Penny, after quilting my blocks measure almost 20". The pattern says it makes a 21" block - I may have cut mine a bit smaller, or may have lost more than I thought in quilting and washing.
Annieshane - these blocks are cut out like a snowflake (fold fabric in half, in half again, and then along the diagonal) so the cutting is not at all difficult or time consuming, as long as you have good cutting shears.
Thank you everyone for your kind comments. I have friends who are true applique artists, and I envy their talent so much. This type of applique is so much easier - just one fabric on top, one on bottom, very little prep work, not too many points and no tiny little pieces. I think it's a good beginning point for hand applique, and the blocks go together much faster than you would think.