1. a copy of the "star squares" quilt block i want to make and a copy of the template for each quadrant of the "star squares" block (both courtesy of quilter's cache)...(just so you know what i'm making)...and my fabric choices...
2. you can get freezer paper at your grocery store...it's in the same aisle as the aluminum foil, etc., and it's inexpensive...my roll was about $3.00 for 75 feet!...cut your freezer paper to the same size as your printer paper - 8 1/2" x 11"...you can then print your templates directly onto the freezer paper...no pesky tracing or holding papers up to a "light source," blah, blah, blah!...you'll want to print your template onto the dull side of the freezer paper...not the plastic-coated "shiny" side...with my printer, this means loading the freezer paper into my printer with the "shiny" side up...
3. template printed onto dull side of freezer paper...
4. using your rotary cutter and a ruler (!!!), cut out your freezer paper template pieces ON the seam lines...DO NOT allow for your 1/4" seam allowances at this point...
5. iron your freezer paper template pieces onto the back sides of your fabrics...template right side up/fabric wrong side up...use a dry iron...the plastic coating on the freezer paper works great!...(you'll want to arrange your templates in such a way as to make the best use of your fabrics...for the purpose of these pics, i wasted a bit more fabric than necessary)...=)...
6. using your rotary cutter and a ruler (!!!), cut your fabrics around the ironed-on freezer paper template pieces NOW ALLOWING for your 1/4" seam allowances...
7. fabric pieces all cut out with 1/4" seam allowances...
8. take your first two fabric pieces (templates #1 and #2), put them with your fabrics right sides together and, using pins, go through the fabric at the exact corners of your freezer paper template piece #1, then -
9. go all the way through your fabrics coming out at the exact corners of your freezer paper template piece #2...you are actually lining up your freezer paper template pieces...not necessarily the edges of your fabrics...that's why this method is foolproof - you are reproducing your templates exactly...=)...
10. because i am not such an experienced sew-er, i then pin the sides of the fabric pieces together and remove the first two pins i put in (dawn IS experienced and simply uses the first two pins leaving them in while she sews...i am positive i would somehow injure myself doing this...lol...see her original tutorial for how she does it)...
11. again, because i am not so experienced, i line up my sewing machine needle at my exact starting point before putting my presser foot down...then sew your two fabric pieces together using the freezer paper template piece edge as your guide...NOT the edges of your fabrics...
12. close up of stitching along the edge of the freezer paper template piece...
13. press the seam of your fabric pieces with your iron while the freezer papers are still on your fabrics...they really stablilize the fabrics and your pieces won't stretch or get all wonky...wonky? you know what i'm talking about, right?...=)... 
14. pic of first two fabric pieces pressed open...you can trim off those annoying little waste corners when you are finished with your block piece... 
15. continue with your next fabric piece (template #3) using the same steps as above...and so on and so on until your block piece is complete (however many individual pieces are in your particular pattern/template)...
16. one completed quadrant with nice sharp pointy points!...now you can remove your pieces of freezer paper and reuse them on your next block piece...how cool is that?...the plastic coating is good for several pressings with your iron so this method is great because you're not wasting a ton of paper...=)...and you can now trim off those waste corners...
17. AND my completed block with all four quadrant pieces sewn together!...hooray!
nice, huh? and it just couldn't be easier!
be sure to stop by dawn's blog and thank her for the original tutorial and leave a comment for the drawing for my giveaway!
thank you for stopping by!
