Star Blanket Fractions

A star blanket is a quilt with one big star in the middle. The star has eight points. Quilters make it from many small diamond-shaped pieces of fabric, sewn together in eight sections that meet in the centre. Across the Plains, including in Saskatchewan, star blankets are among the most valued gifts a person can receive. Families give them to honour someone at an important time, such as a graduation. A graduate might wear a star blanket over their shoulders as they cross the stage.

Before cutting any fabric, a quilter makes a plan. All eight points must be exactly the same size, or the star will not lie flat. Each point is one eighth of the star. The quilter also plans colours in rings, from the centre out to the tips. If every point has the same rings of colour, then each colour covers the same fraction of every point. A small blanket for a baby and a big blanket for a bed can use the same plan, but the big one needs much more fabric.