AQS Block by Block Basics: Sawtooth Star Block sponsored by AccuQuilt

By American Quilter's Society
Jul 30, 2025

Welcome to the AQS Block by Block Basics Series sponsored by AccuQuilt! Each month we spend three weeks playing with one block.

Week one, we'll kick things off with hand piecing from templates like the quilters of yesterday.

For week two, we'll use the AccuQuilt Cutting System and machine-piece the blocks with a focus on precision piecing.

Finally, in week three, we'll focus on making the block fabulous with a variety of embellishment techniques.

Be sure to join our AQS Quilting Project Parade Facebook Group to sew along with other quilters, ask questions, and share your progress.

If you missed the first blocks in the series, check them out by clicking the name:

Sawtooth Star Block

12" x 12" finished block size

Week One: Template cutting and hand piecing

Week Two: AccuQuilt cutting and precision machine piecing

Week Three: Embellishment fun

Each month, we'll complete two blocks, one hand pieced and one machine pieced. You can finish one or both of the blocks to make mini quilts or use them in projects. We'll have lots of creative ideas along the way for using your 12" blocks. We'll also offer finishing instructions if you prefer to save all the blocks for a quilt.

This month’s block, Sawtooth Star, features a single unit: the Flying Geese unit.

“It’s impossible to beat a classic, which the Sawtooth Star block most certainly is with quilts featuring the motif dating to as early as the 1770s. It’s still a go-to for modern quilt design, and I recommend checking out some other great free patterns from AQS featuring Sawtooth Stars like, Summer Star, Freedom Star, Autumn Star, Christmas Star, and Scrappy Star Log Cabin. When starting this block, I felt the call of the fabric and pulled a new color way, leaning into earthy batiks that evoke natural beauty older even than quilting. Let’s look for inspiration in the world all around us as we stitch the Sawtooth Star and many more blocks in the days ahead.” -Emily Cross, Ozark Modern Crafting

Week One

Template Options

Follow the steps from our first month (click here to visit the first tutorial) to make the four templates needed for this month's Sawtooth Star block.

You need the following templates, and note you may have made some of these previously for other blocks in the series:

(1) 6" x 6" square

(1) 3" x 3" square

(1) 6" x 3" rectangle, subcut diagonally from the center to the corner on both ends to get two 3" x 3" Star Points half square triangles, and one larger Flying Geese background triangle

Then, following the color layout you like, mark patches out as listed below:

A Fabric

(1) 6" x 6" square

B Fabric

(4) 3" x 3" squares
(4) 6" x 3" Flying Geese

C Fabric

(8) 3" x 3" Star Point HST

Remember, these are finished sizes and don't include the seam allowances. Be sure to label your templates so it's easy to find the right size when you need it!

Select your fabric, and start tracing. If last month was your first time hand piecing, you'll have a pretty good idea of how much seam allowance you want. We cut our pieces this week using the AccuQuilt Go! Cutter, so we’re working with a scant quarter inch this time. The tighter weave of the batik makes this easy, as it’s a low-fraying fabric.

If this is your first try, here's some important info you shouldn't miss:

Seam allowances are different for hand piecing. They don't serve as a guide for accuracy, rather, they exist so the fabric doesn't fray too much while you sew. If you're new to hand piecing, give yourself some extra room. You can always trim them down later. DO NOT CUT ON THE DRAWN LINE - it's tempting, but don't do it.

Step one: Select the fabrics for the block. Each “card” can be different colors, some can match or coordinate like two colors and a background. You can do anything you want anytime with your block, that’s the best part!

Step two: Trace the template on the backside of the fabric, leaving enough room between the patches for the seam allowances (a 1/4" or so for each patch is preferred for the seam allowance, but it's not a rule for hand piecing - you'll learn what you like best).

Step three: Cut out the patches, leaving enough fabric outside the drawn line for a seam allowance.

Hand Piecing

Previously, we covered the Quilter's Knot, the Tailor's Lock Stitch, and the End Knot. If you missed it, you can catch up here.

Hand piecing Sawtooth Star uses all the same techniques as you used for the previous blocks to create Flying Geese units.

Flying Geese Units

Construction Steps:

Sew one Star Point HST from Fabric C to one Flying Geese triangle from Fabric B along the diagonal edge to make a half unit.
Press the seam open or to one side.

