Easy DIY Star Baby Quilt Tutorials

Here are the tutorials for two variations on a very simple baby quilt featuring the traditional Lone Star (or LeMoyne Star) and Morning Star (or Ribbon Star) quilt blocks that can be made quickly and easily. It’s a great beginner project as well. (This post was updated in 2019.)

I love a simple, classic star quilt block. They’re timeless and traditional, but can easily be given a modern, graphic look because of its simplicity and by enlarging its size. These two versions are very similar in construction and look, with a few minor variations. Both patterns are designed for using precut 10″ x 10″ squares – perfect for Layer Cake precuts, especially if you have leftovers from other projects.

If you would prefer a printable PDF version of three of these star baby quilts in one place you can find it here for $3.00.

The first variation is the Lone Star (also called the 8 pointed LeMoyne Star) baby quilt. This quilt finishes at 39″ x 39″.

Fabric Requirements: 

• 4 light squares 9½” x 9½”
• 4 light squares 10” x 10”
• 8 dark squares 10” x 10” (the quilt looks best if these are a variety of different prints)
• 4 strips 2” x 42” for borders
• 1 ¼ yard for backing
• 3/8 yard for binding (cut four strips 2 1/2″ x Width of Fabric)

Start this project by taking the twelve 10” x 10” squares (4 light and 8 dark) and cutting them in half once on the diagonal.

This will give you a total of 24 triangles – 8 light background triangles and 16 dark triangles to make the center star motif.

Before you start sewing, use the diagram above to lay out all of your pieces – 4 background 9½” x 9½” squares, 8 background triangles, and 16 dark triangles. This gives you the opportunity to play with color and get your eight star points well balanced. 

Sew the triangle pieces into twelve half-square triangle blocks. Match up the long diagonal edges and sew them together carefully using a ¼” seam allowance.  As you sew these bias edges, carefully guide the triangles through the machine without pulling on the fabric so that you don’t stretch the bias (diagonal) edges.

Press seams to one side. Then square-up your blocks so that they are all an accurate 9½” x 9½” square. (This is an important step, or your quilt top could get misshapen.)

Then sew the blocks into four rows of four blocks. Press seams to the left on rows 1 and 3 and press seams to the right on rows 2 and 4.

Sew rows together to get pieced quilt top. Opposing seam allowances should match up and nest together, helping points to match up as well. Press row seams all the same direction.

Add borders:

Trim two of the 2” x 42” strips to 2” x 36 ½”and pin the strips to opposite sides of the quilt and sew in place using a ¼” seam allowance. Press seams toward the border strips.

Trim the remaining two strips to 2” x 39 ½” and sew them to remaining sides. Press seams toward the border strips.

Finishing:

You can see the steps I used to baste, quilt, and bind – all of the finishing process for this quilt here.

For my binding I cut four strips of fabric 2 1/2″ x the width of the fabric (42″). Sew them together end to end to create one long binding strip. This tutorial shows how to bind – or finish – a quilt.

This quilt variation finishes at 40″ x 40″. This is another great project for using pre-cut 10″ squares (or Layer Cake squares), calling for at least 21 10″ x 10″ squares. It could be made very clean and simple or super scrappy – lots of room for variations on a classic quilt block. This quilt also shows a different scrappy border variation that would also work for the Lone Star variation.

Fabric requirements:

• 6 light 10″ x 10″ squares
• 6 colored 10″ x 10″ squares
• 4 light 9 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ squares
• 16 strips 2 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ and 4 squares 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ for borders (cut these from yardage or from remaining pre-cut 10″ squares)
• 1 1/4 yard backing
• 3/8 yard binding (cut into 4 strips 2 1/2″ x width of fabric)

Draw a diagonal line on the back of the six 10″ x 10″ light squares. Match them up with a colored square and sew a 1/4″ seam down both sides of the drawn line.

Repeat with all six pairs.

Using a ruler and rotary cutter, cut all six pairs on the drawn line to create 2 half-square triangle blocks from each pair, for a total of 12 half-square triangle blocks. Press seams toward the dark fabric. Square up each block to 9 1/2″ x 9 1/2″. (Don’t skip this step!)

With solid light 9 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ blocks in the four corners, layout 12 half-square blocks in a star motif – 4 blocks across by 4 blocks down. You can use this layout or create one of your own. There are lots of options and variations.

Sew blocks into four rows Press seams alternating directions for each row. (For example press all seams to the right on odd rows – 1 &3 and press all seams to the left on even rows 2 & 4.) Then sew four rows together, pressing seams all the same direction.

To add borders, sew two sets of four 2 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ strips end to end. Decide which side of the quilt you want to sew them to and press the seams in alternating directions from the seams on that side of the quilt. Sew these two borders to opposite sides of the quilt. Press seams toward the borders.

For final borders, sew two more sets of four 2 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ strips end to end and sew a 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ square to either end. Repeat the process of pressing seams alternating directions from the seams on the quilt side. Pin border at seams and sew final borders to quilt. Press seams toward the borders.

If you would prefer non-pieced borders cut four strips 2 1/2″ x the width of fabric and attach them Here is a simple quilt border tutorial.

This quilt calls for a 1 1/4 yard piece of fabric (roughly 42″ x 42″). This is the most economical size for backing the quilt, but will be just slightly larger than the quilt front. If you baste carefully, it should still be big enough all the way around with excess backing fabric on all four sides before you quilt it. If not you may want to piece a larger back.

I extended my backing fabric by using remnants from my layer cake to make a fun pieced strip through the back of my quilt. There are lots of options for quilting your quilt. Here is a simple quilting tutorial. Big thanks to Sew Shabby Quilting for the quilting on this one.

For my binding I cut four strips of fabric 2 1/2″ x the width of the fabric (42″). Sew them together end to end to create one long binding strip. This tutorial shows how to bind – or finish – a quilt.

Fabrics used for these quilts: (left) Emmy Grace by BariJ for Art Gallery Fabrics (available here) and (right) Best Day Ever by April Rosenthal for Moda.

I’ve since added a third variation of this giant star baby quilt. You can find this Safari Party versions here.

If you would prefer a printable PDF version of three of these star baby quilts in one place you can find it here for $3.00.

If you’re looking for a larger variation on this design, check out Jeni Baker’s Giant Vintage Star Tutorial.