| STEP 1: Now that
you have your * ACCURATE * small paper template you traced
from a magazine, printed out from quilt design software or drafted, you
will want to make it from a sturdy plastic instead of paper so it will
hold up to tracing around it. You can purchase template plastic or if you
don't have any "right now" you could use poster board in a pinch. Cardboard
will wear at the edges and your shape may distort after several uses.
Rough-cut your template away from the actual lines of your tracing or printout for safety, then glue the paper template to your plastic or cardboard. Now, cut it out carefully on the lines. A "little off" can make a big difference in accuracy so be very careful! That is why I like to cut "outside" of the actual lines first then cut "on" the actual lines only once. |
 STEP
2: Using the small template to make a giant one: Draw a line
from tip to tip down the center of your small template. This is very important!
If you have a hard Plexiglas template that came in a kit, you can use a
sharp pointed object like an ice pick or the tip of a compass and a ruler
to scratch a line on it.
STEP 3: Draw the line on your foundation paper the length you want your giant lone star point to be. Use this table to determine the length of the line. |
| STEP 4: Place
your small template at the top of the line with the upper point of the
template on the very tip of the line you drew. Carefully center that line
you drew on the template with the line on the paper.
STEP 5: Carefully draw a line on the paper on both sides of the template. STEP 6: Turn your paper bottom up, and do the same step as #4 on the opposite end of the line. |
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| STEP
6: Now take a long ruler and CAREFULLY line it up with one
of the 45 degree lines you just made, and extend the line. The four lines
will cross midway in the center of your template.
And there you have it! It's not magic, it's just that as long as you have the small template, it doesn't matter how long you extend the lines, you can create a 60 degree diamond in any length your little heart desires. Now you can use your BIG template to make 8 more from BIG paper and then you can go on to the fabric picking and cut your fabric into strips to make your BIG string stars quilt. |
If your length line is 8 inches or 88 inches, this method will make a 45 degree diamond for an 8 pointed star. |