3. Place the other Star Point right sides together with the Flying Geese triangle and sew along the diagonal edge with a ¼" seam. Make sure to pass through the seam at intersections.*

4. Press the completed unit flat.

The unit measures 6½" x 3½" rectangle, unfinished. Repeat to make 4 units.

*Below is a refresher on how to pass through the seam when hand piecing.

Passing Through the Seam

Step one: When you come to a seam, take a back stitch on the marked line, right up to the seam.

Step two: Pass the needle through the seam on the same side you are stitching from, above the seam's stitches. If you pass the needle below the seam's stitches, your stitch will show on the front of your block.

Step three: Once on the other side of the seam, take a stitch forward and then backstitch over this stitch to continue.

Piecing Turnstile Block

Arrange the units and patches as shown above and sew together into three rows. Make sure to pass through the seam at intersections.

Sew the rows together into the block.

Sawtooth Star block measures 12½” square, unfinished.

Week Two

Welcome to week two of the AQS Block by Block Basics Series sponsored by AccuQuilt! For week two, we'll use the AccuQuilt Cutting GO! to die cut the fabric, and then we’ll machine piece the blocks with a focus on precision piecing.

Be sure to join our AQS Quilting Project Parade Facebook Group to sew along with other quilters, ask questions, and share your progress.

Download the free 12" Sawtooth Star block pattern from AccuQuilt here.

Cutting with the AccuQuilt GO!

“I love that cutting out the pieces of the block using the AccuQuilt GO! opens up my quilting time to creative explorations. Instead of spending my time cutting squares, sewing units, trimming seams and such, all the pieces are trimmed to size and ready to go. With that free time, I decided to try out a method described to me by a quilter during QuiltWeek Paducah 2025.

Before the show opens, the Paducah high school marching band plays and parades around the exhibit hall with a merry band of quilters following behind, each one carrying their own small quilt just for the occasion. It’s a joyous tradition and a community ritual that says: We’re together again to celebrate quilting.

This year, a sunny little quilt featuring a raw-edged reverse appliqué caught my eye as it passed by me. I complimented the quilter, and she stopped to give me a 15-second tutorial right in the middle of the parade! Her eagerness to share knowledge and inspiration is the quilter’s spirit I love so dearly, and so to honor it, we’re going to explore this fun, approachable technique today.” - Emily Cross, Ozark Modern Crafting

Supplies for Cutting with the AccuQuilt GO!

Download the free 12" Sawtooth Star block pattern from AccuQuilt here.

Small scissors to cut threads, if needed

Dies Used:

GO! Square-6 1⁄2” (6” Finished) (55000) - Center Square

GO! Flying Geese-3 1⁄2” x 6 1⁄2” (3” x 6” Finished) (55456 or 55009) - Star Point Triangles (Small Flying Geese Triangles)

GO! Flying Geese-3 1⁄2” x 6 1⁄2” (3” x 6” Finished) (55456 or 55002) - Flying Geese Triangles (Large Flying Geese Triangle)

GO! Square-3 1⁄2” (3” Finished) (55006) - Cornerstone Squares

Fabric:

Fabric A—1⁄4 yard
Fabric B—1⁄4 yard
Fabric C—1⁄4 yard
Fabric D—1⁄4 yard
Optional for Raw Edge Appliqué: Fabric E—1⁄4 yard

If you need a refresher on the cutting process using the AccuQuilt Cutting System, visit our tutorial here.

To make a block, cut out:

Fabric A - (1) Center Square

Fabric B - (8) Star Points (Small Flying Geese Triangles)

Fabric C - (4) Sky Triangles (Large Flying Geese Triangles)

Fabric D - (4) Cornerstone Squares

Optional for Reverse Appliqué: Fabric E - (1) Center Square

Machine Piecing

Machine piecing is rich with a variety of techniques and tricks for assembly. If you have any trouble figuring it out or have questions, visit the AQS Quilting Project Parade Group on Facebook. We'll be happy to show you how.

Machine Piecing Supplies

Download the free 12" Sawtooth Star block pattern from AccuQuilt here.

Sewing machine
Thread
Scissors
Fabric

Flying Geese Units

Construction Steps:

Sew one Star Point Triangle from Fabric B to one Flying Geese Triangle from Fabric C along the diagonal edge to make a half unit.
Press the seam open or to one side.

