Framed Star Quilt Block Pattern
Welcome to month two of the 2024 Riley Blake Designs quilt block challenge! We are kicking off February with a free Framed Star Quilt Block pattern.
It’s time to share block 4 in the Riley Blake Quilt Block challenge. This week’s block is designed by Fran Gulick, a fellow Riley Blake fabric designer who also writes beautiful modern quilt patterns.
My Framed Star quilt block version is sewn with my Tulip Cottage fabric collection. For this block, I tried to pick an unexpected color palette. Instead of going for only blues or pinks, I decided to pull the medium blue, green, and pinkish-red colors together.
The colors at this point do seem to be fighting each other a bit; if I were making a whole quilt from this block, I’d probably change them, but since this block is only a small part of the finished quilt, I’m going to leave it.
I’ve found over the years that some of my favorite projects feature color combinations that may not seem perfect right at first. I think this block will blend in nicely with the finished quilt. If it doesn’t, I can change one color later.
What is the Quilt Block Challenge?
Every Tuesday (except the last Tuesday of the month) from January through May, Riley Blake shares a free quilt block pattern for a 10-inch quilt block. Each of the blocks is designed by one of their fabric designers. My block will be released in May.
Get all of the fabric requirements and answers to many of your most Frequently Asked Questions on the Riley Blake Designs Blog.
All of the blocks shared so far:
- Block 1: Vintage Delight Block Pattern
- Block 2: Sparkle & Shine
- Block 3: Daylesford
- Block 4: Framed Star
- Block 5: Dazzle
- Block 6: Bloom Where You’re Planted
- Block 7: Star Crossed
- Block 8: Glisten
- Block 9: Woven Together
- Block 10: Time Waits for No One
- Block 11: Square Pegs
About the Quilt Block
Fran of Cotton & Joy designed this week’s quilt block. Fran shared a bit about her thought process behind the block:
I wanted to play around with the classic Sawtooth Star block, but add some fun twists.
I broke up the classic Sawtooth Star shape and then added a fun “back” frame that peeks out between the points of the star.
For my sample block I used some of my favorite prints from my Moonchild fabric collection. I adore how the blues and purples play off each other in the design.
How to Get the Quilt Block Pattern
Fill out this form, and we will email you a PDF copy of the quilt block pattern. This will add you to our free weekly newsletter to notify you when new blocks are posted. You can also get the blocks from Riley Blake.
Note: if you participate in this weekly and fill out a form for each week’s block, you will not be added to the list more than once.
Additional Fabric Choices
The fabric chosen for a quilt block plays a big role in shaping the final design. It dictates the overall aesthetic, mood, and coherence of the block.
Different textures, patterns, and colors can either harmonize for a cohesive appearance or clash, affecting the balance. The choice of fabric also impacts the level of detail achievable in the design. For example, using a large or small-scale fabric or using a print or solid fabric.
Above, I shared the quilt block in Fran’s Moonchild collection, and below, you can see it sewn with Riley Blake Designs confetti cotton solids in Fuschia, Boy Blue & Lemon Zest.
Each of these fabric combinations changes the look of the block. You can make your quilt more traditional or modern, depending on the fabric you choose!
