Welcome back to my 2026 Block of the Week sew along! This week’s block is really fun. I call it Blazing Star. If you missed any of the previous block of the week posts, here’s a link to last week’s post and from there you can find the previous week’s post links.
This week’s pattern is free, just like all the others. By the end of this sew along, depending on how many of each block you make, you can have enough blocks for a wall quilt, lap quilt or even a bed size quilt. I’ve decided to make two of each of the blocks, one with a light background and one with a dark background. I’ll have to decide at the end if I’m making one big quilt or two small ones. So let’s get started on Block 4!
Block of the Week – Block 4
This block combines HSTs and flying geese to make a unique star block that looks like it’s “blazing”, hence the name. Here it is:
Find the free pattern for blazing star here: 2026 BOW Block 4.
Now here’s my version of blazing star with the dark background.
Now let’s move to the tip of the week.
Multiple Flying Geese
Last week I covered the techniques to make multiple half-square triangle squares. In week two, I covered the traditional way to make one flying geese unit. This week, I will talk about the multiple, no-waste flying geese method that you may or may not be familiar with. This method comes in handy when you have a quilt with a lot of flying geese in it.
This method makes 4 flying geese units at once and has the added benefit of wasting no fabric. There will be no excess seam allowance to trim off like in the traditional method I showed in week two. Each grouping of fabric will make 4 flying geese at once.
Step 1: It’s important to get the fabric pieces cut to the right size to begin. You will need 1 large square (base) and 4 smaller squares (wings).
For this example, I want geese units for my quilt that measure 2 1/2 x 4 1/2″ (this measurement includes the seam allowance). The finished size will be 2 x 4″. When you hear someone say “finished size” it means the size of the unit after it’s sewn into the block or quilt. So here are the calculations to cut the pieces needed:
The large square needs to measure 1 1/4″ larger than the finished width of the geese unit. My finished width is 4″ so:
4″ + 1 1/4″ = 5 1/4″
The 4 small squares need to measure 7/8″ larger than the finished height of the geese unit. My finished height is 2″ so:
2″ + 7/8″ = 2 7/8″
Step 2: Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of all 4 of the small squares. Then lay a small square face down on the upper left corner of the large square as shown:
Step 3: Place another square face down on the bottom right corner. The drawn lines should match up and the squares will overlap in the center. Once positioned, be sure to pin the squares in place so they don’t shift while stitching. Sew 1/4″ on each side of the drawn line.
Step 4: Cut the unit apart on the drawn line and press open:
Step 5: Place another square face down on one of the units from above. The corner of the square should line up with the edge of the unit and the opposite corner will overlap as shown. Sew 1/4″ on each side of the drawn line and cut the unit apart on the drawn line. Repeat this step with the remaining square and other unit.
Step 6: Once you press open all the units, you will have 4 flying geese.
Finally, measure the geese unit and trim if necessary. Be careful when trimming the top because you do not want to cut off points when you piece your geese into a block or quilt. There should be 1/4″ from the top of the point to the edge of the geese unit (last photo).
Like with the multiple HST technique I shared last week, I recommend using scrap fabric and practicing this technique before cutting into your good project fabric.
A Little History
I could not find this exact block in my search of block history books. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exists somewhere. But this is something I designed by stacking flying geese radiating out from a central square and added the HST accents so a unique star design appears. Let me know if you find a block that looks like this in your searches.
The closest historical block I can find to mine is the Odd Fellows Chain from the Ladies Art Company in 1897. Nancy Cabot renamed the block San Diego in 1935 in a pattern published in 1935 in the Chicago Tribune. Here are the two blocks side by side. My blazing star is on the left.
I shrunk down the center flying geese, which moves in the HSTs on the corners and added the plain strips on the outside.
This is an example of what pioneer women often did. They would make a block and, if they didn’t have a pattern, they considered it an original design. Then they would give it a unique name, one that had meaning to them or represented something in their daily lives. The block they designed may have existed somewhere else with another name, but they often had no way of knowing that in the 19th century. This is why you will see some quilt blocks with several different names.
That’s it for this week. Like I said above, do some research yourself if you like. If you can find my variation of the block somewhere with another name, I’d love to see it. See you next week.
Happy Quilting!
Deanne
