Stars
Card Trick
Four interwoven 'cards' on a nine-patch grid. The corners are half-square triangles (background point with a card color); the four sides are two-color HSTs where neighboring cards overlap; the center is a quarter-square triangle that pins all four cards together. Drafted here in two card colors so opposite cards share a fabric.
Cut list
Dimensions for a 12 inch finished block with a standard 1/4 inch seam allowance. Scale proportionally for other finished sizes.
| Region | Role | Pieces | Cut size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Left Background | Background | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Top Left Card | Feature | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Top Right Background | Background | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Top Right Card | Accent | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Bottom Right Background | Background | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Bottom Right Card | Feature | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Bottom Left Background | Background | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Bottom Left Card | Accent | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Top Card Left | Feature | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Top Card Right | Accent | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Right Card Top | Accent | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Right Card Bottom | Feature | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Bottom Card Right | Feature | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Bottom Card Left | Accent | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Left Card Top | Feature | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Left Card Bottom | Accent | 1 | 4 7/8" × 4 7/8" |
| Center Top | Feature | 1 | 5 1/4" × 5 1/4" |
| Center Right | Accent | 1 | 5 1/4" × 5 1/4" |
| Center Bottom | Feature | 1 | 5 1/4" × 5 1/4" |
| Center Left | Accent | 1 | 5 1/4" × 5 1/4" |
How it goes together
- Step 1
Cut your pieces
Cut each region using the dimensions in the cut table for a 12 inch finished Card Trick block. Standard 1/4 inch seam allowance is included.
- Step 2
Sew sub-units
Sew the smallest units first (half-square triangles, flying geese, four-patches), then build outward.
- Step 3
Assemble the block
Join the sub-units into rows or columns, then join the rows. Press as you go. Square the finished block to size.
Read more
Color value vs hue in quilts
Value is how light or dark a color is. Hue is what we usually call “the color itself.” In quilts, value carries the design — hue carries the mood.
5 min read
Quilt block families, explained
Most quilt blocks belong to one of six families — Patchwork, Half-square triangles, Flying geese, Stars, Curves, and Hexagons. Each family is a way of piecing fabric together.
6 min read
The quilter’s seam allowance, explained
A seam allowance is the strip of fabric between the seam and the raw edge. Quilters work in a standard 1/4 inch — and getting it right is the difference between a top that finishes flat and one that fights you.
5 min read
Try the Card Trick on a real layout.
Open it on the Design Wall. Try a few colors, see the math, change your mind.