Place the other Star Point right sides together with the Sky triangle and sew along the diagonal edge with a ¼" seam. Press the completed unit flat.

The unit measures 6½" x 3½" rectangle, unfinished. Repeat to make 4 units.

Raw-Edge Reverse Appliqué Center (Optional)

A quick note that even within a niche technique like reverse appliqué, one finds there are many processes and tricks to explore. Today, we’re going to try a method that uses minimal supplies and is best suited to simple shapes as our starting point.

(You are also welcome to skip this step and keep your center whole. If so, carry on to the Block Assembly instructions next.)

Additional Supplies

Circle template - Karen K. Buckley’s Bigger Perfect Circles used, anything circular in a size you like works well
Marking pencil
Sharp-tipped scissors - for trimming fabric
Walking foot - optional

Start with two Center Square pieces. I’m using the plaid for the top layer and the fussycut acorns and oak leaves cluster fabric for the bottom layer.

Mark a circle on the wrong side of the bottom layer to create a sewing line to follow. If you want to make a different shape, follow the same method.

Layer the two fabrics so that the right side of the bottom layer and the wrong side of the top layer are together. Pin in place.

Ensure the bobbin is wound with the topstitching color you want, since it is being stitched to the top layer of the block and will be visible. Using a walking foot if desired, or simply sewing slowly and adjusting as needed, sew on the marked shape line.

Once the shape has been all sewn, pull the threads to the back. Pinch both layers of the fabric between your fingers and pull them apart from one another. Carefully snip into the top layer of fabric, making sure not to cut the bottom layer.

Work slowly and trim out the circle of the top layer of fabric. Leave as much ruffle for the edge as desired. I left about half an inch. This is a great part of the process to get creative with and explore what you like!

I snipped all around the circle’s edge in ¼” increments to add an extra shabby chic charm that was all the rage when I was a new quilter in the mid-2000s. As a final bit of fun, I ended up pressing the snipped bits away from the center and sewing another round of topstitching to make my raw edge flair out. Have fun creating something that excites you!

You can trim the bottom layer, too, leaving us with an orderly seam on the back and a party in the front.

Block Assembly

Lay out the block using the Flying Geese units, Cornerstone squares, and Center share, arranged as shown above.

Sew the patches and units together into three rows. Press.

Sew the rows together into the block. Press final seams. The block should measure 12 ½" unfinished (12" finished size).

Week Three

Welcome to week three of making the Sawtooth block as part of the AQS Block by Block Basics Series sponsored by AccuQuilt! For week three, we're exploring hand needleturn appliqué.

In the months ahead, we'll explore many techniques, including some for various finishing options. Have fun combining and building upon each month's embellishment techniques as it goes.

Be sure to join our AQS Quilting Project Parade Facebook Group to sew along with other quilters, ask questions, and share your progress.

Sunny Sawtooth Star

I feel so blessed as a quilter to have so many means of expressing myself in this craft! Shape and color, fabric and prints, and stitches to name a few. But there’s a major expressive quilt technique I’ve put off practicing for years: appliqué. A world of images and interpretation opens up when we add appliqué to our quiltmaking process, whether by machine or hand. I tried different methods through the years and saved what I believed to be the worst–needleturn appliqué–for last. Then I tried it and fell in love. For the first time, I was excited to create quilts with appliqué! If you’ve put off trying this technique, even if you don’t enjoy appliqué usually, I hope you give it a try. - Emily Cross, Ozark Modern Crafting

Supplies

Fabric for Appliqué

A 12” (finished size) quilt block

Straw Needle

Cotton thread to match appliqué fabric

Karen K. Buckley’s Perfect 6” Scissors

Utility scissors for cardboard/paper

Pins and/or Sewing Clips (optional)

Additional Supplies for Circle

Iron & Ironing Board

Karen K. Buckley’s Bigger Perfect Circles

Spray Starch

Additional Supplies for Sun Petals

Pencil

Tracing Paper

Scrap cardboard or other template material

Double Sided Tape

Instructions

Designing Appliqué Motifs for Quilt Blocks

The first step to creating an appliqué motif is to imagine one you’d like to make, right? When I think of a piece of muslin, it’s as intimidating as any blank page I’ve ever faced. It’s hard to engage the imagination while intimidated. So the actual first task is to create a lovely canvas that gets us more excited than we are intimidated. Make a quilt block, like a Sawtooth Star.

