Perhaps the visually most exciting star quilts—and the most technically challenging—are those that feature a single large star blazing across the expanse of the textile. These textiles are almost always constructed of equilateral diamond-shape patches whose points converge at the center and then radiate in concentric rings. Precision in the cutting and assembling of the diamond patches is essential to the success of this type of quilt, which goes by several different names, depending on nuances in the use of color and fabric, composition, and size. The Star of Bethlehem is constructed in the same fashion as the Lone Star, but the quilt top might feature several stars rather than just one, and they may be of varying sizes.

Stacy C. Hollander, "Star of Bethlehem with Star Border Quilt," exhibition label for SUPER STARS: Quilts from the American Folk Art Museum. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2010.