Straw star - how should I finish it

I have four straw star blocks ready, but no idea how to finish it!

Looking for a straw star

Sometimes you just have to sew something special. I had to sew a Christmas table runner of straw star blocks.

This is what you need

• 4 squares 6" dark fabric (sky, woods)
• 1 square 1" red fabric
• 8 strips 1x9" light fabric (straw)

Sewing

Cut the 6" squares diagonally in half. Sew the strips in the middle. Sew two strips and a red square together to form a long strip.

Trim the 6" squares  to 53/4".

Sew the long strips in place and the block is ready. The finished block measures 11½".

But, in fact this is not a star block, this is a himmeli block. Himmeli is a traditional Finnish Christmas decorations, made of straw. I'm have to try again!

This is what you need for a straw star

The strips diagonally in the middle of the 6" blocks have to be made of two fabrics: light (6") + dark (3").

 Now when you sew it all together it looks more like a star.

This is a straw star, a Finnish Christmas decoration, too. Light straw on dark sky or woods. The little red square is the yarn that ties the straws together.

Everybody's making baskets

Several members in our quilting group have been sewing  charming little basket blocks in our meetings. I've been looking for my basket for a long time. Now I have found it

There are beautiful antique baskets in the American Patchwork & Quilting issue August 2007.

I want to make my baskets in dark colours on white. I call them candy baskets. I cut one basket, the one on the left, and then  made a couple with two colors. That's my basket.