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-   -   Stack and slash - 5 pointed star - 11 colors - help please (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/stack-slash-5-pointed-star-11-colors-help-please-t27394.html)

Bridog 10-20-2009 10:40 AM

I need a brilliant mind to help us determine the manner in which the 11 blocks of colors need organized, after each of the 5 cuts. It's an irregular 5-pointed star, and to make sure each star has 11 different colors at the end of these 5 cuts, how can we make sure that all colors are on all 11 blocks, at the end??? please help

Marcia 10-20-2009 11:25 AM

Huh? I'm sorry---I don't think I understand the question at all!!!

Obviously, no brilliant mind here!!!

justwannaquilt 10-20-2009 11:41 AM

http://www.crystalpalaceyarns.com/eq...ashstars1.html

Is this what you are looking for?

Bridog 10-20-2009 11:49 AM

obviously

Bridog 10-20-2009 11:54 AM

yes, yes. justwannaquilt -- I think you may have done it. I really appreciate your prompt response. I'll let my co-worker and my Mom know about this link. Thank you very muchly, as my Mom would say.

sno 10-20-2009 12:28 PM

I am the coworker...
So let me clarify...
I have seen and have actually had the pattern in my hand at one point in my life.
The pattern is for a stack and slash five point star using 11 different fabrics. You stack the 11 fabrics and make the first cut. Which is from the bottom right corner to the center of the top of the fabric. You take the smaller section of the top fabric and place it on the bottom. You then sew the two pieces of fabric together. You now have one square with two pieces of fabric. You then make the second cut, doing the same process of stacking and whacking. There are five cuts. After making the cuts, and sewing them, you should have a block with all 11 fabics in the block, with no repeat fabric.
Does that make since?
I now can not find this pattern anywhere..
I told my coworker who does math puzzles..to figure it out for me...and I see how he is cheating...
But if anyone can help me...as his mom would say..Thank you very muchly!!

Shemjo 10-20-2009 12:29 PM

Interesting concept. I wonder, can it be made so the inside points match up, and you don't lose your star points?

mcdaniel023 10-20-2009 12:40 PM

This is probably not going to make sense but I will try.
Stack and wack your fabrics. More the fabric to an area that has a lot of room. Take the entire stack of one piece and lay it out in 11 different places.
Take the next piece (stack) and move the top piece to the bottom and put it in the correct place next to the original piece. Continue doing this until you have used all 11 pieces. Each square will have 11 pieces all different.
Remember always move the top piece to the botton and start with the first square.

justwannaquilt 10-20-2009 12:45 PM

I think I am lost but....

Instead of using four or five fabrics like the website says couldn't you use stack up 11 fabrics, cut them as instructed and then sew them back together using one piece from each block to complete the star?

Wouldn't you be achieving the same end result just going about it in a different manner?

Again I might be wrong!

sno 10-20-2009 12:48 PM

My problem is how to stack the fabrics....
after the first cut..there are two fabrics in the square..
The second cut there are three fabrics in the square...
The third cut there are five fabrics in the square...
The forth cut there are there are eight fabrics in the square...
And the fifth and final cut there are eleven fabrics in the square...

What I need to know is how to stack them, so the fabrics don't repeat themselves. In this pattern, there are never 11 seperate pieces to sew together. There will only be two pieces to sew together with each cut..



luvmy2bts 10-20-2009 01:37 PM

Okay here goes I will try to explain. After you have gotten your stacks cut into 11 pieces the first stack leave alone. The next stack move one layer to the bottom the next stack move two layers to the bottom and the next stack move three layers to the bottom and so forth until you have All your stacks layered. So each piece is a different color when you have them layered correctly. Hope that makes sense

Debbie KS

sno 10-20-2009 02:05 PM


I know this sounds easy...but believe me it is not...I have spent two weeks trying to figure out the correct stacking order. It is not as simple as you would think.
After making the first cut..and placing the smaller piece of fabric to the very bottom..,and the second cut and moving that to the very bottom, the third cut, and moving that to the very bottom, after the forth cut, moving that to the very bottom, then the same fabric shows up in the same sqare..on for instance block #5..has the #11 fabric in the same square...
There has to be a way to stack without repeating fabrics...

Shemjo 10-20-2009 02:37 PM

You need to move more than one piece at a time. For the first cut, do nothing; for the second cut, move the top piece to the bottom; for the third cut, move the top two to the bottom; for the fourth cut, move the top three to the bottom, and so on. At least this is what I would do, to get eleven different pieces in each patch!

amma 10-20-2009 02:45 PM

I think you are getting confused at the cutting point. You stack 11 different fabrics and cut them all out at the same time. Then you start moving the pieces as luvmy2bts described. Other wise you will not get the variations you are looking for.

