Welcome back to Quiltmaker’s Countdown to Christmas. Today I want to tell you about a block that’s easy and fun—and has a smashing effect!
This is Asterisk, designed and made by Karen Griska, author of the always interesting Selvage Blog. Asterisk was patterned in the May/June ’10 issue of Quiltmaker (No. 133). It’s still available as a digital issue (you get it instantly).
This quilt is an absolute stunner. And the best part is that these little blocks are so much fun. They are completely addictive, and you can do them in any fabrics at all. They’re so striking that you just can’t go wrong as long as there is some contrast between the two fabrics in each block.
At my semi-annual retreat in October, I made Asterisk blocks in Christmas fabrics. I used lots of different reds, greens and aquas for interest. I’m not sure yet just how large this quilt will grow, but wouldn’t it be fun to make it bed-size and use it every year from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day?
Quiltmaker and Martingale/That Patchwork Place recently partnered to publish a new book: Easy Quilts for Beginners and Beyond.
Recognize the cover quilt? Karen’s knockout piece was a perfect wowser to grace the front. And let me say it again: This is an easy little block to make. Karen’s method is ingenious and you’ll be hooked from the first block.
Love Notes is a signature quilt and it's patterned in Easy Quilts for Beginners and Beyond.
And there are 13 more quilt patterns inside, too–all easy but very attractive. At just $24.99, we made sure you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck.
Coin Collecting would make a great guy quilt—find the pattern in Easy Quilts for Beginners and Beyond.
So dig out your back issues to find May/June ’10, order the digital version, or get your copy of Easy Quilts for Beginners and Beyond. And footnote this as fun!
Now let’s have a giveaway. I have a lovely brand-new copy of Easy Quilts for Beginners and Beyond for one lucky reader. For your chance to win, please leave a comment below before midnight, Friday, Dec. 7 and tell us what colors you’d use for an Asterisk quilt. We’ll announce winners here next week. And the winner is… Beth B (comment #85). Congratulations Beth!
My Asterisk quilt would be made with red, white and blue fabrics and be donated as a Quilt of Valor.
Black, grey, and citron!
The asterisk looks like it should be scrappy though I’d want blue to be predominant.
As I’m from the UK, this block always reminds me of our national flag, so I’d have to do it in red white and blue.
I would try it in different shades of browns, blues and yellows.
i would go with varieties of reds, blacks, and white.
I’d go with reds, oranges, yellows, browns & some hits of blue. Thanks.
I think I’d use browns, aqua and yellow, or maybe red, white and blue, or maybe greens, or maybe I just cannot decide!
I tend to lean towards purples & blues but I think I would use some bright colors so that it pops.
I would make my Asterick quilt a stashbuster quilt. You could use this quilt every day, all year long. Good way to use up your stash and still have a very stunnng quilt. Thank you for giving all of your followers a chance to win a copy of Easy Quilts for Beginners and Beyond.
Sandi T.
sandit1@sbcglobal.net
I’d love to make it in purple and grey.
Because of the time of year, I would use icy blues with whites and off whites to give the feeling of snow, I think it would be beautiful. Thanks.
I would like to make Asterisk in varying shades of aquas and teals, with pops of black & white!
I’d use blues, tans and browns. Thanks for highlighting this book. My SIL is a new quilter and likes modern quilting. I’ll recommend this one to her.
I’d use blues, greys and yellows. Thanks for the chance to win.
I’m torn between completely scrappy and blacks, whites and lime green.
I make it in shades of blue and white to coordinate with my “Blue” Christmas tree theme!!
Hmm, how about greens, purples, and anything considered to be “golden” colors? Thanks for a chance to win.
Honestly, I would probably go totally scrappy and have every color imaginable. It is, however, nice to dream of making a quilt in navy blues, oranges and grays. Thanks for the chance to win!
This pattern would be perfect to use up the many many many fat quarters I have. Love the scrappy look of this fun block.
