Feather Star Card Faux or Real Stitch

Delicate details and five layered shapes create 

a feathered star quilt block card – be sure to use 

sharp blade when cutting faux stitch overlays. 

“Welded” shapes make the patchwork easy to assemble 

with guide marks on “faux stitch” layers (see sample above).

Or, use no. 5 pearl cotton “thread” with darning needle #24 

to add real embroidery style stitches to 

the main star points and center (lower model is "real" stitched). 

Card finishes at 5.75” x 5.75” when side or top folded.

ASSEMBLY: 1. Identify and cut the shapes:

A card base with center fold perforation

B card front panel with guide marks for diamonds,

center hole registration cut out

C snowflake/star feathered base shape layer 1

with point diamonds (8)

D contrast layer 2

E snowflake/star points (with stitching needle holes)

F contrast inner layer 4 (shows thru as triangles)

G top layer 5 star (with stitching needle holes)

2. If actual stitching will NOT be applied to shapes,

these FAUX STITCH shapes for star point overlays

(left; cut 8 sets) and center star can be used to replace

stitching. Or "release compound path" and remove/delete

the needle or registration holes on the two shapes where they

are found to result in PLAIN shapes.

3. Identify the cut mark guides on the front panel,

including the outer and inner lines that mark

the center line of the diamond tip shape.

Use the guide mark inner lines to assist to align

the feathered base shape . . . 

. . . placing the base shape over the center of panel

so that the registration center circle cut outs align

precisely, and so that the "valley" angle at arm ends

line up at inward guide mark cut. Then glue in place.

4. Study the layer #2 contrast shape edges to identify

the shorter edges and the longer edges that alternate.

Position the shorter edges . . . 

. . . to align under the edge triangles. (The longer edges

will align at the base of each arm.)

Position and attach the layer #2 shape.

5. Position and attach each diamond tip so that

vertical centers align with guide marks. 

NOTE that the outer diamond tips should fall 

just shy of panel edge.

6. The layer #3 shape, when positioned, should be

centered over the previous layers, with the "star" points

extending to the "valley" angle of the feather layer #1.

FOR FAUX STITCH VERSION: the shape can be positioned

and attached now. 

FOR REAL STITCH VERSION: complete the stitching

before attaching this shape, or proceeding further.

This image shows how the "chicken foot" shape is placed

and attached so that all four tip ends align over the registration

holes cut into shape #3, and the punch dot aligns over

registration hole near tip.

7. Position layer #4 over center of assembly so that

the octagon "star" tips align at the deep "valley" angle

of the star that is layer #3, and attach in place.

8. Position and attach the top layer star so that

tips align at the inward valley angles of the previous layer.

This image shows how the faux stitch shape for

center (top layer) star fits to cover the registration holes.

ADDING THE REAL STITCHES:

9. Cut a 20-24" length of no. 5 pearl cotton that

contrasts with the card stock shape, and thread onto

a #24 darning needle or largest needle gauge that

the "yarn" can be threaded through and still go through

the needle holes of card stock without tearing out.

10. Cut a small cello tape piece to anchor the thread

tail end on the back side approx. where shown here.

11. Working in just one point at a time, insert needle carrying yarn 

through the bottom or most inward hole, push through

to front, and draw yarn through completely until stopped

by anchor tape.

12. On front side, insert needle in near-top needle hole

(NOT the tip hole), push through to backside and

draw yarn through completely to make the long middle stitch.

13. Insert needle through one of the side holes

and draw fully through to the front. Then . . . 

. . . insert down from front into the middle (empty)

hole, push needle through and draw yarn through.

This completes one side angled stitch.

14. Complete the side angled stitch in similar manner

for the opposite side.

15. Insert needle through tip hole and pull through.

16. Complete a colonial knot" using the figure 8 arrangement

shown in this illustration:

Here is the project's Colonial knot preparation.

Continue by . . . 

. . . pulling knot tight onto needle, then re-insert needle 

through same tip hole, and draw yarn through to back.

17. On backside, re-direct the yarn so that it won't

show from the front between completed point and

new point. For the FIRST point, slide the needle and

carry yard under the long and one side stitch as shown.

(For REMAINING points, see Step 19.)

18. Insert the needle into the bottom hole of the next

point, and . . . 

. . . draw the yarn through fully.

Check to make sure the yarn stays fully behind

the card stock star shape.

19. When moving to next point, pass the needle under

bottom "pass" yarn to keep the yarn tucked behind card stock.

20. Continue to repeat the stitching process,

moving from completed point to uncompleted point

until all are stitched. If additional yard length needs to

be added, try to end and "tie off" between points,

trimming a short tail and anchoring with small piece

of cello tape (see tape anchor at lower right point).

21. When all points are completed, tie off in the same

manner as when adding a length . . . 

. . . trimming a short tail and anchoring with small

piece of cello tape.

Here is the completed star points shape,

stitched and seen from front.

22. Complete the stitching on the smaller center star

in a similar way, anchoring the thread length on backside,

then beginning the first tall, up-the-point stitch by

inserting needle at base inward needle hole,

drawing yarn through, then stitching through point

needle hole and drawing yarn through completely.

23. Begin next angled stitch by re-inserting needle

up through base hole, and drawing yarn through. . .

. . . next, insert needle down through top hole of

"inverted V" portion of design as shown. 

24. Insert needle back-to-front through inward hole of 

second "V" leg, then insert a second time at top hole

of "V". This completes one repeat.

25. Begin the second repeat by bringing needle up

through bottom of up-the-point stitch, then down

through tip hole, and . . . 

. . . continue through the sequence in steps 22-24 to add  

stitches all the way around the star.

26. Complete the final stitch of final 'V', then draw

the yarn through to the back and tie off, anchor with

a small piece of cello as described for larger star shape.

27. The completed stitched larger and smaller star

are positioned in the layering sequence as described

in steps 6 & 8 above.

Here is the completed card with real stitched

accents.