I started out eyeballing it and cutting each piece as I went (as I had been doing for all my paper piecing). Then I started using Carol's techniques and measurements and cutting all in advance, and I found that it was much easier and faster that way. Now, I will use Carol's method for all paper piecing projects!

That's the way I used to do it before doing these stars, and I find I get more accurate blocks following the book, but adding 1/4" to the size. It's so much neater, and so much less mess. I wish I knew how to do it this way in the beginning of December before I started a Christmas Cactus, that now I need to do a little fudging on.

When we were doing the Buildings BOM, that is the way I did it too. Every piece was different and it seemed too wasteful to cut them first. However, with these stars, I am cutting them first because there are so many (at least 8) of each piece. When them precut you can chain piece and not get up to iron so often and it really goes fast.

Dawn, Hope your class was fun. Be sure and tell us about any wonderful tips you learned.

I haven't looked for California yet. :) I posted something at the beginning of each week (if you missed them).
Sweet Home Alabama, North to Alaska, Get Back (Arizona). I've only been at YouTube looking and that has been fun in itself. But please feel free to post any you can find that you like. Music is good. I was thinking that people from the State of the Week might know of more songs than I can find.

If I add words to a design I use embird...you can buy individual fonts and size them to what you want...this may be more expense than what you are looking for, but it's the easiest way I know..you can type out whole words instead of trying to space individual letters together and save the file and transfer over to your machine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwfRYUBC1do

Here's for Arkansas.... Arkansas Blues

I cut my pieces by the book.... I only had a problem with them not fitting because I put them on the wrong way. DUH.. Once I flipped it around it worked like a charm.

Whitepine, what do you mean by chain piecing? Are you sewing all eight sections at the same time? I had not thought of that. I have been completing them one section at a time. I feel a little silly now. Any other tips?

Jan.... I do an assembly line... stitch #1 & 2 on... all 8 at once... (I usually ck the 1st one to make sure every thing covers) Pull the 1st one through & start doing them in a row. Take them to the table & clip threads on one side... flip over... do other side & pull pins out. Press all the pieces... back to the table... then trim up & place the next piece on each one than back to the sewing machine. Shoot... I just made myself dizzy.