Well, I’m a civil war fan, so I’d have to use some of this fabrics! Recently I made a quilt using wool, civil war, Kaffee, batiks and homespuns! Believe it or not, it turned out pretty! ( you can see it on my blog, http://www.hallbrookdesigns.blogspot.com, left sidebar, In The Orange Grove) this is my version of a prim modern quilt! So, if I were to make the asterisk quilt, I’d love to do it in the same combination of fabrics! Thanks for the chance to win!
Brown, beige and different shades of green. thanks
That quilt made an indelible first impression on me, and I think it’s on its way to being a classic! I think I’d do it in blues with a few yellows here and there for twinkle.
I’d use purples, lime greens and yellows.
thanks!
Ahhh.. I would love to make one in orange…pinks and hmmm..maybe some purple…;0))))
I love the asterisk quilt. It reminds me of Christmas presents with their ribbons. Thanks!
I would use creams, cocoas, mochas and a splash of pinks!
Wow, I love the scrappy look in the asterisk quilt…I think I’d go scrappy too! Thanks for the opportunity to win!
The asterisks make me think of snowflakes, so I would use blues and silver/gray with some white as well!
I would love to make this in purples, lime greens, and yellows.
I would love to use reds, whites and blacks. I am a newbie to quilting so this book would really be nice to have. Thank you for the chance to win it.
I’d love to make this quilt out of sage greens and beiges.
Love this quilt! I could do it with black and grays with vibrant purples for the slashes!
Lime green, orange and burgandy.
red, black, and white
pink and purple
pink black and white
I would make it pink and brown for my granddaughter.
I would make it in Blue and White for snowflakes!
I would enjoy looking through this book, and I might just gift it to a good friend who wants me to teach her to quilt.
I love the bright greens, reds and pinks. It would be fun to experiment with several different combinations.
The book would be wonderful to have, seeing I’m a begging quilter. Need all the tips, tricks and basics I can get.
I think this quilt would be gorgeous in blues and terra cottas.
I think this quilt would look good as a Christmas quilt!
So green, red and gold!
I would select black, gold, tan and off white for my colors. I think that would make a striking quilt.
I’d like to make mine in red black and whites.
I have some leftover Fairy Frost in jewel tones that would look smashing in this setup.
I would certainly use my black, white and red stash for this quilt.
I would probably make this a coordinated scrappy. I think the using red for the asterisks would look great.
I would use turquoise and red
I love the look of the asterisk quilt and I would make it in Christmas fabrics of red and green with maybe a little blue.
I would make it from Christmas fabric, and have the asterisks in white to resemble snowflakes.
I would make this with RWB as I make a lot of Quilts of Valor or Christmas as I seem to have a lot of this type fabric too.
Brights that could be used year round. Or all shades of one color with white flakes that would be very pretty and could be displayed as flowers or flakes.
I would have to use greens for this quilt.
I do believe mine would be all colors green
I would make it with Christmas fabrics or maybe blues and whites to look like snowflakes.
I would have to use Red, Black & White in different patterns & some solids too.
Christmas fabrics would look great for this quilt, or maybe red, white & blue for a valor quilt.
I just love big easy blocks and this pattern is a winner! I think that I would either do a Christmas variation (due to all the Christmas fabrics I have in my stash) or a two color quilt in either blues or neutrals – this pattern truly lends itself to a great variety of fabric combinations!
I would make it in reds, greens, and whites, but not Christmas fabrics. I just like these colors together and they are in my family room.
either sea colors of blues and greens or Christmas colors your blocks are neat would be like a bed full of presents.
The asterisk looks like it should be scrappy though I’d want red to be predominant.
I’d use purples and greens
I would use blues and greens.
I’d use lime green and purple for sure.
I’d do this quilt in shades of blue, purple, red and yellow. I think it would be like fireworks.
Love the pinks with the reds but I would do mine in blues and silver.
I would make this quilt with green and red astericks to use at Christmas. I think it would be awesome.
Christmas colors would be nice, but how about black and white?
Love the asterick block! I have a scrappy quilt in progress. I loved the class I took at QuiltNebraska last summer!
I would use background of several dark blues and purples, and the asterisk in neons. Shades of fireworks!
How about making this quilt in a rainbow of colors, it would make a bright and cheery kids quilt.
