half square triangles. So we’re going to go right along here. And then we’re going to flip this around and do the other side. Alright now we’re going to cut this diagonally corner to corner and press these open. Alright so now I’m going to press these. Let me move these out of the way. And you’re actually going to do, on the print on print, you’re going to make eight sets of these for a total of 16. So let me just press this back like this. And you’re just going to set these in a pile because you’ll notice for every one of these you make, on the quilt behind me you can see, there are sister blocks. So you’ll have one of these here and you’ll have one of these here. But you would never notice that until I told you.
Alright the other ones you have to make are the blocks sewn on white so these are going to be, you’re going to use a ten inch white square and a ten inch printed square. And you’re going to do the same thing. You’re going to draw the line corner to corner, sew on either side. And you’ll get two of these out of each square. So for those, for the print on white, you need 16 squares to make a total of 32 half square triangles because you’re getting two out of each one. Then you’re going to need some white squares right here, like here, up in the corner. And they are 9 ½ inches and they’re for a total of 16 of those you’re going to need. Then it’s just in this layout.
Now I tend to want to start from the middle, make my big pinwheel, add my big star legs. You know, that’s kind of how I do it. Natalie goes by quadrant so she’ll do a whole corner of it and do four of those just the same and sew it together like a big four patch. So you just want to look at that and look at how it’s going to go together and follow the diagrams so you get this beautiful Carpenter Star effect. It’s just so quick and easy. Let me show you how a few of these lay out right here.
So this quilt is a square quilt. It’s 83 by 83. And so we are going to start by laying out a quadrant right here, just one quarter because if you have four of these you’re going to put it together like a big four patch and it just makes a lot of sense to do that. So we’re going to start with four rows of four in each row. And we’re going to just pull these out and make a row to show you how to put together one quadrant. Now if you think about it you’ll be able to get your greens lined up and that sort of thing. Like I have my greens and my pinks lined up and they make those legs. And you might, you know, if you can plan that way. But I think if it’s all scrappy it’s not going to matter either because it just goes together so cool. There will be a diagram in your pattern for you to follow. And if you’re at all angley challenged like I am you will live by that diagram. Alright so we’re up to our third row here. And we’ve got these up here like this. And pulling them over. See how we’ve got these matched up, we’ve got the blues, we’ve got the oranges. And then we’re going to pull this top row up over here. And pull that across and then we have just two blank, plain white squares right here that make the corner. And you can see, that is a quadrant of the quilt.
So you put four of those together and you get this great big beautiful Carpenter Star. It’s just fun. It’s just quick and easy. It’s made with a layer cake of color, a layer cake of solids so it’s super easy to think about yardage and things like that. And it just makes such a great statement. And we hope you enjoyed this tutorial on the easy Carpenter Star from the MSQC.