The first piece (stack) is left alone...The second stack you take the first piece and move it to the bottom of the stack. The third stack, you take the top two pieces and move them to the bottom of the stack. Make sure that you do not disturb the order, just count out two and put them on the bottom of the stack... Keep going through the stacks adding on one more piece each time you count. This way you have rotated the fabrics so that each block will be a different combination. You then take the top pieces and make a block, the next layer is your next block...and so on.

Scissor Queen 10-20-2009 02:56 PM

I wouldn't get all caught up in the order they have to be shuffled. Just move the top piece to the bottom to start with and probably until you get at least half way thru. Then just look at the block. If block one doesn't have fabric A in it, put a piece in it and so on.

sno 10-20-2009 03:49 PM

I wish I could draw a picture to show you guys....I am not getting lost in the shuffle...The problem is...you make the first cut...two pieces of fabric are in the block..Fabric 1 is on the left..fabric 2 is on the right...making the second cut...Fabric 1 is in the middle..fabric 2 is on the right..fabric 3 is on the left side....Making the third cut..you now have fabric 1 at the middle top..fabric 2 at the top right, fabric 3 at the top left. You now have fabric 4 at the bottom middle and fabric 5 at the bottom left. There are now five fabrics in one square. Making the forth cut, the same fabric shows up in squares..for instance, block five, now has fabric 5 at the top middle, fabric 6 at the top right, fabric 7 at the top left, fabric 10 at the bottom left, fabric 6 is the a part of the star at the bottom left, then you have fabric 1 at the bottom middle, fabric 9 is a part of the star at the bottom right. and repeat fabric 10 is at the bottom right I have tried many different shuffles where fabric don't repeat, and..I actually have gotten it to work where I can get 8 fabrics in the square, but when I make the last cut..I can never get all 11 fabrics in one square. Again I am not sewing 11 pieces at a time..I am only sewing two pieces at a time...

Thanks to everyone who has been so nice trying to help me..I wish it was as easy as it seem....but I am telling you there is a way...because I have seen the pattern, I have seen a quilt made from this pattern, and it is in the shufflin of the squares...

LucyInTheSky 10-20-2009 03:54 PM

Cut all 11 fabrics. Then go to a room with a lot of space.

Fabric #1 has 11 pieces, right? So lay it out in 11 different star "areas" (you'll be laying out 11 star blocks). Lay 1 piece from fabric #1 in each area. You now have 1 piece of 11 stars, and each piece is different.

Fabric #2, place in with each of the 11 star areas. As long as you don't pick the same piece you already have from fabric #1, they will all lay out fine. Now you have 11 star blocks with 2 pieces.

And just keep repeating. This should always give you 11 different stars with fully different colors, as long as it's different pieces, and you only put 1 from each fabric with each star. There will always be somewhere in the 11 blocks to put each new piece. So if you've laid out fabrics 1-10 and only 11 is left, and the 1st block doesn't need a center but it does need a top right background, top right fabric #11 piece there, and the center where ever it's needed.

LucyInTheSky 10-20-2009 03:56 PM


Originally Posted by sno
I wish I could draw a picture to show you guys....I am not getting lost in the shuffle...The problem is...you make the first cut...two pieces of fabric are in the block..Fabric 1 is on the left..fabric 2 is on the right...making the second cut...Fabric 1 is in the middle..fabric 2 is on the right..fabric 3 is on the left side....Making the third cut..you now have fabric 1 at the middle top..fabric 2 at the top right, fabric 3 at the top left. You now have fabric 4 at the bottom middle and fabric 5 at the bottom left. There are now five fabrics in one square. Making the forth cut, the same fabric shows up in squares..for instance, block five, now has fabric 5 at the top middle, fabric 6 at the top right, fabric 7 at the top left, fabric 10 at the bottom left, fabric 6 is the a part of the star at the bottom left, then you have fabric 1 at the bottom middle, fabric 9 is a part of the star at the bottom right. and repeat fabric 10 is at the bottom right I have tried many different shuffles where fabric don't repeat, and..I actually have gotten it to work where I can get 8 fabrics in the square, but when I make the last cut..I can never get all 11 fabrics in one square. Again I am not sewing 11 pieces at a time..I am only sewing two pieces at a time...

