Blockheads 6: Block 7 and 8 – Bellissimo Star & Sandcastle
Welcome back! Today I’m sharing my seventh and eighth blocks for Moda Blockheads 6 – Bellissimo Star and Sandcastle.
Sandcastle Quilt Block
The Sandcastle block (Block 8) was designed by Sherri McConnell of A Quilting Life. I follow Sherri on YouTube and always enjoy hearing about what she’s working on—whether it’s quilting, designing fabric, or sharing helpful tips. If you’re not following her already, she’s definitely worth checking out!
This block came together beautifully using quarter-square triangle units and a few stitch-and-flip units. Sherri shared a video where she made it using all the same fabric for the star points (fabrics B and D). I followed the original pattern and used two different fabrics for the star points—blue and brown—from Folk & Lore by Fancy That Design House.
One thing I paid extra attention to while sewing was the direction of the background fabric. I laid out all my quarter-square triangle units on design boards before sewing, which really helped keep everything aligned.
Bellissimo Star Quilt Block
The Bellissimo Star block was designed by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree & Co. and it was such a fun make! It’s the second oversized 18″ block in the Blockheads 6 series and is packed with half-square triangles (HSTs).
Instead of making HSTs 2-at-a-time as the pattern suggested, I used the 8-at-a-time method to speed things up. I’m putting together a cutting guide for this method – check back later this week for the free download! (It’s ready, grab it here!)
Here’s how I made my HSTs using the 8-at-a-time method:
- Cut (2) 7¼” x 7¼” A-squares
- Cut (2) 7¼” x 7¼” B-squares
Sewing Instructions:
- Draw two diagonal lines from corner to corner on the wrong side of (1) A-square, forming an “x”.
- Place (1) A – square with (1) B – square, right sides together. Sew 1/4” away from both sides of the drawn diagonal lines. Cut the square in half twice vertically and horizontally (to form four smaller squares), then cut along drawn diagonal lines, making (8) half square triangles.
- Press and trim half square triangles to 2 3/4″ unfinished as per the pattern.
Repeat to make a total of (16) HSTs.
Here’s a photo of all my blocks so far!
Missed the first few? Catch up here:
- Fabric selection and Block 1: Regatta
- Block 2: Crossroads
- Block 3: Sunday Best
- Blocks 4 & 5: Cat’s Cradle & Dew Drop
- Block 6: Moonbeam
Are you sewing along with Moda Blockheads? It’s a fun way to build your quilting skills, try new techniques, and be part of a supportive community. You can learn more and join in over on Moda’s website.
