Midwest Masterpiece: Ohio Star Quilt Block Tutorial

Turning squares into stars, just like magic! ✨🎩

This post contains affiliate links, for which I receive compensation.

Skill Level: Confident beginner

The Ohio Star quilt block pattern is a stalwart of quilt design with its pointy points and jaunty angles adding dynamic movement to the pattern.

This block frequently makes an appearance in sampler quilts (quilts made from all unique blocks used to teach different techniques to beginning quilters).

In this tutorial, you'll learn to make this block using your everyday ruler and rotary cutter and employ the 'sew it bigger and then cut it to perfection' technique.

The Ohio Star goes by a lot of other names, too, including:

Eastern Star
Eight Point Design - Ladies Art Company
Eight Point Star
Lone Star (really???)
Shoofly (click here for directions to another version of this block)
Star
Texas (click for an entirely different design)
Texas Star
Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too

Whew! That's a lot of aliases.

We've got patchwork to make, let's get busy!

🧭 Ready to navigate the celestial spheres of the Ohio Star? 🔍

Use these starry signposts to plot your course through our tutorial:

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

The Ohio Star is the starting point for all kinds of design variation. Click here to enjoy the variety

Cut. Sew. Press. Blast your fabric into the quilt-o-sphere!

📋General Instructions

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

Several abbreviations are used in this tutorial:

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

All the seam allowances (SA) are a 1/4".

Starching your fabric before cutting helps control all the bias edges we'll be stitching.

If your QSTs turn out lumpier then you expected, try my favorite pressing technique to flatten them into submission. You won't believe the results you get with such a quick trick.

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!)

Elliot fabric collection by Julie Hendricksen for Windham

Elliot
Julie Hendricksen
Windham

The Flower Fields fabric collection by Maureen Cracknell for Art Gallery Fabrics

The Flower Fields
Maureen Cracknell
Art Gallery Fabrics

Love Birds fabric collection by Debbie Monson for P&B Textiles

Love Birds
Debbie Monson
P&B Textiles

✂️Choose a size and cut the patches for your Ohio Star

Ohio Star block design

Sample Block Size: 9" finished / 9½" unfinished

Grid: 3x3

Design Type: Even 9-patch | Star

I ALWAYS cut my patches for QSTs larger than they need to be, make the unit, and then trim it to size. This Ohio Star quilt block is no different.

When you cut patches for QSTs, the patch size is computed as…

Finished QST Size + 1-1/4"

That formula assumes that you cut and sew precisely. That your quarter inch SA is always spot on. (You can a quick sewing test to check your accuracy.)

And not once, but twice, for sewing AND cutting during the construction.

That's a lot of opportunity to be off a bit. That's why I cut oversized to begin with.

The dimensions in the chart are computed using the +1-1/4" formula above.

Since I prefer to cut generously sized patches for half- and quarter-square triangles, before cutting I added another 1/2" to the #1 and #2 dimensions shown in the chart.

That's what works best for me. I suggest you add a 1/2", too, make some QSTs, and then fine-tune this 'insurance' measurement, up or down, as needed.

To print a copy of the block design and cutting chart to use at your cutting table, click here.

			Cutting Chart for an Ohio Star Quilt Block ~ Traditional Piecing ~
Patch	Fabric	Qty	Finished Block Size
Patch	Fabric	Qty	3''	4½''	6''	7½''	9''	12"
1**	Bac	2	2¼'' x 2¼''	2¾'' x 2¾''	3¼'' x 3¼''	3¾'' x 3¾''	4¼'' x 4¼''	5¼" x 5¼"
2**	A	2	2¼'' x 2¼''	2¾'' x 2¾''	3¼'' x 3¼''	3¾'' x 3¾''	4¼'' x 4¼''	5¼" x 5¼"
Corner	Bac	4	1½'' x 1½''	2'' x 2''	2½'' x 2½''	3'' x 3''	3½'' x 3½''	4½" x 4½"
Center	A	1	1½'' x 1½''	2'' x 2''	2½'' x 2½''	3'' x 3''	3½'' x 3½''	4½" x 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 QST, 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 (I added 1/2" to each dimension for the sample block).

There is a chart further down in these instructions where you need it for trimming them to size.

If you have a perfectly reliable 1/4" seam allowance use the dimensions in the cutting charts for these patches.

🪡Assemble the QSTs

Make 4

QST unit

Mark the diagonal on the back of the two light #1 patches.

