WTC Quiltstitched with care since 2001

Free pattern: patriotic star throw quilt

This patriotic star quilt is twenty sawtooth stars, alternating red and navy on cream, inside a wide navy border. It finishes at 58 by 70 inches, which falls inside the Quilts of Valor Foundation's size range (55 by 65 minimum, 72 by 90 maximum), so it qualifies as a Quilt of Valor. Outside that program it makes a good Fourth of July throw or a gift for a veteran.

A smiling older man on a porch swing with a red, navy and cream star quilt over his shoulders
Patriotic star throw quilt: 20 sawtooth star blocks in four columns and five rows, alternating red and navy stars on cream, with a navy border
Finished quilt: 58 × 70 inches. Blocks are 12 inches finished, set 4 across and 5 down, with a 5-inch border.

Skill level is confident beginner. If you've made a nine-patch, the only new skill here is the flying-geese unit, and the no-waste method below makes four at a time with no bias edges to stretch. Use a ¼-inch seam allowance throughout.

Fabric

Yardage assumes 42-inch quilting cotton with 40 inches usable.

FabricUsed forYardage
Red10 stars⅞ yd
Navy10 stars⅞ yd
CreamBackground1¾ yd
Navy (same or different)Border and binding1¾ yd
BackingBack of the quilt3¾ yd
BattingMiddle layerAt least 66 × 78 in (twin size): Warm & Natural twin fits

Buying one navy for the stars, border and binding? Get 2⅝ yards of it. If you're making this as a Quilt of Valor and sending it to a volunteer longarm quilter, the Foundation asks for a backing 8 inches wider and 8 inches longer than the top, which this yardage covers.

Cutting

FabricCut stripsSubcut
Red2 strips, 6½ in10 squares, 6½ in (star centers)
Red4 strips, 3⅞ in40 squares, 3⅞ in (star points)
Navy2 strips, 6½ in10 squares, 6½ in
Navy4 strips, 3⅞ in40 squares, 3⅞ in
Cream4 strips, 7¼ in20 squares, 7¼ in (geese)
Cream8 strips, 3½ in80 squares, 3½ in (block corners)
Border navy7 strips, 5½ inBorder
Border navy7 strips, 2½ inBinding

3⅞ inches is the one awkward measurement. It's the line just short of 4 on most rulers; check yours before cutting 80 of them.

Make the flying geese (four at a time)

Each star needs four geese. One 7¼-inch cream square and four 3⅞-inch star squares make all four.

  1. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the four small star squares.
  2. Lay two small squares on opposite corners of the cream square, right sides together, so the drawn lines form one continuous diagonal. The small squares overlap a little in the middle.
  3. Sew ¼ inch from both sides of the line. Cut on the line. Press the small triangles out.
  4. On each of the two pieces, lay one of the remaining small squares in the cream corner, with its line running from the corner to the point between the two small triangles. Sew ¼ inch from both sides, cut on the line and press.
  5. You now have four geese. Trim each to 3½ × 6½ inches, keeping the point ¼ inch from the top edge.

Assemble each star block

Sawtooth star block: a red center square, four flying-geese units with red star points, and four cream corner squares
The sawtooth star: a center square, four geese and four corners. 12½ inches unfinished.
  1. Top and bottom rows: corner square, goose (cream triangle pointing toward the center), corner square.
  2. Middle row: goose, 6½-inch star center, goose, with both cream triangles pointing at the center square.
  3. Sew the rows, pressing toward the corners in the top and bottom rows and toward the center in the middle row. Join the rows.
  4. Each block should measure 12½ inches. Make 10 red and 10 navy.

Put the quilt together

Lay the blocks out 4 across and 5 down, alternating red and navy like a checkerboard. Sew them into rows, then sew the rows together. The center should measure 48½ × 60½ inches.

For the border, join the seven 5½-inch strips into one long piece. Measure through the middle of the quilt top lengthwise (about 60½ inches), cut two strips and sew them to the sides. Measure through the middle crosswise (about 58½ inches), cut two more and sew them to the top and bottom.

Quilting and finishing

A red, navy and cream star quilt draped over a wooden rocking chair on a porch in warm evening light

Layer, baste and quilt. A Quilt of Valor must be machine or hand quilted (tied quilts aren't accepted), and the Foundation asks for quilting that isn't so dense it flattens the batting. An all-over meander is the easiest choice; straight star-to-star lines work too. If you'd like to try free-motion quilting, StitchTested has a beginner's guide, and a roundup of machines for quilting if your current one struggles with a throw this size.

Bind with the 2½-inch strips; the Foundation recommends a double-fold binding with mitered corners, which is the method in our binding guide. Then add a label.

Change the size

LayoutBorderFinished sizeBlocks
4 × 5 (this pattern)5 in58 × 70 in20
4 × 64 in56 × 80 in24
5 × 63 in66 × 78 in30
3 × 34 in44 × 44 in (baby or wall quilt)9

For each extra block, add one 6½-inch and four 3⅞-inch squares of star fabric, and one 7¼-inch and four 3½-inch squares of cream. Recalculate the border and binding from the new size; StitchTested's binding and backing calculator does the arithmetic.

Want the stars and stripes themselves? The American flag quilt pattern has 13 pieced stripes and 50 appliqué stars.

Making this as a Quilt of Valor? Read our guide to the Quilts of Valor requirements first. This pattern is free for personal and charity use. Please don't sell the pattern itself.

Products on this page

Photos and prices come from Amazon and can change.

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