Thanks to everyone who has been so nice trying to help me..I wish it was as easy as it seem....but I am telling you there is a way...because I have seen the pattern, I have seen a quilt made from this pattern, and it is in the shufflin of the squares...

I'm working off of the link that was provided around post #3. Just layout the fabrics, cut all of them into the stars, and then start to break them up. Your way is confusing me :lol: so cut, then arrange like I described in the above post, and it should work perfectly fine and happy

LucyInTheSky 10-20-2009 03:58 PM

I read, post, read, post, read, and post, so forgive the multiple posts in a row.

I think where you're getting confused is you're moving as you cut. Cut them all, then do the moving tops to bottoms that people have described (Amma's makes the most sense to me). Don't do too much at once, that's where things are getting weird. Cut all, then rotate or layout

sno 10-20-2009 04:10 PM

Thank you for posting...
I know it is confusing..and cutting the 11 fabrics first into 11 pieces would ceretainly work..but then instead of working with 11 fabrics with just one cut at a time I would have 100's of pieces..which when then be a piece quilt and not a slash and stack...
I wish I could just find the pattern...,
but until then I may just have figure out another project to do...

justwannaquilt 10-20-2009 04:13 PM

I know what you are talking about! but I don't see how it would work with a five point star. I have my program playing with it though so maybe some time next week I'll figure it out. lol

LucyInTheSky 10-20-2009 04:15 PM


Originally Posted by sno
Thank you for posting...
I know it is confusing..and cutting the 11 fabrics first into 11 pieces would ceretainly work..but then instead of working with 11 fabrics with just one cut at a time I would have 100's of pieces..which when then be a piece quilt and not a slash and stack...
I wish I could just find the pattern...,
but until then I may just have figure out another project to do...

55 pieces :wink: I get wanting to avoid lots of pieces, but you can still stack and slash them, and it won't make your brain hurt to lay the things out, rather then figuring out this method which seems to be frustrating

Okay, well, can you avoid moving the fabric until it's a free standing one piece? If the pieces were #-ed 1-11, don't move the top 1, 2, 3, etc fabrics until piece 1 is cut by itself. Move nothing. Then when piece 2 is cut by itself, move the top piece. Then when piece 3 is alone, move the top 2. If you move a bigger piece when, say, 4 and 5 are still connected and not cut, then you would need to also move one more piece when 5 is cut

LucyInTheSky 10-20-2009 04:22 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Sno - I borrowed this image from the link provided earlier. I added numbers.

Tell me how they are divided up after each cut. Please type as simply as possible, and don't move any fabrics yet. I can figure this out! I've walked students through word problems, I can figure this out dangit! :!:

So from you, I want something like:

1st cut: 1-8 on one side, 9-11 on other
2nd cut: 1-5, 6-8, 9-11

That way, I can see that you have a piece, after the first cut, that will eventually turn into 1-8, and after the second cut 9-11. Then I see your 2nd cut breaks up 1-8 so 1-5 are now on 1 piece of fabric, and 6-8 are on a 2nd, with 9-11 not doing anything

If you can understand what I said, and give me that, I think I can tell you what to do :D

And again, don't start moving fabrics yet! I just care about what each cut will give you.

sno 10-20-2009 04:22 PM

[quote][size=18][color=red][size=18]I know what you are talking about! but I don't see how it would work with a five point star. I have my program playing with it though so maybe some time next week I'll figure it out. lol

THANK YOU.....I now don't feel like an such an idiot...

sno 10-20-2009 04:34 PM

It didn't even occur to me, that I could be cutting it wrong..
By looking at this diagram..the first cut would be where fabric 1 is at the bottom, and fabric 2 is at the top.
As I look at the pattern I am now trying to figure out the second cut...I just wanted you to know that my cuts where different, but again I have no pattern...
A BIG BIG THANK YOU...
We can work through this!!!

LucyInTheSky 10-20-2009 04:41 PM


Originally Posted by sno
It didn't even occur to me, that I could be cutting it wrong..
By looking at this diagram..the first cut would be where fabric 1 is at the bottom, and fabric 2 is at the top.
As I look at the pattern I am now trying to figure out the second cut...I just wanted you to know that my cuts where different, but again I have no pattern...
A BIG BIG THANK YOU...
We can work through this!!!

That's just one pattern, not necessarily the right one :)

As long as when you move the fabrics you keep them in order (so top always goes to the bottom, and if blue is right before red, blue always stays right before red, all you need to worry about is that each top fabric is different. So don't worry about the middle top, middle bottom, etc. If you see in a pile that blue is on top when you already have a blue on top, move him to the bottom. Oh there's red, now he's on top, but you have a different piece with red on top, so move him to the bottom. Now purple's on top, oh great, he's new, leave him.

