The Seven Sisters block offers a variety of options in fabric selection. Be sure to maintain a high contrast between the star diamonds and the background fabric. Scraps can be used, or plan out a dynamic quilt using light and dark stars. An interesting kaleidoscopic effect can be achieved by cutting the diamond template from the same fabric motif for each of the six points of each star. Striped fabrics, border prints, florals, all yield fabulous results. It's a great way to put zing into your quilt. The possibilities are endless!
Using starch on the fabric before cutting out the patches helps to stabilize the bias edges.
Mark the intersections of the 1/4" sewing lines (seam allowance) on each of the patches if you are machine piecing or mark the entire line if you are hand piecing. Do not sew into the seam allowances. Start and stop your seams at the intersecting marks. Go forward a stitch, backtack, and forward again.
Step-by-step Instructions:
- Begin by sewing the star units. Take six diamond patches and join them in threes to make half of a star. Join the halves, sewing the center seam in two parts, from the center outward. Press the seam allowances all in the same direction.
- Take a star unit and set in the background diamonds.
- Join another star to the unit made in Step 2. Set in a background diamond, and continue adding star units and background diamonds in a circular manner around the center star unit.
- Set in the background diamonds and trapezoids.
- Sew on the equilateral triangle to one side of the block.
- Join blocks together in the manner shown below to form rows. Then join the rows together.
