Busy Monday: AccuQuilt GO! Modular Star Tutorial & Giveaway!

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Most Modular Stars I have seen are made out of glass, metal or paper. I have wanted to make this modular star pattern for a very long time, and as I was deciding on which AccuQuilt GO! Dies I wanted to design with first, I knew I had to have this one. There was no doubt in my mind it would work, I just didn't know how many I'd have to make, to make it work! Although this looks so difficult, I'd actually call it a step above a "beginner level" pattern. It really is so easy, it just looks very intimidating. When in doubt try it out! The fabric used here are various patterns from the Baum Textiles (Windham Fabric) "Storybook" line. They were little pieces from their swatch cards that I have had for a long time!

Here's what you'll need:
AccuQuilt GO! Machine (Studio or Baby)
AccuQuilt GO! "Triangles in Square - 3" Finished"
AccuQuilt Cutting Mat
Fabric of Choice
Straight Scissors
Sewing Machine
Fiberfill for stuffing
Needle & Thread (for sewing closed)

Here's what you'll do:

Step 1: (Please read all manufacturers instructions prior to using your AccuQuilt cutter if you are a first timer). Place a couple of pieces of fabric onto the 2 Large Triangles of your AccuQuilt GO! Cutter die and cover with the cutting mat. Roll the die and mat through the AccuQuilt Cutter and continue this process until you have at least 60 pieces for your Modular Star. If you are using many different scraps, you may want to consider cutting a few extra, so you can be selective when coordinating each triangle and each section. 

Step 2: Place two triangles, right sides together, and stitch along one of the long sides.  You can chain stitch this step, to avoid clipping your thread and starting again each time. Be sure to lock in your stitch at each end (as you turn them right side out, they may come apart without a locked in stitch). You will need to chain stitch 20 sets of 2. 

Step 3: Now open it, right sides facing up and place the 3rd Triangle face down, lining up the raw edges. Chain stitch this step as well. You will then have sewn 20 sets of 3 triangles each. 

Step 4: Once you have sewn the 3 pieces together, you will sew the two outside edges together, to close up the side of the triangle. The bottom will remain open. After you have sewn the edge of all 20 triangles, carefully turn them all right side out. They now look like little pyramids. 

Step 5: Now we begin connecting all of the pyramids. First we start by connecting 2 triangles together, from two of the pyramids. Place right sides together and sew them together. (TIP: Don't make the mistake I made and not sew enough of a seam allowance in this step. Once 5 pyramids are sewn together you may have a hole in the center that will weaken easily over time. Your seam allowance should be at least 1/4" if not slightly more.)

Step 6: Add another pyramid to the first 2, by connecting one triangle side of the connected pyramids, to one side of the new pyramid. Continue this process until you have 5 pyramids connected (they will look like a crown). Set this crown (set of 5) aside and make another crown.

Step 7: When you have 2 crowns, pick one triangle from each crown, and connect the two triangles by sewing them right sides facing together.

Step 8: Now you'll see that by connecting the two crowns, you have 4 pyramids right in the center (2 on each side). You'll now add one pyramid in between these 4, to create a crown in the center. Connect  one side of the pyramid to the left, and the other side of the same pyramid to the right side. (Now it will look like you have one crown in the center and 3 pyramids on each side.)

Step 9: If you turn it around as in this top left picture, you'll have one crown in the center and 3 pyramids on each side (as mentioned before). Now you'll see that you have 4 again and can add a 5th pyramid in between to make a 5 pointed crown again. So repeat step 8. 

Step 10: You will continue this exact same process as you go all the way around. Remember that 20 pyramids will make one whole Modular star! 

Step 11: Before you stitch up the very last edge, you'll have to stuff it. Now I used Bamboo for this one (as seen in the pictures), and thought it would help to hold it's shape better and be more dense (bamboo is very thick and dense). But I think the next one I make will be filled with a light weight polyfill. I think it will stuff better and simply be lighter. I think it will also put less stress on the centers. So stuff yours with a fiber of choice. 

Step 12: Close your Modular star closed with a ladder stitch. It is really addictively fun to play with. Just ask my girls and my husband. Because he is a graphic designer, I'm always interested in his opinion, and when I see him seriously checking out my work (and playing with it!), I get so excited!!!

If you like this Triangle Die as much as I do, you can also check out my other AccuQuilt GO! Triangle Pennant Banner Tutorial! And now - the moment I've been waiting for, and hopefully you have been too!...

The AccuQuilt GO! GIVEAWAY!

Here's what you can win:
1 AccuQuilt GO! Baby and 3 Dies of YOUR choice! and I think a cutting mat (but I'll check on that in the meantime)! Make sure you choose Dies that are compatible with the GO! Baby!

If you win:
The winner will have to supply me (in a personal email after you have been notified as the winner) with your Full Name, Mailing Address, Phone Number & Email Address.

Details of the Giveaway:
This giveaway will be open to US Residents until I find out otherwise. It wasn't specified - so I will check and get back to you. Please enter anyway just in case!
This Giveaway will be open from Monday September 5th , 2011 4pm EST until Saturday September 17, 2011 11:59pm EST. Winner will be notified by email only. 

To Enter:
If you want a chance to win - you MUST leave A comment below ( WITH your email address. Please understand that I really don't have time to go hunting for a way to contact you) If you forget and leave another comment with only your email address, in the hopes that will count as two -  only your first comment will count). 

For additional chances to win:

• You can tweet about it with a link - please include my twitter handle "http://twitter.com/kidgiddyetsy" (leave a comment here so it counts that you did)
• You can blog about it (leave a comment here with a link)
• You can visit my Pinterest page (http://pinterest.com/kidgiddy) and re-pin anyone of my Kid Giddy Designs Pins. Only the Kid Giddy Design Pins will be counted. (leave a comment here for it to count) 

So are you ready??? GO! Ahead and enter!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my tutorial and for entering my giveaway! If you have any questions about the tutorial or the giveaway you can click the contact me button up top and fire away! After you do make a Modular Star, please feel free to upload a couple of my pics to my Kid Giddy Flickr Group! I just recently started the group, so I'm really needing more company! If you've made something using one of my designs, or tutorials, please post it to the group! Good Luck and have a great week!

Disclaimer: I have not been paid by AccuQuilt to design this tutorial, but I have been given some products listed, in order to make it. This does not, in any way, alter my opinions of the product being used.

IMPORTANT F.A.Q.'s
Please note: This MODULAR STAR PATTERN is a Kid Giddy Original and cannot be made and resold. This pattern tutorial is being shared for home and personal use only. THANK YOU! I have received many emails inquiring to share this tutorial. You may only share the first image (which is the finished Modular Star image) and a link back to this tutorial. You may NOT re-do this tutorial (even in another language) even taking your own photos, to share on your own blog or site. I appreciate that many of you love the design, but re-creating the tutorial for your own site, even with credit is not acceptable. Thank you.

If you do not have the AccuQuilt cutter, you can still make this design, using a basic triangle shape. As long as the two side lengths are the same, you are good to go. It can be as point or as short as you'd like it. You can purchase a triangle cutting ruler (used for pennant banners and quilting) which will work as well. I'd also recommend you clip the corners to make it easier for your seam allowance. Again - just by making your own triangles doesn't mean you created the pattern, and can therefore sell it as your own, as a finished product or as a PDF pattern, etc. Thank you for your understanding!

And while you are here...would you mind clicking this image and voting for my blog...I have been nominated and would love to be included on the 2012 Top 50 mom craft blogs Babble list! I'm currently in the top 30 but need more votes to stay there and work my way closer to the top! Thanks so much!!!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER - Audrey's Attic won. Thanks!