Friendship Star Quilt Block 101: From Fabric to Fabulous

Talk about star power 🌟—this Friendship Star packs it all in six different sizes!

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Skill Level: Beginner

The classic Friendship Star quilt block is a marvelous place to practice making half square triangles. It takes just four of them plus five cut squares to make it.

In the following tutorial, we use two fabrics, but it works equally well as a scrappy block—just make sure there is a good distinction between the lights and darks so the star points don't disappear.

Use these warp speed links to jump to the section you need faster than you can say "Beam me up, Scotty!"

A cutting chart in 6 sizes with a download of the chart and block design

A coloring/fabric planning page to download and print

Step-by-step illustrated instructions

Not quite what you're looking for. Take a look at these four common variations on this block design.

Or perhaps these 3 designs with the same name, but different design will inspire you.

Cut. Sew. Press. Transform fabric into friendships that last!

📋 General Instructions

If you need help printing this tutorial, you'll find it here.

These abbreviations are used on this page:

SA - seam allowance
RST - right sides together
HST - half square triangle

Seam allowances (SA) are 1/4".

When you are instructed to press, first press the pieced unit flat to set the seam. Then open the patch, pressing from the front. Seam allowances are pressed to the dark fabric unless otherwise noted.

The newest quilt fabrics to tickle your fancy...

Click the images below to see the full collection. We share any commercial and/or free patterns that showcase them, too. (For inspiration, of course!)

Independence Palette Prisma Dyes fabric collection by Lunn Studios for Robert Kaufman

Independence Palette Prisma Dyes
Lunn Studios
Robert Kaufman

XOXO fabric collection by April Rosenthal for Moda

XOXO
April Rosenthal
Moda

Cherry Pie Batiks
Hoffman

✂️Cut the Friendship Star patches

Friendship Star design

Sample Block: 6" finished / 6½" unfinished

Grid: 3x3

Design Type: Even 9-patch | Star

All the patches in the chart below are squares

For example, Patch #4 for our 6" sample block is cut 2-1/2" x 2-1/2".

For the HSTs, I prefer to cut oversized squares. Those patches are marked with ** below. If your seam allowance is always spot on, cut exactly as instructed in the chart. If you'd like a bit of wiggle room, cut those HST patches a bit larger. Then trim to size after stitching.

💡 A quick tip before we start: Label your patches. Trust us, future you will be sending thank-you notes for this small act of kindness.

Click here to download and print:

the cutting chart and block design

a coloring or fabric planning page for the Friendship Star

			Cutting Chart for a Friendship Star Quilt Block ~Traditional Piecing ~
Patch	Fabric	Qty	Finished Block Size
Patch	Fabric	Qty	3"	4½"	6"	7½"	9"	12"
1**	L	2	1⅞"	2⅜"	2⅞"	3⅜"	3⅞"	4⅞"
2**	D	2	1⅞"	2⅜"	2⅞"	3⅜"	3⅞"	4⅞"
3	L	4	1½"	2"	2½"	3"	3½"	4½"
4	D	1	1½"	2"	2½"	3"	3½"	4½"
Unfinished Block Size			3½"	5"	6½"	8"	9½"	12½"
Grid Size			1"	1½"	2"	2½"	3"	4"
**I prefer to cut my patches extra large for HST, stitch, and then trim them to size. If you prefer to do the same, add a bit extra to the measurements for Patches #1 and #2 above. There is a chart further down in these instructions where you need it for trimming them to size.

🪡Assemble the HSTs

Draw a diagonal line on the backs of the two #1 squares with a pencil or other marking tool.

With RST, layer a light #1 square with its darker #2 counterpart, aligning all the edges.

Stitch a quarter inch away from both sides of the line, and repeat for the second pair of squares.

The arrow points to the anchor cloth

Cut these units in two on the drawn line.

Press.

You now have 4 HSTs. If you started with oversized patches (as I did in this tutorial) you'll need to trim them. Use the chart below.

HST Dimensions
Finished Block Size	Trim HST to…
3"	1½"
4½"	2"
6"	2½"
7½"	3"
9"	3½"
12"	4½"

For more detailed instructions on making HSTs with this technique, visit Half Square Triangles: Technique #1.

Here are our HST after trimming.

🧩Assemble the Friendship Star block

Arrange your HSTs and cut squares as they will be sewn.

Turn all the HSTs a ¼-turn counterclockwise and your stars spin in the opposite direction. Either direction is just fine, the choice is yours!

Stitch the units in the rows together. Press with the SAs towards the cut squares and away from the HST to minimize bulk.

This also allows your seam allowances to nest which makes matching them oh-so-much easier!

Stitch the rows together. Pin as needed to get a good match at the seams.

The arrow points to the anchor cloth.

One final press (don't forget to try out our Best Technique for Pressing Quilt Blocks for amazingly flat finished blocks!) and your Friendship Star quilt block is finished.

Friendship Star quilt block

Common Variations

There are several closely related block variations, each successive one involves just a bit more piecing.

New Home

Very close to the original design except that a third fabric is added.

Simplex Star

Very much like the New Home above, but notice that the HST units are flipped on their vertical access. The corner patches are a darker value.

Nine Patch Star

HSTs are added to the corners in a pinwheel fashion to add movement to the block.

Ribbon Quilt Block

The same units as in the Nine Patch Star above only the corners are all rotated a quarter turn.

Another excellent variation for scrap quilting!

Click here for instructions to make it.

Water Wheel

Four patches are added in the corners along with a 3rd fabric. They make a nice secondary pattern when the blocks are joined edge to edge.

Same name, different block...

Just like so many of the other basic blocks, 'Friendship Star quilt block' is used to name several others...ones that look nothing like what we made for this page.

Here are three of them...

An intricate looking three fabric block.

On closer inspection you can see it's all basic construction techniques: four patches, Flying Geese, connector corners, and cut squares.

Easy Peasy!

The second Friendship Star quilt block includes y-seam piecing and four fabrics.

Those these first two are, indeed, different, they are similar in appearance. This one will be the more difficult of the two to piece.

Note, too, that this design uses elongated diamonds instead of symmetrical diamonds.

Completely different than the previous two blocks, but still using y-seam piecing, and still called 'Friendship Star'.

Mission Accomplished! 🚀🌟

You've just mastered the Friendship Star quilt block from 3" cosmic dust to 12" supernovas. 🌟💫

Your half-square triangle game is now out of this world! 🌎🔼🔽 Time to stitch up a storm and spread that Friendship Star fever across the quilting universe. 🧵🌠

Remember, in quilt space, everyone can hear you seam! 🛸🔊

Now, engage that fabric warp drive and make it sew! 🖖✂️

📌 Don't let this stellar tutorial get lost in space!

Pin it faster than you can say 'warp speed'! 🚀📍

Pin this Friendship Star quilt block tutorial

🔭 Looking for something truly stellar?

You've finished your star quilt block, and you're ready for more!

Browse our collection of 60 stellar star quilt block patterns. All have instructions and cutting charts in multiple sizes. If templates or paper piecing is used in the tutorial, there's a free download for you of those materials.