I have many ‘fat quarters’ that have no special home, just fabric that I just loved & wanted to have. The asterick quilt would be a great quilt to use for the wonderful bright colors to use from my stash.
I would love to see it shades of grey, yellow and white!! Or maybe purple, brown, and cream. Or both!! You never know.
I think that I’d go with the “new” quilt look…lots of whites, tans, grays, then black as the sashings, with one or two blocks a really bold solid…teal blue or bright yellow.
Lately my color choices are in all earth tones. I can’t seem to get beyond that but it does includes greens and blues not just beige and brown.
I like red black and white!
Thanks for another great giveaway!
HI! LOVE REDS OF ALL SHADES-SO I’D USE RED+WHITE.
THANKS FOR SHARING A REALLY NEAT BOOK GIVEAWAY!
Thanks for the lovely giveaway. An asterisk quilt would look great in oranges and aquas….
what beautiful colors!
I need the “beginner” concepts!
Beautiful quilts!
I would like to do one in little girl pastel colors.
I’m feeling nostalgic, so purples and golds for Elmira College. With some soft gray thrown in to tone it down a bit.
Love this quilt! I think it would look great in greens and teals, earth tones, happy brights for a baby quilt….I may have to make several of these. Thanks for the chance to win.
What a great stash buster and sooooo neat looking! I’d make mine with brights….lime, orange, purple, etc…. brights in all shades! HOPE I WIN!!!
Lovely bright colours, pinks, purples and creams!
Thank you for this site. I would make the asterisk quilt in red and greens and use it all year long. I like Christmas Spirit all year long.
It reminds me of snowflakes so I would alternate blue and white blocks, pulling out all the scraps in those colors. Thanks for the fun!
Different shades of lighter shades of green and light browns/tans…
Oh the possibilities!
I’m a big fan of anything that looks like snowflakes or stars, so of course I love this quilt!
I want to make this quilt using my black & white stash, adding in a neon green. POP!
I would use small black-on-white and white-on-black prints, deep jewel tones of turquoise and purple, and some yellow – just because I like to put something yellow in every quilt I make if possible!
I would love to make this quilt in Christmas colors, it looks like a package all wrapped for Christmas gifts.
Red ,white cause it reminds me of christmas and great contrast.
I would like to try black for the astericks and solid pastel colors for the blocks, or vice versa.
I would love to do this quilt in as many colors of batiks as possible!
WOW! What a striking looking quilt.
I would used shades of light blue, turquoise, royal blues with ribbos of golds and silvers, and whites.
I would use different blues and white. I think that would be so beautiful. Thanks!
I would use all cool colors – purples, greens, blues, possibly with batiks.
Would love to make some of those quilts in orange and blue!!!
I love Quiltmaker quilts and have made several. Your quilting ideas are also very easy to follow. I would love to have this book!
Thanks
Green, yellow, and orange with brown astericks
Oh my so many chocies! If its as easy as you say – it could easily be made in seasonal colors so I could have a different one for Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter!
I am totally in love with batiks—so I would make it scrappy using batiks!
I would love to make this out of all the Christmas prints that I have bought on sale after Christmas.
I have made this block before. It is easy and fun, looks much harder than it is.
I’d make it in shades of rose, teal and tans to go in my living room, or blues for my bedroom.
i have every loud color in my scraps and they would make this great
As a West Virginian, I would make this quilt with scrappy blues and golds. Debbie in WV
I would use burgundy and forest green with ivory background fabrics for
my Astericks quilt. It would be great for Christmas, but not only then, as it could be used all year.
I have to choose shades of purples and pinks.
So many beautiful quilts!
I would use lots of bright colors. thanks!
I would use blues and browns, and maybe some white.
I just ordered some of Jo Morton’s newest “Toasted” line of historical neutrals so I would want to use those with some indigos and cheddars, maybe some reds too. Thank you for the opportunity to win the book!
Orange, blue and white
I love green,purple and white
I think this would look great in Pink/Lime green combo. but since I am a scrappy girl, I would probably do it scrappy.
