Celebrate 250 Stars and Stripes Quilt Tutorial with EQ8 - Patriotic Quilt Design in Electric Quilt 8

Inspirational Stars and Stripes Quilt

While browsing Pinterest recently, I came across a striking patriotic quilt that immediately caught my attention. I especially loved the way the stripes flowed through the design.

After a bit of detective work, I traced a similar quilt to a design by Jean Nolte, editor of Fons & Porter. Google suggests the pattern appeared in the May/June 2016 issue of Love of Quilting. Unfortunately, that issue happens to be missing from my collection, so I haven't been able to verify the original source firsthand.

​Rather than recreating the quilt exactly, I decided to use the concept as inspiration and design my own version. My adaptation replaces the appliqué star with an easy-to-piece eight-pointed Variable Star block, creating a quilt that celebrates America's 250th anniversary while remaining accessible to piecers.

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Regatta Days by Maywood Studio

Regatta Days Fabric Collection

The June 2026 Fabric of the Month free download from DoYouEQ is Regatta Days by Maywood Studio.
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This cheerful maritime collection combines classic red, deep navy, and crisp white prints—making it a perfect choice for a patriotic quilt project. Whether you're planning a quilt for Independence Day, a community celebration, or simply love nautical fabrics, this collection provides a wonderful starting point.

Download the free fabric collection from DoYouEQ.com

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Drafting the Stars and Stripe Block

8" Stripe Block

Begin in EasyDraw by creating a new block sized 8" x 8".

1. Draw a diagonal line from the lower-left corner to the upper-right corner.
2. In the upper-left corner, draw horizontal and vertical lines at the 4" mark, creating a 4" square.
3. Add 1" finished stripes in three different directions—horizontal, vertical, and diagonal.

​The diagonal stripes may look intimidating, but in the video I share a simple no-math method for spacing them perfectly one inch apart.

Next, select your favorite star block and choose Serendipity > Merge Block to combine it with the striped block.

For my sample, I used an eight-pointed Variable Star, but this technique works beautifully with virtually any star block. Experiment with different star styles and see how they change the overall appearance of the quilt.

Merged Celebrate 250 Stars Block

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Four Quilt Layout Possibilities

One of the fun aspects of this design is seeing how dramatically the quilt changes with different layouts and block rotations.

In the video, we'll create four unique quilt variations:

Quilt 1  Horizontal 3 x 3 layout
Quilt 2  On-point 3 x 3 layout
Quilt 3  On-point 2 x 2 layout using different block rotations
Quilt 4  On-point 2 x 2 layout with striped setting triangles

Quilt 1 - 3 x 3 Layout

Quilt 2 - 3 x 3 On-Point Layout

Quilt 3 - 2 x 2 On-Point Layout with rotated blocks

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Quilt 4 2 x 2 On-Point Layout with Striped Setting Triangles

Celebrate 250 Stars and Stripes Video Tutorial

Watch the video below for complete step-by-step instructions on drafting the block, creating the quilt layouts, and exploring additional design options.

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Construction Suggestions

Although EQ provides rotary-cutting instructions, this design is especially well-suited for strip piecing. Using strip sets will save considerable cutting time and help maintain consistency throughout the quilt.

Diagonal Stripe Strip Set 
(Lower Right Corner Section)

Step 1: Create a strip set alternating four background strips with three red strips. The strip set should measure approximately 7-1/2" x 40".

Step 2: Measure 12-1/2" along the bottom edge and mark with a pencil.

Step 3: Using the 45-degree line on your ruler, cut a diagonal edge beginning at the marked point.

Step 4: Cut a second diagonal edge beginning at the lower-left corner.

Step 5: Measure 12-1/2" along the top edge and mark.

Step 6: Cut another diagonal edge beginning at the marked point.

​Repeat across the strip set to create the required units.

Cutting Diagram for Diagonal Stripe Strip Set

Small Triangle Strip Set 
(Right and Bottom Edges of the Pieced Star)

Step 1: Create a strip set alternating three background strips with two red strips. The finished strip set should measure approximately 5-1/2" x 40".

Step 2: Cut the strip set into 4-7/8" sections.

Step 3: For the first section, cut diagonally from the lower-right corner using the 45-degree line on your ruler.

Step 4: Cut diagonally again from the upper-left corner of the same section.

Step 5: For the second section, cut diagonally from the lower-left corner.

​Step 6: Cut diagonally from the upper-right corner.
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Continue alternating cuts throughout the strip set to create mirror-image triangle units for piecing the block.

Cutting Diagram for Small Triangle Strip Set

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Your Turn

Now it's your turn to experiment with the design.

• Which quilt layout do you prefer?
• Would you choose a different star block for the 4" square?
• What happens if you enlarge the block from 8" finished to 16" finished (using 2-1/2" strips instead of 1-1/2" strips for piecing)?

One design concept can lead to countless quilt possibilities, and I'd love to see where your creativity takes you.

​I've created a discussion post in the Learning EQ Facebook Group where you can share your favorite version and connect with other quilters exploring the design.

Celebrate 250 Stars and Stripes Learning EQ Facebook Group Link

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