The Friendship Star variation included in Nancy Martin’s Perpetual Calendar is a bit different from the traditional and more well known version.
Friendship Star is drafted from an 8 x 8 grid.
Clicking on any of the photos will show a larger view.
Let’s begin by seeing what the Friendship Star quilt block looks like set side by side in a simple straight set with borders.
And how it looks with the blocks separated by sashing and cornerstones:
How about adding a very slight change in the coloring of the block, as well as using the Basic 4X and half square triangles blocks.
Alternate blocks give a secondary design element. Also, value can make a big difference. Light, medium and dark values emphasize certain aspects of a design.
Have a look at the Friendship Star blocks placed on point:
The above design alternates both colorations of the Friendship Star block. Where they intersect is where the red and white hourglass patches meet. Without using the alternate coloration, there would only be white squares.
You can see this easier with the sashing and cornerstones separating the blocks:
See the star formed by adding the large half-square triangle blocks?
The last example alternates the Friendship Star block with the Snowball block for a completely different look:
LC's Cottage 