I think I would like black and white backgrounds with bright lime green, aqua and yellow asterisks. This is a great pattern because it could work in so many different color combinations.
I would make the quilt in black/white/greys with turquoise asterick lines.
Wow ! what nice colors.. I would like it in different shades of blue and strips in different shades and tones of white and would like some with a bit of glitter to represent snowflakes. For a boy I would do the strips in denims on plaids.
I would love to win the new book, thank you for a chance to enter
Decisions, decisions. Hmmm…I think the first one would have to be a scrappy one taking from my current stash. However, I think a very bright and colorful pink, green, purple, yellow, red, and orange might be fun with the backgrounds in muted blacks. Oh…the possibilities!
I would use an assortment of dark and light batiks. I think that would look amazing in this pattern.
Wow! I really like it the way you show it in a scrappy look! Thanks!!
I’d make it from blue and brown batiks
I will choose bright and fun solids
Black, chartreuse and teal
I would use bright colors.
Orange, Yellow, bright green, Lime, a bit of white thrown in there too. Maybe some bright blues, hot pinks and purples.
Awesome give away too.
I like the Christmas fabric idea, as they look like little gifts with bow that way, and I have such a stash of Christmas fabrics that I am trying to use up…somehow that doesn’t seem to happen though!
I just love the asterisk quilt. I think it would look great in UGA’s colors of red, black, white and grey.
i would use purple tan and green, they go lovely together. thank you for the chance to win something!
It’s like looking at many twinkling stars. Whites, blues, grays, and some silver thrown in for the twinkle sounds like winter skys to me. Can’t wait to try it.
It took me almost 20 years, but I have happily discovered brights! I would use shades of purple with lime green, yellow, and orange.
asterisks make me think of typing – which makes me think of newspapers – so I think black and white and red all over – with some grey – would be a fun way to go with these.
Since I have Christmas on my mind, I’d love to use Christmas reds, greens, and whites to make the Asterisk quilt. I love this pattern!
I would do it in green, purple, turquoise, grey & black on white.
Christmas colors: red, green, and gold. Cute pattern!
Black, white and red.
i think it would look great in rainbow colors
I’d use various blues for the background with white as the “asterisk” to make a stylized snowflake design.
I think it would be very spectacular done in blacks, whites and bright prints.
What a show stopper!
I would use either pink and gray or pink and green. Those are my favorite color combinations and I want a quilt out of them someday!
I would make one in purple and gold… school colors!
I think I’d use some reds, creams, and browns.
purple, green and blue.
Pink, purple, and lime green.
Rainbow colors (vivid) with black asterisks.
I’d use blues, grays, and yellows.
i’d use my scrap black, white and green.
For an Asterik quilt block I would choose the colors yellow and purple for a starry xmas quilt….merry christmas
I’d do it in brights – turquoise, orange, purple, lime, red, yellow, with black and white asterisks, for my special needs son.
I would like to use a blue and silver mix for a Christmas quilt and then another mix of pastels for Easter!
I’m already working on one that is scrappy blues & browns, started at Quilt NE.
I have so much blue fabric in my stash, it would be dark and light blues!
I am working on a strips and strings.
I would use orange, yellow, aqua and brown.
Wow!!… What a stunning design!
My first thought was firecrackers and fireworks… so red, white, and blue for a July 4th picnic quilt seemed a natural!
… Then, I read what a couple others thought of… Snowflakes!! Yes!
So, I want to do one in lots of icy blues with snowy, frosty whites, too!
… Then, I thought about that cover picture, of the great scrappy, multicolored quilt!
Yes! Love it! So, a happy, bright and beautiful scrappy quilt is calling to me, too!!
…sigh…
Looks like a pretty versatile pattern, as well as stunner!
Thanks for the opportunity to get my hands on a copy of Easy Quilts for Beginners and Beyond!!
Pat
I think mine would be scrappy and would have lots of random colours. I really, REALLY want to make an asterisk quilt (note to self).
I would make it scrappy.
This would be a great addition to my creative juices.
I would use bright colors and make it scrappy, it would make you feel happy when looking at it, love the asterisk pattern, beautiful
I would make mine scrappy but with lots of blue in,because I love blue.
