I made a Texas Lone Star quilt once and it never would lay right. I want to make another one but want an easier pattern.
Does anyone have an easier pattern than cutting each individual piece out? It was one of the lst quilts I made and Im sure I didnt cut exact or sew exact is why it wouldnt lay down flat in the middle. Now that Im "more experienced" (you notice I didnt say older :) maybe it will come out better! Thanks!!

Try this:

http://www.angelfire.com/va3/jclane/.../LoneStar.html

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-90360-1.htm

here is a tut someone put up recently. should be easy to change the size.

I've made Lone Stars the traditional way, both piecing individual diamonds and strip piecing.

The hands-down easiest, most brilliant way was using the Quiltsmart interfacing.

Pros - NO diamonds, NO bias edges, NO blocking and NO starching the sections. NO pinning to match seams (ok, just a little bit ;) ). NO weird angles. Just cut the rectangles - yes, rectangles, and you can put the sections together in a day.

Cons - the interfacing ain't free. Star size is limited to size of panels. But as I wrote elsewhere, if you get really comfortable with the technique, you can get quite adventurous.

But it is so worth it. NAYY.

See a brief overview:
http://quiltsmart.com/Pages/mo_lonestar.htm

Here are the options:
http://www.quiltsmart.com/khxc/index...ring=lone+star

Eleanor Burns just put out a new book titled "Radiant Star."

If Eleanor Burns can't come up with a faster, easier, more accurate way of making a complicated quilt, then no one can. :)

http://quiltinaday.com/shoponline/bo...ts&i=30068&pg=

Looks like she is still dealing with diamond shapes, and doing it the traditional way. She's making it easier by using a "bias stripper" ruler. Hey, that's one notion I don't have.
On sale for $65, usually $100. :shock:
(And one I'm not likely to get.)

I'd rather pay the $24 for the interfacing. ;)

One way to get it to lie flat is some thing that I learned recently and that is when you sew it together, don't sew through the center seam and it will lie flat. Mine last one did and it was a perfect match, but the dern quilt went wonky in the squaring up on it. I can probably save it, but I put it away for the time being. I've also done the ones from quiltsmart.com and they are really easty to do. Love them. Have agreat day, Huggies, FAy

I don't know because I haven't gotten my copy of the book yet. It should be here soon and if that's what it is, I'm afraid I'll have to pass, too.

I will spend $65 on a tool that I'll use all the time - but a tool that I would probably only use once or twice? I only want to make one Lone Star! LOL!

It seems you don't HAVE to have the special ruler, but the way she's written the book, she's pitching it as something that will make it easier. Which is fine. But I just about fell over when I saw the price for the bias ruler.

I spent that on a large proportional ruler that I think I need a PhD to use correctly. But right now I make circles with it. ;-)

As far as Lone Star quilt books go, I still think Jan Krentz's is the best. Even if you use the Quiltsmart for the sections, the book was so wonderfully laid out, and the instructions for putting the star together, dealing with y-seams, the bulk in the center, and other design considerations, made it well worth the price.

Try Debbie Maddy's technique for Lonestar quilts made using 1/2 square triangles. I made one and loved it! Her claim to fame is "No Diamonds, No Y's"!