Midnight Medallion QAL, Week 2: A Closer Look at Trimming Split Quarter-Square Triangles
Welcome to Week 2 of the Midnight Medallion Quilt Along! I’m Wendy from The Weekend Quilter, and this week we’re jumping right into the first component of our medallion quilt: the Friendship Star quilt blocks. These charming blocks introduce movement, rotation, and visual interest — perfect for setting up the orbiting, cosmic feel of my Midnight Medallion design.
The Friendship Star is a classic quilt block rooted in American quilting tradition. Known since at least the late 1800s, the block often symbolized community, connection, and support — especially among women who made quilts collaboratively. The design became popular in signature quilts, where each block was often signed or embroidered with a friend’s name, then gifted to a community member.
In this week’s blog post, we’ll go over everything you need on how to trim your Split Quarter-Square Triangles (SQST) units accurately so your Friendship Star quilt blocks come out crisp.
If you’re following along, grab your Midnight Medallion quilt pattern and turn to page 5. If you haven’t downloaded your free copy yet, you can get it here.
This is the second blog post in the six-week Midnight Medallion QAL series, with a new post dropping every Monday (starting March 3, 2026). Each week’s post will feature tips for completing that week’s tasks or fun bonus projects that build on the skills being explored. Even if you’re not following the Midnight Medallion pattern, these insights can be applied to future quilt projects. Sign up for the weekly QAL newsletter* here to stay up-to-date on tasks, tips, and bonus content. The newsletter will only run for the six weeks of the QAL, so you won’t miss a thing.
For a comprehensive overview of what the QAL entails—including the schedule, tools, supplies, and more—check out previous Midnight Medallion QAL blog post here. Remember, you’re welcome to join at any time and work at your own pace. If you’d prefer, you can save the posts and follow along at a later date.
All weekly tips, tricks, and resources will be centralized here for easy reference, so don’t forget to bookmark it!
*By signing up for the Midnight Medallion QAL updates, you also agree to sign up to be on The Weekend Quilter email newsletter list. We will not sell your email or spam you.
SUPPLIES AND TOOLS
For this week’s task you’ll need the following:
• Basic sewing machine – the Brother Innovis BQ3100 from the Quilt Club Series was used in this tutorial
• Download the Midnight Medallion quilt pattern for FREE from The Weekend Quilter’s website here.
• Rotary cutter
• Quilting ruler with a 45-degree diagonal marking
• Cutting mat
• Fabrics, quilting cotton required for Friendship Star quilt blocks (refer to pages 3 and 4 of Midnight Medallion quilt pattern)
• Coordinating thread, 50wt cotton for piecing
• Fabric pen or pencil
• Pins
• Fabric scissors
• Seam ripper
• Iron and ironing board or wool pressing mat
• Pieced (SQST) units (refer to page 5 of Midnight Medallion quilt pattern)
HOW TO TRIM SPLIT QUARTER-SQUARE TRIANGLES (SQSTs)
Accurate trimming is essential for perfectly centered seams in your Friendship Star blocks. Here’s how to do it:
1. Check the required final size – For the Midnight Medallion quilt, each SQST needs to be trimmed to 4½in square.
2. Find the central point of the square – Divide the trimmed size by 2:
4½in ÷ 2 = 2¼in
This measurement tells you where the center intersection should land on your ruler when trimming.
3. Place unit RIGHT SIDE UP on your cutting mat – Then place your ruler on top, ensuring:
• The ruler fully covers the trimmed size. You should see a full 4½in x 4½in section within the ruler boundaries.
• The 45° guideline is aligned with one diagonal seam. This ensures symmetry and proper angle.
• The 2¼in intersection point lands exactly on the center seam intersection
This is the most important step — perfect centers = perfect stars.
4. Trim the first two sides – Hold the ruler firmly with your non-dominant hand. Then Trim the top and right edges (reverse if left-handed).
5. Rotate and trim the remaining two sides – Rotate the unit 180° so the untrimmed edges are now on the top and right. Line up the freshly trimmed edges with the ruler’s 4½in marks and trim the remaining two sides.
Mastering accurate trimming makes a huge difference in the look and precision of your blocks. By carefully aligning the 45° marking and the center measurement, your Friendship Star blocks will come together beautifully.
Share your Week 2 progress by tagging @The.WeekendQuilter and @BrotherSews with #MidnightMedallionQAL and #BrotherSews hashtags. Seeing your work brings us so much joy!
Remember, you can follow along anytime, even after the official QAL dates. All future and past weekly posts will be linked on the QAL hub page, so save that link for easy access as you progress.
Don’t forget to sign up for QAL updates so you never miss a new weekly blog post! I can’t wait to see your stars twinkling.
Till next time, happy sewing!