I would use blue, white, and purple making them look like snowflakes. I think it would be stunning.
As scrappy as possible – mainly blues and neutrals with pops of red or orange
I would definitely make it in Christmas colors!
I can’t decide whether to make it scrappy or to go with various shades of green. I love green!! I would love to win this book as I am addicted to quilting (just started piecing quilt tops this year) I have made 3 lap quilt tops so far…now I need to get them put together…maybe after christmas gifts are done. Thanks.
My kids are adopted from Viet Nam and I think this would be a fun quilt to make in red and gold – the colors of the Vietnamese flag.
Maroon grey and black
I would make this quilt in black, white, grey and red. Would love to win this book.
I have so many scraps that I would grab a bunch of scrap fabric and put it in a brown bag and just pick out the fabric as I went along. I always love to use my scraps…brings back lots of good memories of the quilts I have made for the people I love.
Thanks for the opportunity!
I would use a color pallette of black, white, and turquoise.
I think it would be really pretty in christmas prints with lots of red and green!
Either Christmas colors or use my large collection of Batiks
I’d love to make one in black and whites with a splash of bright colours. Here and there.
Would love to do it teals with deep purple, white and a touch of black
I think I would like to try it in Kona cotton solids.
I would make this in reds, pinks, greys, blacks, and whites.
A group of us made the Asterisk a couple years ago and loved the whole process as well as the results. I had been wondering when it was going to catch on!
I have a huge assortment of batiks that would look awesome including reds purples and blacks.
Oh boy the ideas running through my head right now. Lots of pastels yellow patterns, and pink in the back ground with greens as the asterisk and boarder.
Scrappy bright colors.
How about soft blue, pink, not too soft yellow and green for a baby quilt.
i would use all colors
I’ve been wanting to make an Asterisk quilt since that first magazine came out! I think it would be really pretty in blues and yellows.
Love your posts! Keep them coming!
Reminds me of snowflakes, so blues, whites, and silvery grays.
Looks like a fun one. Terri
Looks like a great book, I think I would make my Asterisk Quilt with Christmas fabrics, love Christmas Fabrics.
This is one for my guild library!
Brights!
I would use pinks and purples but I also think it would look nice red and blacks
I think I would try Kansas Trouble fabric for a different look.
I think I would use reds, greens and pinks and make it queen-size to cover either my bed or the bed in my guest room during the holiday season! I LoVe this pattern and can’t wait to begin my quilt.
I would use all sorts of red and white…
I have never tried that pattern … needs a little more red and green
I would make the quilt in multiple black and white fabrics with just a splash of red – absolutely stunning.
This is a hard choice, lime green with navy crosses or navy with lime green crosses.
My quilt would use beautiful falls and a rich chocolate brown for the asterisk! Doesn’t it sound cozy!
I really like everything that Karen designs. For this quilt, I would probably go to my batiks and make it scrappy, maybe adding some black and white and maybe some solids.
B;ack, white and red
I think I’d try magenta, yellow and lime green with probably some grey too but now I’m not so sure about the grey!
I’m thinking yellow and blue would be stunning.
My asterics I made is white with blue stripes. But if I made again in the Christmas theme would be red background with green strips with gold metallic thread decorating the small areas in the form of a star! The star would be filled in in stippling so it stood out.
Scrappy all the way!
Periwinkle, cheddar and apple green.
I may have been quilting for several years, but with only sons and granddaughters who are little, I am always looking for simple, striking quilts that take no time at all the assemble. The fabric makes it no matter what. Good luck everyone. I really want to win this, but everyone has an equal chance, so GOOD LUCK. Happy Holidays All.
P.S. My colors for these quilts would be as scrappy as I can make them with rainbow colors for the girls to make them smile, and red, white, and blue for the military guys in the family. God bless them all.
I agree with the scrappy part in making this quilt. How fun and how easy but still a potential legacy. I haven’t won anything in my life nor had a quilt calendar, fun to enter, whoever wins, enjoy and Merry Christmas everyone. Happy, Prosperous, and Joyful New Year QM and all readers.