YACQ: 4-patch stars

I have mentioned in a previous blog that I rediscovered a stash of hand-pieced 4 patches and wanted to use them so they wouldn't nag me. :-)   I used a BUNCH of them in my on-point 4-patch column top. But there were MORE.

4-patch star top

For this set of 4-patches, I made Flying Geese blocks to create a 4-patch star block.   I had just enough of the background fabric to make 6 Flying Geese/4-patch star blocks and enough leftover brown fabrics for the patchwork border.

Due to the size of the 4-patch sub-unit, the finished block is HUGE ... 15"!! 

It occurred to me that if I put the 6 of them together and added of a patchwork border, the resultant top would be larger than the minimum size necessary for toddler quilts for the charity that I help support.   

I'm rather pleased with the result.  I can envision some interesting quilting designs in the squares that resulted when the star blocks were put together.

STEP ONE

 
Because the Flying Geese blocks were substantial (8" by 4-1/2"), I didn't want to "waste" the triangles that were cut off when the Flying Geese block was formed. 

I simply sewed another seam 1/2" away from the original Flying Geese seam to create a bonus half-square triangle.   

STEP TWO

STEP THREE

pinwheels from bonus HST block

I put 4 of the half-square triangles together to make a small pinwheel block.  I'll have 12 pinwheel blocks when I get them pressed and sewn together.  Which means that I will need to come up with a layout to use THEM!

Good grief ... it just never ends!

25 more hand-pieced 4-patch blocks

But wait!  there's STILL MORE!  Oh yes, I have *25* more hand-pieced 4-patch blocks to use up.  Time to go looking at my reference books to see what strikes my fancy. :-)