Hey, everyone!

Ready to twist and turn your way into the latest MBH6 block release? This week’s assignment is a Cat’s Cradle-style block, brought to us by Stacy Iest Hsu. To put it lightly, Stacy’s block Lucky Charm resembles a close cousin of the classic nine patch, with a little bias and half-square triangle mischief thrown into the mix. At 9″ finished, Lucky Charm might be a small project, but it’s packed with mighty design possibilities that can make your block come alive.

This intriguing block starts with four identical corner units, each built by adding triangles to a square. Bias edges demand a gentle touch, so be sure you pin at the seam points, let the feed dogs guide the fabric, and resist the urge to stretch it. A careful approach here keeps your corners crisp and your units square, which makes all the difference when it comes time to assemble the block.

Even small changes in color, fabric placement, or block orientation can completely shift the look of your Cat’s Cradle block. Swap light and dark fabrics, rotate a corner unit, or flip a half-square triangle, and suddenly your quilt top can take on a whole new personality. That’s part of the appeal of this block… it’s simple to make but endlessly flexible, which makes experimenting with placement that much more fun!

Speaking of color, as you most likely already know I’m using a red, white, and blue palette for my version of the quilt. For the backgrounds, I’m using Steel 9900 184 (standing in for Moda’s white, which is unfortunately still temporarily sold-out ) and Graphite 9900 202 (filling in for the navy). If your lights are running low, curated Fat Quarter bundles with 18 light FQs are still available for $72. The darks aren’t bundled, so you’ll have to dive into your stash and see what you can come up with.

I love a block that’s fun to look at! Part of what makes Lucky Charm particularly interesting is the way the half-square and half-rectangle triangles work together to form shapes that take on a traditional Cat’s Cradle feel. Can you see the resemblance?

Aright, friends, that wraps up your weekly dose of Moda Blockheads 6 — which also means that tomorrow is Thursday, my favorite day of the week! Come hang out with Jess, Heidi, Kali, and me for an hour of riff-raff and PG tea at 1:00 p.m. CST by clicking the STITCH icon below! It’ll be my last show before I hit the road for Scotland on an adventure of a lifetime with Craftours.com! If you haven’t heard, I’m leaving Sunday on a unique retreat that combines hands-on wool-themed workshops with some of the most breathtaking scenery on earth. I can’t wait! Tune in to say bon voyage… you know you’re going to miss me! See you there. ~Lisa