Quilting Fabric Cutting Template and Associated Method of Using the Same

Abstract

A quilting fabric cutting template adapted for the generation of a four-pointed star quilting block having a square base upon association of eight adjacent sides of the four-pointed star including: a substrate having a first outer side, a second outer side, a third outer side, a fourth outer side, a fifth outer side, a sixth outer side, a seventh outer side, an eighth outer side, a ninth outer side, a tenth outer side, an eleventh outer side, a twelfth outer side, a top surface, and a bottom surface; wherein the substrate forms the general shape of a four-pointed star; and wherein the first outer side, the fourth outer side, the seventh outer side, and the tenth outer side are concave.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
         1 . A quilting fabric cutting template adapted for the generation of a four-pointed star quilting block having a square base upon association of eight adjacent sides of the four-pointed star, comprising:
 a substrate having a first outer side, a second outer side, a third outer side, a fourth outer side, a fifth outer side, a sixth outer side, a seventh outer side, an eighth outer side, a ninth outer side, a tenth outer side, an eleventh outer side, a twelfth outer side, a top surface, and a bottom surface;   wherein the substrate forms the general shape of a four-pointed star; and   wherein the first outer side, the fourth outer side, the seventh outer side, and the tenth outer side are concave.   
     
     
         2 . The quilting fabric cutting template according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate forms the shape of a four-pointed dodecagonal star. 
     
     
         3 . The quilting fabric cutting template according to  claim 2 , wherein the substrate forms the shape of a frusto-tipped four-pointed dodecagonal star. 
     
     
         4 . The quilting fabric cutting template according to  claim 2 , wherein the second outer side and the third outer side are fixedly connected such that the second outer side and the third outer side intersect at an angle that is less than 180 degrees and wherein the second outer side and the third outer side each include a channel that extends past the point of their intersection, wherein the fifth outer side and the sixth outer side are fixedly connected such that the fifth outer side and the sixth outer side intersect at an angle that is less than 180 degrees and wherein the fifth outer side and the sixth outer side each include a channel that extends past the point of their intersection, wherein the eighth outer side and the ninth outer side are fixedly connected such that the eighth outer side and the ninth outer side intersect at an angle that is less than 180 degrees and wherein the eighth outer side and the ninth outer side each include a channel that extends past the point of their intersection, and wherein the eleventh outer side and the twelfth outer side are fixedly connected such that the eleventh outer side and the twelfth outer side intersect at an angle that is less than 180 degrees and wherein the eleventh outer side and the twelfth outer side each include a channel that extends past the point of their intersection. 
     
     
         5 . The quilting fabric cutting template according to  claim 4 , wherein the substrate further comprises a circular hanging aperture positioned equal distance from a midpoint of each one of the first outer side, the fourth outer side, the seventh outer side, and the tenth outer side. 
     
     
         6 . The quilting fabric cutting template according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface includes a protective film, wherein the protective film is fabricated from an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         7 . The quilting fabric cutting template according to  claim 6 , wherein the elastomeric material comprises an at least partially transparent elastomeric flurosilicone. 
     
     
         8 . The quilting fabric cutting template according to  claim 7 , wherein the protective film is coated with a composition comprising at least one of a carboxylic acid, an alcohol, an aldehyde, chlorhexidine, octenidine, and a polymer opal film. 
     
     
         9 . The quilting fabric cutting template according to  claim 8 , wherein the protective film is coated with a composition comprising a chlorhexidine and a polymer opal film. 
     
     
         10 . The quilting fabric cutting template according to  claim 1 , wherein the first outer side, the fourth outer side, the seventh outer side, and the tenth outer side each include a pair of elastomeric edges for accommodating a rotary cutter. 
     
     
         11 . A process for preparing a quilting block, comprising the steps of:
 providing a cutting mat;   placing a plurality of stacked pieces of quilting fabric on the cutting mat;   placing a cutting template on the plurality of stacked pieces of quilting fabric, wherein the cutting template comprises a substrate having a first outer side, a second outer side, a third outer side, a fourth outer side, a fifth outer side, a sixth outer side, a seventh outer side, an eighth outer side, a ninth outer side, a tenth outer side, an eleventh outer side, a twelfth outer side, a top surface, and a bottom surface, wherein the substrate forms the general shape of a four-pointed star, wherein the first outer side, the fourth outer side, the seventh outer side, and the tenth outer side are concave, wherein the second outer side and the third outer side are fixedly connected such that the second outer side and the third outer side intersect at an angle that is less than 180 degrees, wherein the second outer side and the third outer side each include a channel that extends past the point of their intersection, wherein the fifth outer side and the sixth outer side are fixedly connected such that the fifth outer side and the sixth outer side intersect at an angle that is less than 180 degrees, wherein the fifth outer side and the sixth outer side each include a channel that extends past the point of their intersection, wherein the eighth outer side and the ninth outer side are fixedly connected such that the eighth outer side and the ninth outer side intersect at an angle that is less than 180 degrees, wherein the eighth outer side and the ninth outer side each include a channel that extends past the point of their intersection, wherein the eleventh outer side and the twelfth outer side are fixedly connected such that the eleventh outer side and the twelfth outer side intersect at an angle that is less than 180 degrees, and wherein the eleventh outer side and the twelfth outer side each include a channel that extends past the point of their intersection; and   cutting the plurality of stacked pieces of quilting fabric with a rotary cutter by following an outer peripheral geometry of the cutting template and channels associated therewith.   
     
     
         12 . The process according to  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 sewing the second outer side and the third outer side together;   sewing the fifth outer side and the sixth outer side together;   sewing the eighth outer side and the ninth outer side together; and   sewing the eleventh outer side and the twelfth outer side together, thereby forming a first quilting block having a square base and a generally square upper aperture.   
     
     
         13 . The process according to  claim 12 , further comprising the step of:
 introducing batting through the aperture of the first quilting block and subsequently tying off the aperture.   
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
 sewing the first quilting block to a second quilting block.