Welcome to Blockheads 6 – Week 23: “Criss-Cross Applesauce” by Laura Muir!

We’re nearly at the end of our Blockheads 6 journey! This week’s feature is Block 24: Criss-Cross Applesauce by the talented Laura Muir of Create Joy Project. Our friend Sarah Huechteman is back to guide us through this oversized block—an 18-inch beauty that’s full of movement, color, and opportunity for creativity.

You can find this week’s pattern here: BH6 – Block 23 – Criss-Cross Applesauce by Laura Muir of Create Joy Project

Follow along with Laura!

Instagram: @createjoyproject
https://www.createjoyproject.co/

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 82,000 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.)

Getting Started

If you’ve been sewing along, you already know the drill—download and print your pattern, and don’t forget the coloring page! With this large-format block, color placement makes all the difference. Sarah suggests using the color swatches on your printed pattern to test out combinations before cutting.

This week’s block is a little different—it’s one of two exclusive designs for Blockheads 6, not found in My Favorite Color Is Moda, so it’s extra special.

Stitch-and-Flip with a Bonus

The first unit in this block uses the familiar stitch-and-flip method, but with a twist. You’ll mark not one, but two diagonal lines on each 4½″ square: one corner-to-corner line for your seam, and a second line ½″ away.

That second line creates a delightful surprise—bonus half-square triangles! After sewing both lines, cut between them and press. You’ll have your main unit plus two small HSTs per corner. With four corners in the block, that means you’ll collect a dozen extra HSTs to save for a mini project or quilt back accent.

Pro Tip: Double your fun! When you mark a second stitching line ½″ away on your stitch-and-flip seams, you’ll create a batch of perfectly usable bonus half-square triangles—great for future scrappy projects.

Building the Pinwheel

Next, Sarah walks through making a small pinwheel unit using traditional half-square triangles. It’s a tried-and-true block component, but placement is key. Make sure your pinwheel is spinning in the correct direction before you stitch the rows together—otherwise, you’ll have a “creative remix” on your hands (and maybe a date with your seam ripper).

Press seams to alternate sides for nesting, and then open up the center for a beautifully flat pinwheel.

Creating the Arrow Units

The third unit combines a simple strip set with two stitch-and-flip corners, forming arrow-like shapes. Once assembled, each arrow is joined with a rectangle to complete the outer ring of the block. These long pieces add balance and structure to the design.

Assembling the Block

With all the units complete, lay them out in a modified nine-patch layout and sew the rows together. Sarah presses outward for the top and bottom rows and inward for the middle row, then presses the final seam open.

At 18 inches finished, Criss-Cross Applesauce makes a bold statement—perfect for the center of a sampler quilt or as a standalone pillow cover.

Ready to make your own Criss-Cross Applesauce block? Grab your pattern and follow along with Sarah in this week’s video!

Thank you to Laura Muir of Create Joy Project for contributing this stunning design to help close out our series. Share your Criss-Cross Applesauce blocks on the Moda Blockheads Facebook group or tag #modablockheads6 on Instagram—we can’t wait to see your color combinations!

— The Moda Team