If you love star quilts and want a project that combines an impressive finished design with approachable piecing techniques, the Stardust Quilt from Fat Quarter Shop is an excellent pattern to explore.
Originally created for the 2025 Stardust Charity Quilt Along, this radiant star quilt finishes at 54.5" × 54.5" and is still available as an official free PDF pattern.
The design is built with familiar quilting units including Half-Square Triangles, Square-in-a-Square units, corner units, and layered star construction, making it a useful project for quilters who want to strengthen their precision piecing skills.
Fat Quarter Shop also created step-by-step video tutorials for the quilt, so you can combine the written pattern with visual instruction as you sew.
Stardust Quilt at a Glance
| Pattern | Stardust |
| Designer / Source | Fat Quarter Shop |
| Original Event | 2025 Stardust Charity Quilt Along |
| Finished Size | 54.5" × 54.5" |
| Skill Level | Beginner-friendly / suitable for a range of quilting levels |
| Main Techniques | Half-Square Triangles, Square-in-a-Square units, star piecing |
| Original Fabric Collection | Summertime by Camille Roskelley for Moda Fabrics |
| Pattern Format | Free PDF |
| Video Tutorial | Yes — two official tutorial parts |
| Free Pattern Status | Verified free — September 2026 |
What Is the Stardust Quilt?
Stardust is a star-centered quilt originally created by Fat Quarter Shop for its 2025 Charity Quilt Along.
The quilt begins with a strong central star design and expands outward through additional pieced rounds, creating the effect of stars radiating from the center.
Although the original quilt was sewn with the Summertime collection by Camille Roskelley for Moda Fabrics, you can use a completely different fabric collection or build a scrappier version using fabrics from your stash.
The finished 54.5-inch square size makes Stardust especially suitable as a lap quilt, throw quilt, decorative quilt, or generous gift quilt.
A Free Pattern with a Meaningful History
Stardust was originally released as Fat Quarter Shop’s 12th annual Charity Quilt Along project in 2025.
That event supported Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas, with Fat Quarter Shop and Moda Fabrics participating in the fundraising campaign.
The original quilt-along event has ended, but the complete quilt pattern remains available through Fat Quarter Shop as a free downloadable PDF.
Why Stardust Is a Good Skill-Building Quilt
Stardust looks intricate, but its construction is based on several familiar patchwork units.
This makes the quilt particularly useful for building confidence with techniques that appear again and again in star quilts.
- Half-Square Triangles: One of the most versatile building blocks in quilting.
- Square-in-a-Square units: Useful for developing accurate diagonal piecing and maintaining crisp points.
- Corner units: Help create the structure surrounding the main star.
- Star assembly: Provides useful practice matching multiple points and seams.
- Progressive construction: The quilt develops in stages, making the overall design easier to approach.
Half-Square Triangles in the Stardust Quilt
Half-Square Triangles, often abbreviated as HSTs, play an important role in the Stardust design.
Accuracy matters because small differences in HST size can accumulate when several units meet inside a star block.
Before starting Stardust, you may find it helpful to review our Half-Square Triangle Tips for guidance on oversizing, trimming, marking, pressing, and achieving cleaner points.
Tips Before You Start the Stardust Quilt
Read the Complete Pattern First
Download the full pattern and look through every section before cutting.
Understanding how the central star and surrounding rounds relate to one another will make organizing your fabrics much easier.
Check Your Quarter-Inch Seam
Star blocks depend on consistent seam allowances.
Before beginning the actual quilt, sew a small test unit and verify your quarter-inch seam.
Trim HSTs Carefully
Accurate Half-Square Triangles will make later star assembly much easier.
If necessary, sew your HSTs slightly oversized and trim them to the dimensions specified in the official pattern.
Keep Similar Units Organized
The project uses repeated geometric units in several orientations.
Keep completed units grouped by type and orientation until you are ready for assembly.
Press Without Distorting the Fabric
Avoid dragging the iron aggressively across diagonal seams.
Pressing rather than stretching helps preserve accurate HSTs and star points.
