The Beyond the Stars quilt is made using the quilt block of the same name.  It features attic windows blocks in the middle of the block – your window on the view beyond the stars.  I have tried to give the effect of fading away into space by using four different blues shading from light to dark as well as reducing the width of the borders.  I hope that you feel that I’ve achieved this!

The quilt measures 36″ by 56″ and I felt that it would be suitable for a small boy – well, for anyone really, but small boys tend to be a bit more difficult to choose a quilt pattern for.  I have used 1/4 yard of the orange fabric, 3/8 yard of white and the two darkest blues, with 3/4 yard of the lightest blue and 1/2 yard of the second lightest blue.  As usual, you can buy all these fabrics with a 10% discount as this week’s special offer.

Cutting requirements for the beyond the stars quilt

Orange fabric:  eight 4.7/8″ squares, eight 2.1/2″ squares

White fabric:  eight 4.1/2″ squares, eight 4.7/8″ squares

Blue One (lightest):  eight 2.1/2″ squares, eight 2.7/8″ squares, three 4.1/2″ by 16.1/2″ strips, two 4.1/2″ by 44.1/2″ strips

Blue Two:  two 3.1/2″ strips 24.1/2″ long, two 3.1/2″ strips 50.1/2″ long

Blue Three:  two 2.1/2″ strips 30.1/2″ long, two 2.1/2″ strips 54.1/2″ long

Blue Four (darkest):  eight 2.1/2″ squares, eight 2.7/8″ squares, two 1.1/2″ strips 34.1/2″ long, two 1.1/2″ strips 56.1/2″ long

Making the beyond the stars quilt block

Make half square triangles with the 4.7/8″ squares and with the 2.7/8″ squares.  Place two squares with right sides together and mark a line along the diagonal.  Sew a 1/4″ seam either side of the marked line and cut along the line to produce half square triangles.  You will need these in orange and white and also in light blue/dark blue.

I think that it’s easier to look at the block if I show you the central section first.  This is a twelve patch using the smaller squares, making four attic windows units.  I did try out one of the blues within the attic windows to suggest outer space, but it didn’t look right, so I went with the same orange as used in the rest of the star.

The dark blue signifies the side of the attic window, the light blue signifies the window ledge and the orange is the window itself.  Sew the squares together across each row and then sew the rows to each other.

Now it’s easier to see the outer frame which is the main part of the star.  There’s a white square in each corner and a pair of orange/white half square triangles along each edge of the central section.  Note that these are placed so that the white triangles are placed together to form a larger white triangle pointing in towards the middle.

Sew the two triangles above and below the central section together and sew them to the central section to form one column.

Sew the squares on either side together to form a column on either side of the central section.  Sew these three columns together to complete the beyond the stars quilt block.

Make two of these.

Assembling the beyond the stars quilt

Sew a 16.1/2″ light blue strip between the two quilt blocks and another on the top and bottom of the blocks.  Sew a 44.1/2″ strip to either side so that the blocks are now completely enclosed in light blue fabric.  Check that the blocks are facing the right way, with the dark blue on the left of the attic windows units.

That was the first border.  The second border is made using 3.1/2″ strips of the next darkest blue fabric.  Sew a 24.1/2″ length to the top and bottom and a 50.1/2″ length to each side.

For the third quilt border, use 2.1/2″ strips of the next darkest fabric (blue three).  Sew lengths of 30.1/2″ to the top and bottom and then sew 54.1/2″ lengths to the sides.

Finally for the fourth border I have used 1.1/2″ strips of the darkest blue – two lengths of 34.1/2″ for the top and bottom and two lengths of 56.1/2″ for the sides.

That completes the beyond the stars quilt top.  It is now ready for layering, quilting and binding.  Full details of these steps can be found in the beginner quilting section.

Here’s the video:

Spring has arrived at last and we are forecast to have a lovely mild weekend.  On Monday I’m going to view an embroidery machine that a friend is selling – I’ve never used one before so that will be a real treat.