How to Identify Star Quilt Patterns
Star quilts reflect a rich history of craftsmanship. The patterns are often more time-consuming to create than other quilt patterns, so they were historically treated as family treasures. The unique patterns tell a story of the heritage of the quilter, as many different regions of the world adopted their own favorite star patterns. While there are many interpretations of star quilts today, most evolved from a few original star patterns.
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Instructions
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Look for a star formation made of diamond shapes with an even amount of points. This star pattern is known by many names depending on the location where it was made. Lone Star, Mathematical Star, Star of Bethlehem and Morning Star are common names. On these quilts, a single star sits in the center, covering most of the quilt. The star is often surrounded by smaller stars or other designs.
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Look for a star with circle in the center and eight to 16 points. This quilt is likely a mariner's compass star quilt. These quilts can be made with a single star in the center or blocks of stars. The stars differ from lone star quilts. They are made of single, long, narrow triangles rather than many diamonds
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Look for a star with a square in the center and eight points made of three triangles each. This is an Ohio star. The Ohio star pattern is made of nine separate blocks with triangles and squares to form a star. An Ohio star pattern is generally used as a patch to form a quilt. It is often seen in modern Amish quilts made in the Midwest. Variations of this nine-patch quilt pattern are common in modern quilting patterns.
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A star with each point made of a single, long diamond is known as a diamond star or a Star of LeMoyne. This star pattern may make up the center of a quilt or patches. These quilts are often well preserved because they were so laborious to make they were treasured as heirlooms.
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References
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