Choosing Fabrics for Stardust
The official quilt uses Summertime by Camille Roskelley for Moda Fabrics, but the strong geometry of the design makes Stardust easy to reinterpret with different fabric styles.
Use Contrast to Define the Stars
Separate your fabrics into light, medium, and dark values before cutting.
Strong contrast between the star units and background will help the radiating design remain visible.
Try a Scrappy Stardust Quilt
The repeated patchwork units make this design a good candidate for coordinated scraps.
Keep the background relatively consistent while introducing variety through the star fabrics for a controlled scrappy look.
Modern Color Ideas
- Fresh summer: aqua, coral, yellow, green, and cream.
- Night sky: navy, indigo, blue, silver, and white.
- Modern neutral: charcoal, cream, tan, and muted gold.
- Rainbow: progressively change the colors through each round of the quilt.
- Scrappy: use many different prints while keeping one consistent background fabric.
Common Star Quilt Mistakes to Avoid
Skipping Unit Measurements
Check important units before joining them into larger sections.
A small measurement error is easier to correct before several units have already been sewn together.
Cutting Off Star Points
When joining star sections, watch the point intersections carefully.
Accurate seam placement helps preserve the small amount of background fabric beyond each star point.
Mixing Up Unit Orientation
Similar units may need to face different directions within the design.
Lay out each block before sewing and compare it with the diagram in the official pattern.
Choosing Fabrics with Too Little Contrast
Beautiful fabrics can disappear into one another when their values are too similar.
Photograph your fabric selection in black and white if you want an easy way to compare light and dark values.
The complete Stardust PDF contains Fat Quarter Shop’s exact fabric requirements, cutting measurements, diagrams, and construction sequence. This guide adds planning and technique advice rather than reproducing the original pattern instructions.
Stardust Quilt FAQ
Is the Stardust quilt pattern still free?
Yes. As of September 2026, Fat Quarter Shop lists the complete Stardust Charity Quilt Along pattern as a free PDF download.
Who designed the Stardust Quilt?
This Stardust Charity Quilt Along version was designed and published by Fat Quarter Shop.
What size is the Stardust quilt?
The official finished size is 54.5" × 54.5".
Is Stardust suitable for beginners?
Fat Quarter Shop describes the project as suitable for all levels and provides video instruction to support the pattern.
A beginner who is comfortable with accurate cutting and quarter-inch seams can use the project to practice several important piecing techniques.
What quilting techniques does Stardust use?
The official tutorial demonstrates techniques including Square-in-a-Square construction, Half-Square Triangles, corner units, and star assembly.
Do I need the original Summertime fabrics?
No. You can make Stardust with another coordinated fabric collection or choose fabrics from your own stash.
Are video tutorials available?
Yes. Fat Quarter Shop released official video tutorials for both stages of the Stardust Quilt Along.
Download the Official Free Stardust Quilt Pattern
Fat Quarter Shop currently provides the complete Stardust Quilt Along pattern and finishing guide as a free PDF.
Download the Official Free Stardust Quilt Pattern →
Watch the Official Stardust Quilt Tutorial
Kimberly Jolly of Fat Quarter Shop demonstrates the first stage of the Stardust Quilt, including Square-in-a-Square units, Half-Square Triangles, corner units, and assembly of the main star.
Watch Stardust Quilt Along Part 2 on YouTube →
Looking for Another Beginner-Friendly Free Quilt?
If you enjoy Fat Quarter Shop patterns with clear video instruction, take a look at our Jelly Roll Jam free quilt pattern guide . It is another beginner-friendly project with an official free PDF and step-by-step video tutorial.
Pattern & Tutorial Source
This article features the 2025 Stardust Charity Quilt Along created by Fat Quarter Shop.
The original quilt-along supported Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas and used Summertime fabrics by Camille Roskelley for Moda Fabrics.
The Quilting Time does not reproduce the original pattern. This page adds project information, fabric-planning ideas, beginner tips, technique guidance, and links to the official pattern and tutorials.
Free pattern availability checked: September 2026.
Happy quilting!
