Small throw quilts are so fun to make because they don't take too long but they still have the satisfaction of a larger quilt. This Northwest Stars Quilt is just that... not too big, but packs a punch of beauty.
The Northwest Stars Quit Pattern is fat quarter and beginner friendly. It's a pretty fast quilt and is block based. I have made several versions and each comes out just as fun as the last.
You can buy your copy of the Northwest Stars Quilt Pattern here.
About the Pattern
I love the this pattern because it combines some simple shapes and elements of quilting to create modern blocks. The sawtooth star block is a classic quilting block which I put a striped element in the middle of. The stripes in each block rotate 90 degrees to add more visual interest to the quilt.In each corner of the block is a square accent. When the blocks are sewn together a four patch is formed. I love it when a secondary block forms after all the blocks are connected.
The Northwest Star Quilt Pattern is written with five sizes! I included a range so hopefully you can find the size you want to make.
- Baby 36 in. x 36 in.
- Small Throw 48 in. x 60 in.
- Large Throw 60 in. x 72 in.
- Twin 72 in. x 96 in.
- Queen 96 in. x 108 in.
The pattern is written for advanced beginner quilters. It's a good pattern to practice your four at a time flying geese.
Northwest Stars uses strip piecing for the stripes. If you are new to quilting and aren't familiar with that term, strip piecing is when quilters sew several pieces of fabric together and then cut those units up into pieces to be sewn into the blocks. This saves time and means there isn't lots of tiny pieces to sew together.
I love this pattern because it uses fat quarters for the accent fabrics. This makes choosing the fabrics really easy! I love any quilt I can grab a fat quarter bundle for and get straight to sewing!!
This Quilt
This quilt was so fun to make! I wasn't actually planning on sewing a small throw from this pattern. But, I saw this super cute quilt bundle curated by Sewtopia and bought it. The number of fat quarters turned out to be perfect for the small throw.
What did I love so much about this bundle? I loved the varying colors and prints. I also liked that some had texture to them. I didn't even realize until later that this quilt kind of has a Christmas vibe to it. I mean it might be a modern Christmas look because of the pink and the prints, but someone else also commented on my Instagram post that they thought it looked Christmasy.
Which left me wondering if I should lean into the Christmas when choosing the backing and quilting design?
Well before I tell you which way I went I'll tell you this quilt went together fast because it's only 20 large blocks. The pattern says you need 11 fat quarters which gives a little wiggle room, I would hate for someone to come up short with their fabric. However, if you are careful with the cuts you can actually make this small throw quilt with 10 fat quarters.
Sometimes as pattern writers we have to add the extra fabric into the requirements because it's better to be safe than sorry.
I did add an 11th fabric into the quilt just so others making the quilt wouldn't get confused about how many fabrics are required. But I'm wondering if anyone would have even noticed had I left it out. When I worked at a fabric shop there were some people that noticed this kind of thing.
I couldn't decide on a backing for this quilt. So I did something I have never done before... I used minky for the backing.
I should clarify, I sent this quilt to my favorite quilter, Kait from Knot and Thread to quilt it for me. She carries a wide variety of colors of minky fabrics. I told her to choose one she thought would go well with it and let me know. Kait sent me a picture with a couple options.
We decided pink would be the best color for this quilt and NOT to go with the Christmas theme. She said she had some good pantos to show me and I chose from those. I absolutely love this one!! I don't have the name, but if you want it, tell Kait and she will know what it is when you send her your quilt.
A note about minky if you have never used it before:
If you are wondering what minky is anyway...It's a super soft microfiber fabric made from 100% polyester. The texture it really nice, especially if you have kids who struggle with sensory overload. My daughter loves the softness of minky and it helps calm her when she is feeling overwhelmed.
I personally hate sewing with minky. I find it really difficult to keep from shifting no matter how many pins I use. However, I know others don't have issues. Just be aware that it might be frustrating to work with. I much prefer my quilter deal with minky and I will just enjoy it after the sewing is all said and done. LOL!
My daughters have been arguing over this quilt. So I'm thinking I will have to use minky for the backing of another quilt. Don't worry, I'll be sending it out.
I tied the quilt together by finding a binding fabric from Ruby Star Society that I thought combined the pinks and reds of the quilt.
This small throw was super fun to make and I think it's a perfect book reading or TV watching quilt for my kids.
Can you tell who is hoping to get this quilt?
Make your own by getting a copy of the Northwest Stars Quilt Pattern and try minky on the back, you'll love it.
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