Charming Chatter: Simple Things - Let's Piece Some Blocks!

This is such fun - I tell ya! You girls have chosen so many pretty fabrics - I can't wait to see all of the different quilts come together. Carol and I have enjoyed checking out all of your pretty fabric selections -and stacks of cut fabric!

This week, we're moving on to some piecing. We'll be making a total of 12 blocks (all with a four-patch center). Eight of these are star blocks, and the other 4 have a white border. Be sure to come back and share links to your blog posts with photos of your blocks:

These are the instructions for the mini version - visit Carol's Blog for the instructions for the larger version.

Angie is quilting along with us - and send a photo of her fabric:

How cute is that? I love the polka do backgroung! Looking forward to seeing more Angie!

Let's Begin!

Making The Four-Patch Centers

1. Gather 48 of your multi-colored 1 1/2" squares.

2. Lay one square on top of another, right sides together and stitch.

Make 24 sets.

3. Lay one set of the two squares on top of another set, right sides together

and stitch.

Your 12 four patch centers are finished - easy peasy right?

Making The Simple 4-Patch Blocks

1. Gather 4 of your 4-Patch Centers, eight of your 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles, and eight of your 1 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles.

2. Stitch one 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangle to the right and one to the left side of your 4-Patch Center:

3. Stitch one 1 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangle to the top, and one to the bottom of your block.

And, you're four blocks are finished:

Your blocks should measure 4 1/2" unfinished.

Making the Star Blocks

1. Gather 32 of your background Quarter Square Triangles, 64 of your red Half Square Triangles, 32 of your 1 1/2" squares, and the remaining eight 4-Patch Centers.

2. Stitch one red half square triangle to the right side of your background quarter square triangle:

Press toward the dark, and trim.

Make 32.

3. Stitch one red half square triangle to the left side of your quarter square triangle, press, and trim.

Make a total of 32.

4. Stitch one flying geese unit to the right side and one to the left side of your 4-Patch. Press seams in, toward the 4-Patch. Make 8.

5. Stitch one 1 1/2" square to the right side and one to the left side of your flying geese unit. Press seams out, toward the background squares. Make 16.

6. Stitch one flying geese unit with background squares to the top and one to the bottom of the block center.

And your 8 star blocks are finished (they should measure 4 1/2" unfinished). Aren't they just TOO cute?

A couple of house keeping things before we finish. If you don't have a blog and are doing the larger version, please e-mail your photos to Carol, and if you're doing the smaller version and don't have a blog, please e-mail your photos to me (my e-mail is located at the bottom of the right column of the blog) - and we'll post them on our blogs!