An 8-pointed star whose points weave over and under each other where they meet at the center, which is the construction that gives the block its name. At 4 inches finished, each block uses 5-inch charm squares for the star points, so a single charm pack will pull enough fabric for many scrappy stars with very little waste. The cover sample features cheerful 1930s-style feedsack prints in red, blue, pink, and multi-color florals against a cream background, but the same block looks completely different in solids, holiday fabrics, modern prints, or a monochrome scheme. Also available in a 6-inch finished size (ISE-7012).

What's in the Pad

This listing is for the printed foundation paper pad. Fabric, thread, and notions are not included.

The pad includes 42 sheets. Each sheet yields one Woven Star block. Also included on the foundations: shaded color placement diagrams, fabric cutting sizes, and a quilt layout guide.

What You'll Need

The Woven Star uses contrasting fabrics for the star points and a background fabric for the corners of the block. The pad is sized specifically for 5-inch charm squares -- a single charm pack can pull from dozens of different fabrics for a fully scrappy effect. Scraps and other small precut pieces work equally well. Yardage or fat quarters are recommended for the background fabric to keep it consistent across blocks.

Standard foundation paper piecing supplies make the work go smoothly: a rotary cutter, a paper-piecing ruler such as an Add-a-Quarter, a small pair of scissors, a glue stick or thin appliqué pins, and a sewing machine set to a shorter stitch length around 1.5mm so the paper tears cleanly away from the finished block. The smaller block size means smaller pieces, so accurate cutting matters a bit more than at larger scales.

Perfect For

• Quilters comfortable with foundation paper piecing basics, especially at smaller scales
• Charm pack collectors and quilters working from a 5-inch square scrap bin
• Mini quilts, doll quilts, mug rugs, ornaments, table accents, and small samplers
• Adding a Woven Star detail to larger projects
• Anyone wanting to learn foundation paper piecing on a smaller, faster-finishing block

Why You'll Love These Foundations

Pre-printed foundation paper saves the trouble of feeding thin sheets through a home printer and trying to keep the lines crisp. The paper in this pad is lightweight enough to tear cleanly along the stitch line without distorting the seams, and translucent enough that fabric placement can be confirmed from the back of each sheet before sewing. Shaded color guides on each foundation show exactly where each fabric goes.

At 4 inches finished, the Woven Star is at the smaller end of the practical foundation paper piecing range. Each block comes together quickly, which makes it satisfying as a portable project, a study piece for working out fabric pulls before committing to a larger quilt, or a high-volume scrap-burner from a charm pack. The smaller pieces require careful cutting, but the star geometry itself stays approachable.

Forty-two finished blocks at 4 inches opens up a range of small-scale projects: a baby quilt, a wall hanging, a sampler with lots of variety, or a scrappy throw where the smaller block size lets more fabrics show through. A single charm pack supplies enough fabric for many blocks, and the result reads as significantly more complex than the construction actually is.

Product Details

• Brand: It's Sew Emma
• Item #: ISE-7011
• Category: Foundation Paper Piecing
• Skill Level: Confident Beginner (the smaller block size means small pieces and tight seams that benefit from accurate cutting; star geometry itself is straightforward foundation paper piecing)
• Technique: Foundation Paper Piecing
• Sheets per Pad: 42
• Yields: One block per sheet, 42 blocks total
• Finished Block Size: 4" square (4 1/2" unfinished)
• Paper Size: 6.25" square
• Precut Compatibility: 5" charm squares
• Format: Pre-printed Foundation Paper Pad
• Made in the United States