Comparison of LeMoyne Star and Eight-Pointed Star Blocks
 

They are similar, but not the same.

Some Similarities:

They both have squares in the corners and triangles on the sides.
They both have parallelograms with 45-135-45-135 angles for the centers.


Some Differences:

The proportions are different.
The shapes of the parallelograms are different.

The LeMoyne Star - all the interior (finished) seam lengths are the same.
The 8-pointed Star - The interior (finished) seam lengths are different.

The LeMoyne Star - all four sides of the diamond are the same length.
The 8-pointed Star - opposite sides are the same length, but not all four sides are the same length.
The LeMoyne Star - Cannot construct the center from HSTs

I love the traditional Ohio star block but there is also something very appealing about the Le Moyne star too. I make both and the only way to discribe them for myself is that the OS is more masculine and the LMS is more feminine. I think it is because the angles are not as severe in the LMS. imho. TFS
peace

Thanks for this info, Bearisgray. I have always been confused by the differences between them.

Leslie

Thank you very much for this information. I think it solves a problem that I encounter with an unfinished quilt top that one of my friend gave me "to do what ever I wanted with it"
it was so badly sewned with unequal seam allowances etc... I undid it all to find out that the diamond shape were uneven. My only experience was with the Lemoyne star.. Because of your pictures now I know. I still have a zillion pieces to sew . thanks a million!

Good comparison, thank you!

I added an eight-pointed star that is drawn on a 3 x 3 grid. It's the orange one.

Most of these have so many variations - many of them quite easy to do.

I do not think that anyone can compile a "complete" encyclopedia of block patterns. It seems like someone is always coming up with a variation of an old pattern - or giving an old pattern a different/new name.

If one wants to use graph paper for doodling with the LeMoyne star, I've found that if I "grid" it at 10, 7, 7, 10 intervals, that it comes out fairly close.

I've found folding paper to be the easiest way to get the proportions - 34 is sort of a clumsy number to use for frequently used block sizes.

Technically, the proportions are 1, square root of 2 divided by 2, square root of 2 divided by 2, and 1 (1, 0.71, 0.71, and 1) (rounded to the nearest hundredth)

Yes, because if you do a true LeMoyne Star, you are dealing with a different angles than with HSTs.

Many blocks seem to work fine when adapted to using a HST parallelogram instead of an equal-sided diamond.

The purpose of this post is just to show that they are different.

Fascinating tutorial, did not know that. I thought they were the same, but they're not. Thanks!

Learn something every day! Thanks for taking the time!!

Sharon, you fascinate me! Wish we lived closer to each other, bet we could have all kinds of fun.:D

Jan in VA

Hmm. So the Ohio Star is like a 16 patch block with some half square triangles. Easier, I think.

This is great information. Thanks for sharing it. I have been wondering recently about doing an 8 pointed star or a LeMoyne star and I thought they were the same thing. I wonder if you could answer a question about cutting the pieces...I would like to use 2.5 inch strips (from a jelly roll) for the diamonds/parallelograms but I am not sure how to cut them and at what sizes the triangles and corner squares will need to be cut. Since I now know that there is a difference I think I would like to do the LeMoyne star. Can you help me out or point me to a website or book with that information??? Much appreciation!!!

bearisgray - thanks for the information. Great explanation.

I am attaching a scan that - more or less - explains how I would try to figure out what size to cut your strips, corner squares, and setting triangles.

Thanks - I wish we lived closer, too.

Depends on which "Ohio Star" you are using.

There are many "8-pointed" stars drawn on a 4x4 grid - and many drawn on a 3x3 red.

I think the third star is the one you have in mind. That also goes by many names - according to the Barbara Brackman book.

The first two blocks drawn on the attachment both go by many names - including "Ohio Star" -

I used the numbers that Barbara Brackman assigned them in her book "Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns.:

This is for what I call a LeMoyne Star block -

Here is my Lemoyne star quilt I made last week I still have to bind it I used Deb Tucker rapid fire templets made it fairly easy to make

Thanks for taking the time to do this. I appreciate it much! Looking forward to trying it out soon.

That is a very pretty quillt.

Beautiful quilt. all those points coming together in the center, how do you press it? I would think even the whirligig would leave a lump.....what do you do?

Thanks so much for that. In my younger years I would have been able to figure it out, but now I can't. Too much water under the bridge.

Bear, you are amazing. Your descriptions and diagrams make it so easy to see the differences. Thank you so much.