Stars For The Linus Connection a free 12″ pattern
If you’ve been around Sewhooked any length of time, or have watched Talk To Me Tuesday, well, ever, then you know that The Linus Connection is a big part of my life. I started donating blankets to Linus way back in November of 2002. The Linus Connection, in turn, distributes those blankets to children in crisis throughout Central Texas.
Right now, more children than ever before are in crisis in Central Texas because Texas has been burning all week. Hundreds and hundreds of families are now homeless. People have died. I have a friend that lost everything. It’s bad, bad business.
So now, I’m going to do what I do best and give you a free pattern.
But this time, I want a little something in return.
Stars For The Linus Connection
a free 12″ pattern
for best results when printing, set scaling to “none”
Take this free pattern and make a block, or two, or twelve. Make a quilt top, or a quilt, or an afghan (because yarn is fabulous, too!) and mail it to the address on the pattern. Yes, that’s my address there. Please don’t stalk me, but do send me loads of blocks and blankets for The Linus Connection so we can then take those blankets and get them to the children in our area who need them!
Wonky Star, by mkissa
donated to the Bushfire Quilt Project
So, you’re not a paper piecer, but you’d still like to contribute? Inspired by WIP Girl, Kristel, known as Clumsy Chord on Talk To Me Tuesday, I will also accept 12″ (12 1/2″ unfinished) Maverick Stars or Wonky Stars (the same technique, different tutorials). To make a 12 1/2″ Maverick or Wonky star, your nine patch units need to be 4 1/2″. 12 1/2″ Wonky Stars with colorful sashing are appreciated!
See the video with Kristel’s Wonky Star quilt for Linus.
Want to do your own thing? Be sure to check our the Linus Blanket Specifications first. Here’s a summary: 100% cotton quilting fabric for quilts, washable acrylic yarn for blankets, sizes can range from 30” x 30” up to 54” x 70”. Cotton or low-loft acrylic batting and french fold binding. Here’s the rest!
All blocks sent to me will be pieced into quilt tops, quilted and bound by myself or another Linus volunteer. I will make every effort to share finished quilts here on Sewhooked.
Linus has already started getting calls, and the number of blankets needed is going to be huge. My favorite charity and the children of my home state need your help. Whether you make just one block or many, every little bit counts.
If you make a block (or a lot!) add them to the Block and Blanket Drive for Linus flickr group and The Linus Connection flickr Group (the second group show up on the Linus blog in the flickr widget!). As always, you are more than welcome to add your Sewhooked-related photos to my flickr group. I love featuring your photos!
And please, please, please share, tweet, Facebook, tumble and +1 this post. Get it out there, share the pattern with your friends and help us cover Central Texas children in blankets of made with love!
Sewhooked 
This is just what I was looking for! My local Linus is mostly interested in fleece blankets. Selfishly, I’d rather quilt! This block, going to the most needy in the nation, is just perfect. Thank you!
Thank you, I would be honored if you made a block for us!
Is Egyptian cotton suitable for this?? I got a load of offcuts very cheap and want to use some of that
Does it feel like a quilt-weight fabric? If it does, then I can’t why not. 🙂
I’m so in! I had so many friends and family members who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina…..I can relate. I’ll send what I can.
Thank you, thank you! You’re a dear, Mary. 🙂
This may be a silly question, but, can just the fabric block be sent (no batting)? I’m new to quilting so this would be my first block
Of course, just sending the block is perfect! When I get enough blocks for a top, I’ll piece them together and then the top will be quilted.
And thank you, every block helps. 🙂
Help! When I click on the link to the pattern I get an error message from WordPress:
Wordpress
404 – File not found
You can create your own free blog on WordPress.com
I am in NE PA, Wish we could send some of our water south to you, between Irene and Lee we have had massing record setting flooding here.
CJ
Can you tell me which link didn’t work for you? I tried both of the links in the post and got to the pattern okay. Give this a try: https://sewhooked.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/12_inch_starsforlinus2.pdf
We would take that water in a heartbeat. It’s been too dry for too long.
And thank you for wanting to participate in the block drive!
Both the link under the pattern and the one under the pattern icon gave me the error. I tried today and connected w/ no trouble. maybe my computer was just hiccuping!
Thanks
Whatever it was, I’m glad it’s working now! 🙂
We just lost our baby girl cat Pixie last Friday. I want to do something.. anything.. and I am very very new to quilting. Can I just make blocks for the quilt top? That’s all I know how to make and I can’t now focus on learning anything new. Let me know, please.
Soma
I’m sorry for your loss. I’m a cat person, too, and know how hard it can be to lose a furry family member.
Making individual quilt blocks is perfect. Even one block will help.
Jennifer
Jennifer, this is fabulous. I’ll make you some blocks this week and have them in the mail to you shortly. Will blog about it tonight too.
Thank you so much, Michele, I really appreciate your support.
Jennifer
Question – I have a top I just finished, but am not sure I have the time {two kiddos under two get in the way of everything}. Could I send you the quilt top with the backing sheet? Would that be helpful or just a hindrance?
~Kimberlee, SpunkyDiva at live.com
PS – the quilt top is on my blog, http://www.thespunkydiva.com
That would be wonderful, thank you, thank you! We have volunteer quilters that will help me get it completed.
If you need a receipt for your donation, be sure to include your name and address and I’ll make sure you get one.
Love you blog, thank you for sharing!
Jennifer
I’m so excited! This pattern actually printed. I am sending a block, at least!
I’ve been having no end of trouble trying to pint off of the Fandom site. Even when I add a pattern to Google Docs and try to print from there… nothing. Why does this one work, and the others do not?
Thanks for the star… Love it!
Hugs,
Thank you so much, Terri!
I’m so sorry about the problems printing on Fandom In Stitches. It’s happened to a number of people. FiS is hosted on blogger and Sewhooked is on WordPress, which is the main difference.
If you receive an error message stating there were “too many redirects,” try clearing the cookies from your browser…that should do the trick! If not, and you use more than one browser (the most complaints I’ve had have been from Explorer), you might try using a different browser.
I am working on a way to make the patterns easier to access, so, fingers crossed!
If I can, I’ll try and get one in the mail to you this week. It’s coming from Australia, so may take a week or so to get there. Is it too late, or shall I endeavour to get one made up? Hugs Naomi
It’s never too late! I will keep taking blocks indefinitely because The Linus Connection will always need blankets. Thank you so much! 🙂