Preparation and cutting
1
Photocopy 20 of each of Foundation
A, B, C and D from the Pattern
Sheet or download them from the
Homespun website, http://www.homespun.
net.au/homespun-patterns and print
them out. Cut them out outside the
outer lines. However, if you’ve
accurately traced the foundations
instead, write labels on each area –
the numbers indicate the order in
which each foundation is pieced.2
Make a swatch board using a
snippet of each fabric and write
the designation you’ve given to each
one (eg. “light-medium”, “dark-dark”)
and the areas of each foundation
that they’re to be used for. Refer to
your swatches as you cut and then
sew your fabrics. Keep the cut
rectangles in groups – or snap-lock
bags – and label them.3
Trace Template E onto paper,
glue it to light cardboard and
cut it out carefully on the line.4
From the white tone-on-tone
print fabric, cut:- Two strips, 3^1 ⁄ 2 in across the width
of the fabric. Crosscut them to yield
40 rectangles, 2 x 3^1 ⁄ 2 in (areas A1,
B5, C1 and D5).
5
Trace around Template E fi ve
times on the wrong side of the
remaining white tone-on-tone print
fabric, leaving^1 ⁄ 2 in between shapes.
Cut the circles out a generous^1 ⁄ 4 in
by eye outside the traced line.6
From the red tone-on-tone print
fabric, cut:- Three strips, 4in across the width
of the fabric. Crosscut them to yield 40
rectangles, 3 x 4in (areas D1 and C5) - Three strips, 7^1 ⁄ 2 in across the width
of the fabric. Crosscut them to yield
40 rectangles, 2^1 ⁄ 2 x 7^1 ⁄ 2 in (areas B1
and A5).
7
From the solid red fabric, cut:- One strip, 14^1 ⁄ 2 in across the
width of the fabric. Crosscut it
to yield 16 rectangles, 2 x 14^1 ⁄ 2 in
(sashings) - Five strips, 1^1 ⁄ 2 in across the width
of the fabric (Border 1) - Six strips, 2^1 ⁄ 2 in across the
width of the fabric (binding).
8
From the red and white spot
print fabric, cut:- One square, 24in. Cut it twice
across the diagonals to yield four
quarter-square triangles (setting
triangles)- Two squares, 14in. Crosscut each
of them once on the diagonal to yield
a total of four half-square triangles
(corners) - 12 squares, 2in (cornerstones).
9
From the light-medium red print
fabric, cut:- Two strips, 4^1 ⁄ 2 in across the width
of the fabric. Crosscut them to yield
40 rectangles, 2 x 4^1 ⁄ 2 in (areas A2
and C2).
10
From the dark-medium
red print fabric, cut:- One strip, 4in across the width
of the fabric. Crosscut it to yield
20 rectangles, 2 x 4in (area D4) - One strip, 5in across the width
of the fabric. Crosscut it to yield
20 rectangles, 2 x 5in (area B4).
11
From the light-dark red
print fabric, cut:- One strip, 4^1 ⁄ 2 in across the width
of the fabric. Crosscut it to yield
20 rectangles, 2 x 4^1 ⁄ 2 in (area C3) - One strip, 7in across the width
of the fabric. Crosscut it to yield
20 rectangles, 2 x 7in (area A3).
12
From the dark-dark red
print fabric, cut:- One strip, 4^1 ⁄ 2 in across the width
of the fabric. Crosscut it to yield
20 rectangles, 2 x 4^1 ⁄ 2 in (area D3) - One strip, 7in across the width
of the fabric. Crosscut it to yield
20 rectangles, 2 x 7in (area B3).
13
From each of the fi ve light-
value red on white print
fabrics, cut:- Two strips, 2in across the width
of the fabric. Crosscut them to yield
four rectangles, 2 x 5in (area C4)
and four rectangles, 2 x 8in (area A4)
Natalia Star blockMICHELLE’S
FABRIC TIP It’s a good
idea to spray starch the fabrics
before cutting them, if you’re
worried about the feel of them. In
this project, it is beneficial to starch
the fabric used for the large edge
triangles of the units, which have
long bias edges, as the starch helps
to control the stretch of the bias.