We’re Up to Volume 11, and my contribution to this collection is “Telstar”.
“Telstar” block by Anne Wiens – 2015
In 100 Blocks the editors gave you templates for paper-piecing this block. I pieced mine, using two of my favorite rotary cutting tools – the Tucker Trimmer® and Center Beam® tools from Studio 180 Design.
If I had named the block before I made it, I probably would have used a space-themed fabric in the center square. The truth is, I have an awful time coming up with titles for my designs. It just happened that I was reading an article about the early days of the US-USSR space race the day before I absolutely had to get this block in the mail. There was a photo of the Soviets’ Sputnik satellite and the American satellite Telstar. Honestly, the block looks more like Sputnik, but I liked the Telstar name, so it stuck.
So, off Telstar went to Quiltmaker, and I began playing with projects built around the block. I did make a cute little quilt with an astronaut print, which I will save for another blog post next week.
For now, here are a couple of tablerunners made with the Telstar block:
Telstar Tablerunners by Anne Wiens – 2015
Both tablerunners have 3 Telstar blocks set on point, with pieced triangle units.
I made a little change in the block in the “pink” tablerunner. More about that later.
The tablerunners measure about 18″ x 52″.
Telstar Tablerunner #1 – fabrics
1/4 yard Floral Print
1/2 yard red
1/2 yard green
1/8 yard light blue (not shown)
1-1/8 yards dark blue (Not shown)
1 yard white
1/4 yard gold
Pieces for setting triangles.
You will need to make three Telstar blocks, according to the instructions in the magazine. For the setting triangles you will also need to make twenty of the corner (red & gold) units, and eight 3.5″ blue/white half-square triangles. Cut eight 5.5″ white squares, and cut each diagonally twice for 32 quarter-square triangles. You also need four 3.5″ squares of your main print. You may notice my green squares are missing one corner. I was determined to use this print in my tablerunner and I was down to my very last bits of it. I was not at all sure I was going to make it!
Pieced setting triangles
Make 4 setting triangles.
Corner units
Sew white triangles to the remaining red and gold units and sew into 4 pairs.
End units
Sew corner units to two of the Telstar blocks…
End units 2
Sew a setting triangle to the right side of each of the end units.
Center unit & finishing
Sew the other two setting triangles to opposite sides of the remaining Telstar block. Lay the center and end units out as shown and sew together to complete your Telstar top.
Use the dark blue fabric for backing and binding. Cut five 2.25″ (2.5″ if you prefer) x Width of Fabric strips, sew end-to-end and press in half lengthwise for your binding. Set aside. Cut the remaining 3/4 yard piece in half along the center fold and sew the two halves together end-to end. Your backing piece should measure approx 21″ x 56″.
Layer the top, batting and backing, quilt as desired and bind.
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Because I wasn’t certain I had enough of the green main print to make my first tablerunner, I bought fabric for a second. When I was sure I was “safe” with the first one, I tweaked the pattern a little for the second one.
Telstar Tablerunner #2- fabrics
In the second tablerunner, I substituted a medium pink for the light blue HSTs, and used the green from the “point” units in the block for the binding and backing as well.
Optional Points
I also put a light pink in place of some of the white pieces in the point units. In half the pink was on the left side of the green and in half it was on the right side.
Telstar Block – Option 2
It’s amazing what a difference the one little change makes in the finished block!
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Giveaway time!
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Seams Like a Plan 