Mark a diagonal line on the backs of #1s

Mark only as dark as YOU need to see it.

With right sides together (RST), layer a #1 and #2 together. Stitch a quarter inch away from both sides of the line.

The red arrow points to my anchor cloth—a scrap of fabric that helps prevent my machine from chewing up the points of the patches.

Cut the units apart on the drawn line.

Press. First with the patches closed to set the seam and then open with the SAs towards the darker fabric.

Repeat for both pairs.

At this point you have, for all practical purposes, four half square triangles (HSTs).

Draw a diagonal line (blue in the photo below) that bisects the sewn seam on two of these HSTs.

This line is perpendicular (90° to the previous stitching.

With RST, sandwich a marked and unmarked HST, nesting the seam to make matching the center easier.

Align the edges of the HSTs. Use pins to hold things in place if needed.

Again, stitch a 1/4" inch from both sides of the drawn line.

See how the SA is pointed toward the needle. That makes it easier to 'push' the match at the center of the QST.

Again, stitch a quarter inch away from both sides of the line

Repeat for the second pair.

Cut the two apart on the marked line. Press. First closed to set the seam and then open.

You now have four QSTs.

Trimming

Find the Finished Size of the Ohio Star block you're making and the corresponding Center Measurement.

NOTE: Regardless of whether you cut your patches to the exact size or if you added a bit, like I did, these measurements are the same, because you're basing them on the center of your block.

QST Dimensions
Finished Block Size	Center Measurement	Trim QST to…
4½"	1"	2"
6"	1¼"	2½"
7½"	1½"	3"
9"	1¾"	3½"
12"	2¼"	4½"

At your cutting mat, align your square ruler over the QST. The diagonal 45° line is directly over the seam.

This next step is CRITICAL to properly trimming your block.

Using the Center Measurement, align that ruler mark with the intersection of the seams in the center of your QST.

For our 9" finished sample Ohio Star, the Center of our QST is 1-3/4" and is trimmed to 3-1/2" square.

Shown below, the 1-3/4" mark on the ruler (both vertical and horizontal) is positioned right on top of the intersection of all seams in the center.

Make sure nothing has shifted. Trim the two exposed sides.

Flip the unit 180°.

Repeat these trimming steps so that your QST equals the 'Trim QST to' size from the chart above. Repeat for the remaining three units.

🧩Stitch your Ohio Star quilt block together

Lay out the cut patches and stitched QSTs into rows making sure the 'star points' point to the outside edges of the block.

Did you catch it???

It's easy to get them switched! Did you notice the ones on the top and right are positioned incorrectly—a quick double-check is faster than ripping!

Stitch the units into rows and press with the SAs in the direction of the arrows. This is to reduce the bulk in the seams.

Press the SAs in the direction of the arrows to reduce bulk

Glad I caught that mistake before sewing!

Stitch the rows together and give your block one final press. (Use our Best Pressing Technique to really get your patchwork wickedly flat!)

And this is the finished Ohio Star quilt block.

More related 8-pointed star quilt block patterns

There are several tutorials available to you on this website that start with an Ohio star as its base. Click on any of the images below to go straight to that tutorial.

Aunt Dinah and Twin Star may seem a little suspect.

But look closely. Those are 3-patch quarter square triangles on each side.

You'll find confirmation in Barbara Brackman's BlockBase+ (love the software). These blocks are listed in the '09 Equal Nine Patch' library in '03 Like Ohio Star'.

Aunt Dinah
6", 9", 12"

Click here for the Chained Star quilt block tutorial

Chained Star
6", 9", 12", 15"

Click here for the Crowning Glory quilt block tutorial

Crowning Glory
6", 9", 12", 15", 18"

Click here for the Dolly Madison's Star quilt block tutorial

Dolly Madison's Star
4½", 9", 13½", 18"

The Four Corners quilt block tutorial starts here

Four Corners
6", 9", 12"

Honeymoon
6", 9", 12"

Click here for the January Thaw quilt block tutorial in 5 sizes

January Thaw
6", 9", 12", 15", 18"

Massachusetts
4½", 6", 7½", 9", 12"

Morning Star
6", 9", 12"

Click here for the Ohio Star quilt block tutorial

Ohio Star
3", 4½", 6", 7½", 9", 12"

Twin Star
6", 7½", 9", 12"

Variable Star
6", 7½", 9", 12"

📌Star-struck by this tutorial?

Pin it faster than you can say 'O-high-O'! 📌🌟

🔭 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.