Just as long as you keep moving the piles like that, it should work with different colors. Since they're staying in the same order, if blue is on top, then the pile next to it with red on top will ALWAYS have different fabrics in the 11 blocks all the way through. Does that make sense? Try it that way, where you just keep moving tops until you get a new one and it should work

justwannaquilt 10-20-2009 04:47 PM

Here is a question for you, are you wanting to construct it like THIS http://patchwork-of-mini-grey.blogsp...-tutorial.html minus the little white sashing, and with a star instead of just a nine patch?

But using the same concept to cut and sew, cut and sew, cut and sew?

sno 10-20-2009 04:59 PM

YES..YES...YES...
I have actually made that quilt!!
And it was after I made that quilt...that I saw the pattern of which I am now seeking..there was a quilt store in Dodge Nebraska that had the pattern...
The quilt store in Dodge Nebraska is now closed.

justwannaquilt 10-20-2009 05:02 PM

was it a commercial pattern?

In a book? leaflet? hand out?

sno 10-20-2009 05:02 PM

They also had it on display...
You know now that I am thinking about...they had 12 blocks in the quilt..so there must of been 12 pieces of fabric used, but only 11 pieces of fabric in each block...hmmm...

sno 10-20-2009 05:04 PM

Leaflet...
Where you only buy the pattern...
Nice little picture on the front..instructions in the plactic bag...

justwannaquilt 10-20-2009 05:09 PM

http://craftymammas.wordpress.com/20...uilt-tutorial/

????Yes, No, Maybe????

Grandma Cindy 10-20-2009 05:10 PM

Buggy Barn sells a pattern for doing the same to a square, maybe after reading those instructions, you could do the same for the star?

sno 10-20-2009 06:48 PM

JUSTWANNAQUILT....

YOU ARE MY NEW BEST FRIEND!!!!
THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU...

Yes...I can not believe it!!!
You are the best....
This is it!!1

sno 10-20-2009 06:51 PM

Ok...I got so excited by looking at the design...I didn't even read it...
or really look at it...there are repeated fabric in the stars, and the one I saw had no repeats of fabric...

justwannaquilt 10-20-2009 08:56 PM

There are repeats because she only used six layers of fabric, which produced six blocks!

You can use either 11 fabrics and have one block for each fabric that is in the quilt, or you can layer 12 fabrics and not every block will have every fabric! but you will have an even number of blocks for your quilt instead of an odd number!

The more fabrics you add the less pieces are going to be repeated, and if you use the same number of fabrics as you do blocks you won't have any repeats!

LucyInTheSky 10-20-2009 09:09 PM

*jumping up and down*

As long as you keep them in order and always have a different color at the top of each pile, I swear you'll have 11 different colors in 11 fabric positions with no repeats!! Just keep moving fabrics to the bottom if repeats show up. It solves your problem where the same fabric will appear. :thumbup:

amma 10-20-2009 10:38 PM

Have you got it figured out now?

sno 10-21-2009 10:42 AM

Thanks again to everyone...
But I still have the same problem...
How do I shuffle them...
If I just shuffle to the very bottom...I swear..there are repeats in fabric..
There is only one certain order..something like..after the first cut..move the first one to the bottom...after the second cut....move it three from bottom...etc...
Once you have eight fabrics in the block..finding the other three..that are not in that block..that will make the correct cut..is what is driving me crazy...
But thank-you to everyone...

Scissor Queen 10-21-2009 10:50 AM


Originally Posted by sno
Thanks again to everyone...
But I still have the same problem...
How do I shuffle them...
If I just shuffle to the very bottom...I swear..there are repeats in fabric..
There is only one certain order..something like..after the first cut..move the first one to the bottom...after the second cut....move it three from bottom...etc...
Once you have eight fabrics in the block..finding the other three..that are not in that block..that will make the correct cut..is what is driving me crazy...
But thank-you to everyone...

Okay, I've been thinking about this. If you make a cut, shuffle and sew you're not going to shuffle 11 times because there aren't 11 cuts.

You have to cut it all at once. Use freezer paper to make a couple of copies of your pattern and stick it to the top piece of fabric in a couple of stacks. Make all the cuts. Then you pick a different piece of fabric from each section for each block. Several people in my guild did a similar quilt with hearts and that's how it was done.


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