When I chose fabrics for the block, I imagined a forest island with coastal wetlands surrounded by an ocean of butterfly fishes. It became a magical place I went to every time I stitched. It had worked, I was ready to play and it was time to reimagine the scene. An idea came on the longest day of the year. As I stitched, I imagined what it would be like to look down upon my magical quilt forest island from above the sun.

The Sun! This would be the appliqué subject. Then the work of designing an appliqué motif begins. I identified the shapes I needed to bring my vision to life: a circle, 8 sun petals which would shine out into the star points.

The sun petals will be stitched down first, but the circle is the defining feature, so I decided to make it first and then use it to help design the petals. I love Karen K. Buckley’s Perfect Circles for appliqué. I auditioned her Bigger Perfect Circles until I found one the size I liked.

Making a “Perfect” Appliqué Circle

Here’s a video of how to use Karen K. Buckley Perfect Circles.

Trim fabric larger than the circle template. Sew around the circle and gather the fabric around the template. Spray some starch into a small bowl and use a paint brush or cotton swab or fingertip to apply the starch around the gathered seam. Press flat.

Remove the template and tighten up any loosened stitches. Perfect the shape and press from the front to set it. Next, fold the block half and crease, repeat in the other direction to create a placement grid with the creaselines.

I eyeballed the placement of the circle, then double checked it with a quick measure.

Once satisfied, pin in place, and then baste. Make sure to leave the sides open so that the petals can slip under.

Designing the Sun Petals

Place tracing paper over the block and pin. Use a pencil to outline the area to be appliquéd. To draw the petal, I used S shaped movements. I played around with different shapes inspired by flower petal shapes but liked this one better. I kept curves gentle and a touch of bluntness towards the tip so there would be room to tuck layers of fabric together.

Then use sticky tape to adhere the template to a scrap of cardboard. I like to use cardboard with a printed side so it is just like the fabric, with a right and wrong side. This helps me be clear on which direction the petals will wiggle. Use utility scissors to cut out the cardboard template. Now, I want to test the shape.

Using double sided tape, stick scrap fabric to the template. Cut out around the shape with a ¼” seam allowance.

The tip is the biggest thing to test! There needs to be enough room to fold the fabric over the tip and then over the sides towards the back.

Hold the folded tip in place with a craft clip or pin, then draw the edges of the fabric around the template, finger pressing the seam allowance. You’re feeling for excess tension or sharpness in the shape that will be hard to stitch. Trim the template, if needed.

This is what my test piece looked like from the back after folding and finger pressing. It’s like the fabric was sculpted to it. The template is ready!

How to Needleturn Appliqué

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the appliqué stitch, demonstrated in this video by Mary Sorenson. This is the stitch we’ll use throughout the tutorial.

Basic Hand Appliqué Stitch Tip

Place and baste two sun petals in the corner positions. This helps make alignments look nice together while managing how many pieces are basted on at a time. We’ll appliqué the sun petals first because they tuck under the sun circle.

Thread a straw needle with thread that matches the appliqué piece, and tie a quilter’s knot in the end. Fold over the edge of the appliqué piece and come up through all the layers, catching the very edge of the folded fabric. Put the needle back down into the background parallel to where it came out of the appliqué piece. Push the needle back up through the layers, catching the edge of the folded fabric again.

Use your needle (and fingers!) to keep turning the seam allowance under, following the marked line. Finger pressing as you go helps, and take it a stitch at a time.

Clip curves or trim the seam allowances as needed to help shape the fabric. I used a low-fraying batik fabric, so I chose to trim seam allowances.

At the tip, sew to the point on one side and then stop with the thread on top.

Fold the tip in, trimming and tucking as necessary.

I used my fingers and needle, but I’ve also seen styluses and orange sticks used for the task. Once I liked how the fold looked, I’d pull the thread taut again, and this usually made the tip pop back out to a nice crisp point. Take a few appliqué stitches around the tip, really tucking the needle under the appliqué piece into the background fabric.

Keep stitching down the other side and tie off. Remove the basting stitch and enjoy how the fabrics relax together.

Repeat the whole process for the remaining sun petals until all are attached. Now it’s time to stitch down the sun circle.

Using the same appliqué stitch and method as before, sew around the circle. The edge is already conveniently folded over, making for an easy ending to this appliqué adventure.