Today is a tutorial on making quick four patches from jelly roll strips, rollie-pollies or any 2-1/2-inch wide strip of fabric. If you missed getting the pattern, click on – Oh, My Strippy Stars!
Here is the quilt we are making, it is about 42-inches square using the pattern directions. If you double the number of stars, you could have a nice size lap quilt about 52×62. A few more blocks to bring the size up to 60×72 and you’d have a wonderful Quilt of Valor sewn in red, white, and blue.
For the first step, we’ll make the four patches in the center of the stars. Pull four jelly roll strips in medium to dark tones for this step. Set the rest aside for next week. If you like, you can go ahead and press all the strips that you need for this step and the next one. Next week we do half square triangles, and you will want to press your strips with some Best Press or spray starch of some kind to tame the bias edges. More on that next week.
So, take 4 strips out for this step. Sew two medium or dark strips together along the long side. Repeat with a second set of 2 strips. Press to the darker side.
Nest the sewn two-strip sets right sides together, placing the seams in opposite directions for a sharp center point.
Cut the selvedge edge off one end, making sure it is perpendicular to the edge. Cut the left edge off, instead of the right side I show here in order to continue cutting rather than repositioning the strips. I can walk around my cutting table, so I cut off the right side, then go to the opposite side to cut the units.
Cross cut both sets 2-1/2-inches wide into sets of four squares. They are ready to sew now without any additional fussing.
Sew together into four-patch square units using a chain sew method.
Carefully press, with the seam to one side. Square up to 4-1/2-inches square if needed. You should have 16 four patch units.
If you are just now finding this quilt along, here is the schedule, and a link to the first post last week with an overview and color ideas.
Oh, My Strippy Stars!! Quilt Along Schedule – March 2023
March 1 – Overview
March 7 – Four patch units – today!
March 14 – Jelly Roll HST units
March 21 – Block assembly
March 28 – Quilt assembly, final sashing and finishing
Share your progress in our Facebook group. We’ll pick up again next Tuesday with the next step. Are you having fun with this quick quilt along?
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From My Carolina Home 
Your string cutting and piecing instructions are so helpful for sewers who wish to construct in that manner. I have to admit….I’m kinda a one patch at a time person……too easily distracted to follow your much wiser and faster method. Probably because I do so very little patchwork sewing. Hope others do though….great instructions.
It could just be my system but when I clicked the link for the revised instructions it only had the finished quilt picture in the PDF.
Fixed, for some reason it wasn’t uploading the whole document. Revised Pattern PDF
Hi Carole, the revised pattern linking not working. When clicking, I just get a photo of the quilt 1/1. is there somewhere else to get the revised pattern?
Click on the link again, or the one in the reply to Margaret above. I fixed the one on the blog, but it was broken in the email.
Don’t know how I missed last Tuesday’s Intro to the Scrappy Star Quilt, but your tutorial for this week popped up this morning. I downloaded the pattern and I am off to my Jelly Roll stash to find an appropriate jelly roll for a baby quilt. Perfect timing to get the quilt finished before the baby arrives in early April.
I’m really looking forward to this. I am hoping to grow mine to a lap quilt so I think I will pull 4 more strips from the roll to make more 4 patches so I have more variety. Thanks for the tip to make this quick!
If I quilted, I would want lessons from you — everything is so clear!
Good morning,
This is Terri from Delaware. Just an update on the fruit trees at the farm. Peach tree is in full bloom and the plum tree is just starting to bloom. No blooms on the apple trees, but it is early. The temperatures during the day have been in the 50’s, 60’s. But tonight the temperature may be down around freezing. Not good for the peach tree. My orchard is in a secluded area expect when the wind blows from the North. The daffodils are up and blooming on the side of the house, in the corner of where the house and garage sits, my pet cemetery. That is the update. Should have taken pictures but I was in a hurry to get to an appointment. Have a wonderful day
Terri
You’re using such a perfect jelly roll for a spring quilt, imagining freh green leaves & purple buds popping out. Strip sewing really speeds up the 4P units.
Thank you for this fun sew along. I am saving it for a retreat, but may start making some of the units if I have time before!
Such pretty fabrics! I appreciate the speed piecing methods!
You are one busy lady! And thanks for this tute! We have Sewing the the Kids tomorrow and I’ll take this with and show them some of the wonderful you do! Thanks!
Wonderfully easy! Thanks for sharing.
I just found your Oh My Scrappy Stars. Love it.
How can I find instructions beyond the making half square triangles?
My Granddaughter (a beginning quilter) is going tohelp me make this for her. This quilt has inspired her to jump in with enthusiam