The double aster quilt block is a weekend block for anyone who has sewn a few basic quilt block patterns for beginners and wants something with more in it. Four pieced patch A triangle units, four half square triangles cut from the patch B squares, and a leftover background square holding the middle: the units are what make it interesting to put together, and there is a free pattern to download. This one is by Carol Thelen on YouTube, and the video is worth watching for the pressing and trimming between units, which is the part that keeps the finished block square.
The double aster quilt block is pieced in units: patch A triangles sewn in pairs with a quarter inch seam allowance and repeated to make four, patch B, D and E added in order with a press and a trim after each, then four half square triangles made from the patch B squares. Those units assemble around a background square at the center.
Materials:
- Background fabric
- Main fabric
- Accent fabric
- Contrasting fabric
- Marking pen, pencil, or chalk
- Needle and thread
- Marking pins or clips
- Iron, for pressing
- Sewing machine
- Pattern (Click here to download the pattern)
Directions:
Step 1
Cut the fabrics to size and group them into units, then lay the patch A triangles together with their right sides facing and edges matching, and sew them down one side with ¼ inch seam allowance. Press them open, then trim off the excess, and repeat the same process 3 more times to make 4. Lay patch B on the pieced patch A with their right sides facing and edges matching, and stitch them together.
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Step 2
Repeat the same steps with the rest making sure to press them open and trim off the excess, then lay the patch D on top with their right sides facing and edges matching, and stitch them together. Press them open and trim off the excess, then lay the patch E, and sew them together. Press open and trim off the excess to square the block, then take the patch B squares, and make 4 half-square triangles.
Step 3
Piece the patch A background with the half-square triangles together, then press open, and sew them to the block units. Press them nicely and repeat the steps with the remaining pieces, and start assembling the blocks together with the leftover background square at the center. Start stitching them one at a time, then make sure to press every now and then, and proceed to make more blocks.
*All image credit belongs to Carol Thelen via YouTube. Follow and subscribe to her channel for more!
Easy Double Aster Quilt Block Tutorial (with Free Pattern)
Frequently Asked Questions
What fabrics does the double aster block take?
Four of them: a background fabric, a main fabric, an accent fabric and a contrasting fabric. The materials list names the fabrics rather than the yardage, so the amounts come from the free pattern you download. Alongside the fabric you need a marking pen, pencil or chalk, pins or clips, a needle and thread, an iron and a sewing machine.
Is the double aster block beginner friendly?
It is described as a bit of a challenge, and that is fair. A single block takes several steps and the fabric units have to be pressed open and trimmed as you go, so it suits someone who has already sewn a few simpler blocks. Nothing in it is difficult on its own. It is the number of stages, and the accuracy of that quarter inch seam, that make it a step up.
Where do I get the free pattern?
It is a free download, linked from the materials list in this post as the pattern entry. Print it before you cut anything, because the patches are lettered A, B, D and E and the directions refer to them by letter the whole way through. Follow and subscribe to Carol Thelen on YouTube for more, and all image credit for the project belongs to her.
