Friendship Stars have to be my favourite pattern as it was the first machine sewn patchwork quilt I made for me and my family. It is a very simple (and so very old) block pattern which uses whole squares and half square triangles so would be one up from all squares and rectangles but has no matching seams within the block itself. The central square can be a contrasting colour or you can go for a one colour look.
To draft the Friendship Star start with a nine patch grid.
Replace the four side squares with half square triangles
One thing to note - it is possible to have the half square triangles slope the other way and still make a Friendship Star - as shown below - bear this in mind when making a quilt; you wouldn't want the odd star to "shine" in the other direction by accident!
Variations - one named variation is the Eccentric Star. The central square can also be replaced by a pieced square as can the four corner squares.
Quilt Genie version
For the classic Friendship Star there is this You Tube Video
This you tube video shows a variation where the corner squares are replaced with half square triangles giving a secondary pattern when pieced with no sashings.
Jenny Doan changed up the corner squares for four patches for this variation which is set with Friendship Star sashings as well
This page from Quilt Therapy includes the Eccentric Star variation instructions as well as the standard Friendship star and gives a 12" block
This colour variation uses a colour instead of background for the half square triangles - although it is appliqued on rather than patchwork
This variation uses quarter square triangles in the centre and half square triangles in the corners. I suppose another variation of this would be to lose the corner HST's...
Click here for my Accuquilt version
Click here to go to the nine patch page
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