I'm a star gal, almost any 8 pointed star. But I love this one most because one does not lose the star points in it.

Jan in VA
(Graphic is mine though the star is widely available online.)

A great star choice JanInVA .... another bonus is that the blocks can be joined without sashing, and the stars will float nicely, without the need of any sort of a sashing.

I love doing something a little special for the owner of the blocks, so I try to make something hand appliqued which many people don't do. Sometimes, that ends up being Dresden Plate. Still, I usually let the fabric "speak" to me before deciding on a block.

mmac71......that tute is for a disappearing 4 patch (start with 4 - 7 1/2 pieces), cindyb wants to make a disappearing 9 patch (start with 9 pieces)

I love most stars, too. But some of the disappearing blocks look really complicated but are super easy. Jenny Doan has tutes on several disappearing pinwheels that are really cute.

If I were doing just one block, I'd probably do a nice star pattern.
I also love the card trick block and Jacob's ladder.
You can also do a simple 9-patch but make it more interesting by making a block for each of the nine squares... Say a churn dash in each of the nine squares in alternating colors. Or a different simple block in each square.

Good luck on your exchange. The guild I belong to did this several years ago. I will never do it again. I wanted to make a quilt, and I made placemats with the blocks I received back, as they were to be 12" blocks and I had the patterns with each block. I put each block, strips cut along with pattern in a ziplock bag. I got blocks back that were anywhere between 10 1/2" to 13". So never again for me.

I agree that this is a reason I, also, don't really like trading pieced blocks. It's also one of the reasons I use that floating 8 pointed star if I have to trade -- and I suggest it to others! You can suggest making the sections/squares slightly larger than 4.5" (say 4&5/8ths") to be SURE you have enough to trim, too.

Jan in VA

I do the Boom swaps here on the board, where we also make 12.5" blocks (to finish at 12" in your quilt). These are some of my favorite blocks to use:

Folded Corners
[ATTACH=CONFIG]567727[/ATTACH]

Radio Windmill
[ATTACH=CONFIG]567728[/ATTACH]

Ribbon Star
[ATTACH=CONFIG]567729[/ATTACH]

Goshen Star
[ATTACH=CONFIG]567730[/ATTACH]

Weathervane
[ATTACH=CONFIG]567731[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]567732[/ATTACH]

And there are so many more. Check out the Boom swap threads on the board if you want to see more great 12" blocks. Boom 18 is the current one.

These are wonderful and often unique blocks; thanks for sharing and reminding us to look there!