Make an ohio star block

1. For each block, cut two 9.5cm squares of red, teal, apricot and sun coloured fabric and eight of plain white. Pin a white square to the right side of each patterned square and draw a pencil line diagonally from corner to corner. Stitch the squares together 5mm either side of the line [1].

2. Cut along the pencil line to create two bi-coloured squares measuring 9cm. These are known as ’half square triangles’ or HSTs. Finger press the seam to the patterned side [2].

3. Use three HSTs of the same colour for quarter of the finished block. Cut a 9cm square of plain white cotton. Pin two HSTs right sides together and stitch down one patterned edge to produce a mirror imaged rectangle [3]. Sew the white square to the remaining HST along one patterned side. Open out both rectangles and press.

4. Pin and stitch the rectangles together. Repeat step 3 for the remaining three colours of HST. Trim the blocks to 16cm square before sewing together so the solid white squares sit at each corner. The finished block should measure 31cm square, including a 5mm seam allowance on all sides.

Sew a quilt

1. Make six Ohio star blocks. Cut saffron fabric into 6cm wide strips and use these to join the blocks in pairs. Stitch the remaining strips end to end and use to join the pairs of blocks to one another.

2. Cut 6cm wide strips of saccharine fabric and use these to make an overlapped border around the patchwork. Press the work well on the reverse. Fold in 5mm along the edges and press, mitring the corners.

3. Lay the remaining white cotton fabric down, place wadding on top and position the quilt top over the stack. Pin in place at regular intervals. Trim the wadding to the size of the quilt top.

4. Cut the backing fabric 2cm bigger than the quilt top and fold the edges over the wadding to line up with the pressed edges of the quilt top. Mitre the corners. Pin and topstitch the edges together with small running stitch in a coordinating colour. Hand quilt the work along the seam lines as desired.