Moda Blockheads 3 January 13, 2020

Moda Blockheads 3 {The Layout}

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Who’s ready for Moda Blockheads 3?! The fun begins this Wednesday 1/15/20.

If you’re new to Moda Blockheads–this is a popular (free) block-of-the-week sampler sew along put together by a bunch of us Moda designers. 56 weeks = 56 blocks, and this year you get to choose the size of each block you make. That’s right. The block of the week will include instructions to finish at 4″, 6″, 8″, or 12″. Pretty cool!

But how will you decide what to make? Good question. We Moda designers are already headed off in different directions. We’re sharing our quilt top layouts ahead of time to give you as many ideas as possible. I’m keeping my layout somewhat simple with what I’m calling “Mama’s Linoleum Layout.”

MAMA’S LINEOLUM LAYOUT

Finished block: 24″ x 24″

Finished  quilt: 72″ x 72″ (9 blocks set 3 x 3)

moda blockheads 3

Before we get started with the layout, I want to point out that each Mama’s Linoleum block contains a 12″ x 12″ finished block in the center. This center section is where you will insert your MB3 sampler blocks! You may use a combination of sampler block sizes to fill this section as long it equals 12″ x 12″ finished (12.5″ x 12.5″ unfinished). Let’s take a closer look at what these combinations may look like.

Option #1 is the easiest and most obvious. Just plug in a 12″ x 12″ finished MB3 sampler block. This is a great option for someone who wants to participate in MB3 (but may not be able to afford the weekly time commitment).

12inch

Option #2: Plug in (4) 6″ x 6″ finished MB3 sampler blocks to equal 12″ x 12″ finished. (This is the route I’m taking for all of my blocks.)

6inch

Option #3: Plug in (9) 4″ x 4″ finished sampler blocks to equal 12″ x 12″ finished.

4inch

Option #4: Combine (1) 8″ x 8″ finished sampler block + (5) 4″ x 4″ finished sampler blocks.

mixedinch

Of course, you can change up the combinations from block to block–there are no real rules here. With all of that in mind, here’s what you need for the Mama’s Linoleum Layout:

MATERIALS:

  • 3.5 yards charcoal fabric 
  • 2.5 yards white fabrics

CUTTING:

*WOF means Width of Fabric (I’m assuming 40″ WOF for my calculations)

1.    To 3.5 yards charcoal fabric, cut and label the following:

  • (6) strips 6.5″ x WOF. Subcut (36) “A” squares 6.5″ x 6.5″ (6 per strip).
  • (8) strips 7″ x WOF. Subcut (36) “B” squares 7″ x 7″ (5 per strip). 
  • (7) strips 3.5″ x WOF. Subcut (72) “C” squares 3.5″ x 3.5″ (11 per strip). 

2.    To 2.5 yards white fabric, cut and label the following:

  • (8) strips 7″ x WOF. Subcut (36) “D” squares 7″ x 7″ (5 per strip). 
  • (7) strips 3.5″ x WOF. Subcut (72) “E” squares 3.5″ x 3.5″ (11 per strip).

BLOCK ASSEMBLY:

To make 1 block, gather the following:

  • (1) sampler block/combo 12.5″ x 12.5″ (“unfinished size”)
  • (4) charcoal “A” squares 6.5″ x 6.5″ 
  • (4) charcoal “B” squares 7″ x 7″
  • (8) charcoal “C” squares 3.5″ x 3.5″
  • (4) white “D” squares 7″ x 7″
  • (8) white “E” squares 3.5″ x 3.5″

HALF SQUARE TRIANGLES (HSTs): 

3.    Mark a diagonal line on the back of (4) white “D” squares 7″ x 7″. Bring (1) marked square RST with (1) charcoal “B” square. Sew 1/4″ away from the marked line on both sides. Cut along the marked line, press the seams open, and trim each half-square triangle to 6.5″ x 6.5″. Make (8).

hsts

4.     Mark a diagonal line on the back of (1) charcoal “C” square. Bring (1) marked charcoal “C” square RST with the white corner of (1) unit from Step #3. Sew along the marked line, trim 1/4″ seam allowance, and press. Unfinished unit should measure 6.5″ x 6.5″.

easy corners

5.     Mark a diagonal line on the back of  (1) white “E” square. Bring (1) marked white “E” square RST with the charcoal corner of (1) unit from Step #4. Sew along the marked line, trim 1/4″ seam allowance, and press. Unfinished unit should measure 6.5″ x 6.5″. Make (8).

easy corners2

6.      Sew (2) units from Step #5 together, orienting the blocks as shown (to mirror each other). Press. Unfinished unit should measure 6.5″ x 12.5″. Make (4).

marbled

7.     Arrange the following units into (3) rows: (1) sampler block/combo 12.5″ x 12.5″, (4) units from Step #6, and (4) charcoal “A” squares 6.5″ x 6.5″. Sew the units into their rows and press, alternating the pressing direction of each row. Sew the row together and press. Unfinished block should measure 24.5″ x 24.5″. Make (9).

block assembly

Oh and in case you’re wondering, here’s what a reversed option could look like. All you would need to do is reverse the charcoal and white in the materials/cutting/assembly.

moda blockheads 3 WHITE

I’m having a hard time deciding which option to go with! What do you like best?

Moda Blockheads 3 free block of the week. Vanessa Goertzen of Lella Boutique shares her free layout pattern called "Mama's Linoleum."

Follow along with me on Instagram @lellaboutique (the primary place I post). Also make sure you’re a member of the Moda Blockheads Facebook group so you can get easy access to the new blocks every Wednesday.

I’ll be adding an archive of the block links here as we go along. Then, when it’s all done–I’ll do a wrap up post with my finished quilt and a master link to all the blocks. Here’s where we’re at so far:

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