Block 12 – ‘Hampshire Star’
Welcome Block Headers!
Let me introduce myself; I’m Janet and live in Hampshire, England with my husband, Tony, our teenage sons and a dog called Betty. Tony runs our quilting design business and is affectionately known as ‘Chief of Everything’ because that’s what he does!

We are lucky to live an hour from London and the seaside and can be in open countryside in half an hour. Hampshire has also had some very famous residents including Jane Austen who wrote ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and made a quilt here:
Equally famous but completely fictitious residents also live close by at Highclere Castle (the real Downton Abbey)
It’s a very nice place to call home!
You can see what we get up to, our beautiful studio and all my creative projects on Facebook and Instagram. And do join our email club and get a free block of the month! This year’s quilt is called ‘Twenty Twenty’ and currently looks like this:
And now, on to the reason you’re all here! I’m really enjoying seeing all your blocks on the Block Heads Facebook group page and one thing I keep noticing is how very different the same block looks depending on the placement of the fabrics chosen. You can really change the whole effect of a block just by switching the tonal placements.
So, I thought it would be fun to cut my squares and make my half square triangles (HST) and then keep re-arranging them to see what variations I could come up with. I am using my upcoming ‘Geometry’ fabric collection which we hope will be available to purchase later this month (April 2020). You need four distinct tones to make the most striking blocks.
I have used the same set of units for each the following designs though in some cases I have shuffled and rotated some of the squares and HSTs so two of the layouts do differ a little from the one shown in the pattern. Here they are:




In the end, I settled on this design!

I’ve popped this onto my design wall in the studio along with the other Block Head 3 blocks and my ‘Twenty Twenty’ quilt-along.

I’m also thinking about making a ‘Hampshire Star’ quilt, I will post some ideas when I have given it a bit more thought. You can follow my progress on Instagram.
Thank you for being a Moda Block Head!
Wow!! Thank you for such a great block!
What a beautiful block. Thank you!
Hi Janet! Thank you for sharing where you live. It is beautiful and so interesting. I would love to live in such an historical location. Your block is beautiful and I love how you showed us several different ways to make the block look using all the same pieces. Thank you for sharing your talents with us Blockheads.
Love that you included so many layout options.
Love you block. It has so many components.
The corners look like wine glasses. Let’s all party when the Crisis has ended!!!! Until then…quilt on!
Lovely block, enchanting place to live. Thank you for sharing some delightful history.
Oh Janet, your block is going to br such fun top play with! Thank you for your generosity. I love putting the rows from your tow along with it as well!!!
This looks like fun. Time to get the HST paper roll out! Thanks to you in Hampshire GB.
I love your all your blocks and how you arranged all your half square triangles! I do love your fabric line too! Thank you for the free patterns! I just signed up via email!
Your block is wonderful; I love the blue/green combination! Thanks for designing this great block.
HI Janet, Good morning. Just wanted to say I love your fabric looking forward to its release, Thank you for your fun block and sharing a bit about you, your a lucky girl ! have a great week.
This should keep me busy today, thanks
Good morning from Canada. I must certainly do this block. I lived in Aldershot as a child and have fun memories. Thank you for this adaptive block.
This is a beautiful block! Thank you for sharing.
Looks tricky, but a beautiful block! Thank you so much!
I absolutely loved the different versions of this block. Each is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for a lovely block. Looking forward to making it today! What a wonderful place you love. Beautiful countryside.
I really like this block but I’m making 8″ blocks. I sure hope I don’t screw it up as this will be a real challenge for me. I guess I should be positive and say thank goodness I’m not doing the 6″ blocks. Gave a great day and stay well.
This will be fun. Thank you!
Thank you! Love your fabrics and all of the different layouts!
Thank you for the block Janet! So appreciate you providing different layouts of the block for us.
Now I’m tempted to do a whole panel using all the different colorways, love this & thank you!
I love all the variations of your block! Can’t wait to make it. Thank you!
Beautiful! Thanks for the timing to get this on the US site from the UK! Stay safe.
Hi. I love all of your variations, but am trying to do 10″ blocks. Any instructions for a newbie for that size of a block?
Morning Lise. As the block is 8 x 8 units, each unit needs to be 1 1/4″ finished for it to end up 10″ x 10″. As such, cut your squares to 1 3/4″ and we’d suggest making HST pairs starting with 2 3/4″ squares, trimming your HST units to 1 3/4″ before assembling the block. Hope this helps! Tony
Such a versatile lively block. Ok autocorrect- I meant to say lovely but it is indeed lively too! Thank you Janet! Happy Wednesday
Beautiful block and so is Betty. Is she a flat coated retriever? Thank you for the block and I’ll be watching to see more of your fabrics.
Betty (who got me up at 5 am for no good reason!) is half flat coat retriever and half springer spaniel.
Good afternoon, it’s 12 noon here in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA and I’m having lunch enjoying your article with the photos. Downton Abby is one of my favorite, and I’ve see a massive amount ofJane Austen movies, I’ve seen Sense and Sensibility about 25 times and still cry ? ant certain scenes, also have read the various books and love them all. I’m sure your countryside is lush green with flowers ? Popping over the fields, if not, that’s how I imagine your scenery. Thank you for your block for us Blockheads 3 lovers. I appreciate you sharing your designs, as well as a bit of personal info with us, I really have mastered HST and am always on the lookout for new designs. Take care and be safe.
Delighted to find the Hampshire Star. I was born and raised in Hampshire, Portsmouth/Southampton and country areas around, Hayling Island. Now living in Alberta, Canada, with my family.
wondering exactly where you live. I am in my 80’s, have sewed all my life.
Gracias!!! Hermoso bloque!!!Un beso desde Argentina!!!!
Beautiful! Thank you:)
The link for the moda block is not opening
sorry you’re having trouble. I just opened the pdf from my computer so can’t see where the problem lies. Moda will publish the link to the facebook page today and you should be able to access it there. If you have any further problems you can always email me janet@janetclare.co.uk
Thank you for introducing yourself. I love the pictures you posted of your homeland. Your blocks are all beautiful. I would love to win the ebook because I wasn’t aware of the Blockheads sew-a-longs. I would at least have the same book to make blocks. They are all beautiful.
Love all of the options.
i love making 6 inch blocks. thanks for sharing
I love green and with the dark and light blue it was wow for me how you used the fabric for the block.
I enjoy seeing how fabric placement & repositioning some of the block elements changes the look so much-one thing I love about quilt making. Lovely photos of your countryside! Can’t wait for Geometry!