Tara's July block

Hello, Everyone!  I'm Tara Rebman of Fort Collins, CO.  I'm the wife of a man that makes me smile everyday, mother to a very funny and cute 4 3/4 year old, and wish I lived on a farm!  I'm the innkeeper at a small bed and breakfast where I host fantastic quilting retreats every spring and fall!  I've been sewing and crafting my entire life, but only started quilting two years ago.  It seems like it should be much longer!  At least my fabric collection should be much older to be the size it is!  I blog (very occasionally) over at tinkerfrog.

I know you've all been waiting with bated breath to see what the first month of this great new bee would bring us!  I had about fifty ideas that came and went before I had this one, but I'm so excited to see this come together.  Penny of sewtakeahike has generously allowed us to use her asterisk pattern.  I'm sending each of you a fat quarter of red fabric, two sizes of the asterisk template and two pieces of tracing paper. 

I'd like you to cut one piece of your tracing paper to 13.5 by 13.5.  I realize that that is an odd size for a block, but my personal paper piecing experience leads me to making the block larger than desired and then trimming to the proper size.  So I'll take care of all the trimming on my end.  The second piece of tracing paper is just an extra (or in case you want to make two blocks, totally okay with me!)

 

The next step is to place your template under your tracing paper and decide on placement of your asterisk.  Where ever you would like it and whichever size you'd like to make it is fine with me.  Your fat quarter of red fabric will be plenty to do any size.  You should know though that the small ones will use more of your own background fabric, so if you want to use more of the fabric I sent you go with the larger size.

Trace the lines of the template onto your paper extending the lines all the way to the edges and label accordingly.  All of the number 1's are going to be the red fabric and all other numbers will be the background.  It belatedly occurs to me that I should have sent the background and you could have provided the red and for that, I apologize!

Cut your template apart into the 5 sections of A, B, C, D, and E.  Make sure you leave a 1/4 seam allowance around the edges so you have enough fabric to sew it together!  Have fun!

For the background fabric, any light neutrals are okay with me.  Greys, creams, whites, those odd calicoes you don't know how you acquired.  I really don't want anyone to have to purchase anything for this.  A fat quarter should be enough to make the block(hopefully!).

Here's a basic paper piecing tutorial for any of you not familiar or comfortable with the technique.  Jackie might be to only one of us not wanting to pull our hair out at some point since she has mad paper piecing skills!  I fully welcome any questions or feedback on this block.  It took me about an hour to an hour and a half.  Hard to know because I was on the phone and taking pictures at the same time!

I'm willing to e-mail anyone that wants it the .jpg file of the asterisk pattern.  Just please use it for personal use and not gain per Penny's copyright.  If anyone doesn't have enough background fabric and would like me to send them some, please just let me know!

Edited to add:  The Pattern is free for use by those participating in the Two's Company Bee.  Anyone else interested in the pattern, it can be purchased from sewtakeahike's Etsy shop.  It is the  Funky Peppermint Table Runner.  You should check out her other adorable pattern's while you're there!