For 20 years I was a publisher of a quilting magazine and for all those 20 years we ran a Block of the Month. So I would like to follow this tradition and offer you a free Block of the Month on the QuiltingSpace.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The theme for this year will be STARS. In the first half of each month you will get the pattern of a star block.

It will be a skill builder BOM – so we won’t always do it the easiest way.

I would love to see your finished star-blocks. Please post them in the comments at TheQuiltingSpace’s Facebook page, tag me on Instagram @thequiltingspace and/or use the hashtag #thequiltingspace.

Each block will be 10 x 10 inches (26 x 26 cm). The finished quilt will be approximately 56 inches (145 cm) square.

As the stars will be set on point in the finished quilt you will need 13 stars. That means you are in for a bonus star.

I will give you all the measurements in inches and also in centimeters. The centimeters will always be in parantheses for a better differentiation. The measurements in inches and centimeters will differ a little bit as I tried for more convenient figures for cutting and sewing than for the exactness of stars in inches and in centimeters.

For the stars I recommend to raid your stash.

For the background I will take the same fabric throughout.

The quilt will have a 6 inches (15 cm) wide border. If you want to do this border with the background fabric then you will need at least 3 yards (280 cm) of the fabric.

If you decide to make the border of another fabric you will need 2 yards (180 cm) of the background fabric and another 1 yard and 2 feet (150 cm) of the border fabric.

If you don’t mind to have seams in the border then you will only need 1 yard and 5 inches (110 cm) of the border fabric.

THE BACKGROUND FABRIC

Before we can start with the first star we have to cut some pieces off the background fabric.

All measurements already include ¼ inch (0,75 mm) seam allowance.

For all who want to sew the border with the background fabric (you need 3 yards (280 cm) of fabric):

From the length of the fabric cut
2 strips 48 inches (120 cm) long and 6½ inches (16,5 cm) wide and
2 strips 60 inches ((150 cm) long and 6½ inches (16,5 cm) wide
for the border

From the width of the fabric cut
2 strips 11 inches (28 cm)
and from these 2 strips cut 52 rectangles 11 x 1 inches (28 x 2,5 cm).
These rectangles will be sewn as borders around all the stars.

From the remaining fabric cut
2 squares 16½ x 16½ inches (44 x 44 cm) and
2 squares 9½ x 9½ inches (24 x 24 cm).
Put away those 4 squares and the border strips – we will need them later on to finish the quilt top.

The rest of the background fabric can be used for the background of the stars.

For all who want to sew the borders from a different fabric (you need 2 yards (180 cm) of the background fabric):

From the width of the fabric cut
2 strips 11 inches (28 cm)
and from these 2 strips cut 52 rectangles 11 x 1 inches (28 x 2,5 cm).
These rectangles will be sewn as borders around all the stars.

From the remaining fabric cut
2 squares 16½ x 16½ inches (44 x 44 cm) and
2 squares 9½ x 9½ inches (24 x 24 cm).
Put away those 4 squares – we will need them later to finish the quilt top.

The rest of the background fabric can be used for the background of the stars.

The fabric for the border will be cut lengthwise into 4 strips
2 strips 48 inches (120 cm) long and 6½ inches (16,5 cm) wide and
2 strips 60 inches ((150 cm) long and 6½ inches (16,5 cm) wide.
I recommend that you cut this fabric only when you need it to finish the top.

If you don’t mind seams in your border and have 1 yard 5 inches (110 cm) of fabric you will cut 6 strips 6½ inches (16,5 cm) across the whole width of the fabric.
I recommend that you cut this fabric only when you need it to finish the top.

NOW YOU ARE ALL SET to start with the first star. The pattern will be published on the QuiltingSpace on Friday, January 29.

I hope that many of you will join this free BOM. I promise we will have a lot of fun during the year and a beautiful quilt at the end of it.