Laurel Ridge is the 2025 Block of the Month quilt designed by Lynn Wilder exclusively for The Quilt Show. Star Members have FREE access to the patterns starting January 1, 2025. Made in two colorways, the complete patterns are excellent. You will love making this quilt. Lynn supports the pattern instructions with Videos too.
Month 9 brings us the Nine Patch Star Blocks. This block has the most pieces and will improve your piecing skills for sure. This is Lynn's block from the Autumn version of Laurel Ridge:
The measurements are accurate and will make somewhat quick work of making the small units needed for all 16 blocks. I strongly encourage you to WATCH THE VIDEO for MONTH 9 before you begin.
When it comes to piecing those units into 5" finished blocks, accurate piecing is essential. I check myself with every seam. Here are my most of the pieces laid out for one block:
The remaining green/white quarter square triangles:
The only thing I did differently from the pattern instructions was in making those green/white quarter square triangles. First, we make 8 half square triangles at a time, using 5.5" squares of green and white. The instructions say to trim each of them to 2.25" square before doing the second sewing step.
One of my mottoes is "Don't the do the hard thing twice." It isn't necessary to trim the half square triangles BEFORE the second sewing step. They can be trimmed AFTER the second sewing step.
The unit in the top here I did trim BEFORE the second sewing step. They still need to be trimmed AFTER the second sewing step. The unit in the bottom I did not trim before, only after. I saved time by eliminating that first trimming:
The units ultimately get trimmed to 1.5" square--that's SMALL! So I chose not to do the trimming more than once. That means there is more to trim away now but that's okay with me. I placed the 3/4" line at the center of the unit, being sure to keep the diagonal line straight. The unit needs to be exactly 1.5" square, so "Measure TWICE, cut ONCE":
NOTE: My top was completely done before I got this pattern. So I only made ONE of these blocks for my demo, using different leftover fabrics from my top. I pieced some fabrics to be the size needed rather than cut from yardage. That explains any unusual seams you may notice in my block. The pattern instructions are correct so you won't have any extra seams like I do. Remember, my block is only a "sample test block".
As I made the center nine patch, I sewed individual squares together. After joining two squares I measured to be sure they are 2.5" including seam allowances, before adding the third square. Then I checked to be sure 3 of them measure 3.5" including seam allowances.
Another of my sayings: "If they are not the right size now, they will not miraculously become the right size when you do the next step." Check each seam with these small pieces as you go.
I did the same as I joined the corner squares to the half square triangles. I checked to be sure they both measured exactly 2.5" before I joined them to the Green/white quarter square triangle: