Welcome to Blockheads 6 – Block 4: “Cat’s Cradle” by Kiley Ferons!

Welcome back to Blockheads 6! This week we’re thrilled to introduce Block 4: Cat’s Cradle, designed by the newest member of the Moda designer family, Kiley Ferons of Kiley’s Quilt Room. This is Kiley’s first time participating in Blockheads, and we’re so excited to showcase her cheerful and dynamic block design.

Moda’s Alison Dale walks us through this week’s tutorial, sharing helpful tips (and a few laughs) as she constructs the Cat’s Cradle block step-by-step. If you're ready to dive in, make sure you’ve downloaded and printed the Block 4 pattern and check out the full video tutorial embedded below.

You can find this week’s pattern here: BH6 – Block 4 – Cat's Cradle by Kiley Ferons of Kiley's Quilt Room

Follow along with Kiley!

Instagram: @kileysquiltroom
https://www.kileysquiltroom.com/blog/

If you’re new to Blockheads, here are a couple of quick things to know:

• This is a free quilt-along. No sign-ups are required. Just download the pattern and you’re ready to sew!
• The PDF patterns will be posted on the Moda blog and in the official Facebook group every Wednesday by 8:00 AM CDT.
• You can also bookmark this page: Blockheads 6 main page to find a convenient list of all the patterns as they are released.
• If you’d like to sign up for our blog newsletter to get blog posts delivered to your inbox, you can sign up here: Blog Newsletter Sign-Up 
• If you want to sew along with a virtual Blockheads community, head over to Facebook and join our official Moda Blockheads Facebook group. Our group is an active and vibrant community of 80,000 quilters and counting! It’s a great place to be inspired and share pictures of your Blockheads progress.
• If Instagram is where you prefer to hang out, be sure to follow us (@modafabrics) and the hashtags #modablockheads and #modablockheads6 to see the latest blocks from our designers and other Blockheads.

(Looking for a little more information about Blockheads? You can check out the Blockheads 6 archive HERE.)

A Fresh Take on Triangles

The Cat’s Cradle block might look intricate, but Alison makes it completely approachable. The block begins with half-rectangle triangles (HRTs)—a technique that might be new to some quilters. The pattern uses a traditional method involving 3" x 5" rectangles, sewing on both sides of a drawn line, then trimming down. Alison demos this clearly, and even offers an alternative using the Tri-Recs ruler for those who prefer a specialty tool. (Bonus tip: you'll use this ruler in future Blockheads blocks, so it’s a good one to have on hand.)

Whether you're trying the pattern method or the ruler method, the key takeaway is that you'll need mirror-image triangle units—so keep your fabrics right sides together, and cut smart to avoid duplicates!

Square-in-a-Square Made Easy

Step 2 of the block brings a nice breather: a modified square-in-a-square using the fast 45° method. Alison shares her shortcut of folding squares in half to create a crease instead of marking a line—an efficient trick for quilters who prefer to press over pencil.

She walks us through trimming tips and encourages saving those itty-bitty triangle cutoffs for a future scrap project. It’s a great reminder that every bit of fabric has potential!

Block Assembly Tips

Once the units are prepped, it’s time to put it all together. Alison demonstrates a simple construction layout, sewing the “mountain peak” units to each corner of the center square. Whether you start with top-and-bottom rows or go side-to-side, her relaxed approach makes it feel like a fun and forgiving block to sew.

And just in case you mix up the placement of background and print fabrics? Don’t worry—it’s not wrong, it’s just a variation. Alison’s first version came out “accidentally reversed,” and it still looks great. That’s the spirit of Blockheads!

Behind the Seams

Alison stitched up her sample using a mix of Coriander Blooms by Corey Yoder and Cottage Charm by Heather Briggs, blending the two beautifully. She’s also sewing a second version of the quilt to donate to victims of the LA fires, reminding us how quilting can offer both comfort and connection.

Watch the Video Tutorial

Want to see each step in action? Don’t miss the full video tutorial where Alison guides you through the Cat’s Cradle block from start to finish.

Thanks for quilting along with us this week. Don’t forget to share your blocks using the hashtag #modablockheads and leave a comment if you have questions—we’re here to help. Happy stitching!

— The Moda Team