Ever wonder what happens when you give me 27 inches of center “stage” space on a quilt and tell me to go wild? Well, buckle up buttercup, because it’s Blockheads Wednesday, and this week is ALL about my block design! Everyone, meet Folk Star — the 11th release in the Moda Blockheads 6 series, and my version of what “going big” looks like!

Folk Star combines half-square triangles with basic squares and rectangles to create a bold, beautiful, and intricate design. Don’t let the “basic” shapes fool you though – the way they come together is pretty spectacular if I do say so myself! And, if you’re following Moda’s layout this beauty becomes the 27″ center star, making it the biggest, boldest block in the entire series!

Now here’s where things get interesting. The original instructions have you making this block oversized and then trimming it down – but if you know anything about me, you know I’m not a fan of all that unnecessary trimming nonsense. Why make more work for yourself when you can just cut it right the first time? Ain’t nobody got time for that! In case you agree, I’m hooking you up with my “Simplified Cutting Instructions” – because if you’re like me and prefer to work with true sizes and skip all that trimming drama, I’ve got your back. These instructions will save you time, fabric, and probably a few choice words when you realize how much easier this can be (click the image for a printable PDF)!

Feeling a bit intimidated? No worries — I’ve got you covered there too! Kali and I made a complete video tutorial that walks you through my entire process, step by step. You can catch it on my YouTube channel, STITCH with Lisa Bongean – just click the STITCH icon below and I’ll have you piecing like a pro in no time!

If you’re enjoying the reds, whites, and blues I’m using for my blocks and would like to use the same, let me fill you in on the deets. I am using two different gray Bella Solids for my background fabrics which includes three yards of Bella Solids Steel 9900 184 (instead of the white in Moda’s original design), and four yards of Bella Solids Graphite 9900 202 (instead of the Navy in Moda’s design), which you can find on our website by clicking the buttons below. In addition, for those of you who are going with this colorway but just so happen to be short on lights, I’ve got you covered with curated Fat Quarter bundles that include 18 light fat quarters for only $72.00. As for the darks, I don’t have specific bundles made up at the moment, so you’ll need to pull those from your own stash and mix and match from what you’ve already got on hand.

I hope you have as much fun making this bad boy as I did designing it – there’s something really satisfying about watching all those simple shapes come together into something this spectacular — am I right!? With that being said, I’ll let you get at it. Have a wonderful evening, happy stitching, and enjoy. See you tomorrow! ~Lisa