Welcome to Blockheads 6 – Week 1: “Regatta” by Vanessa Christenson!

Hello, Blockheads friends — and welcome to the very first block of Blockheads 6! We’re so excited you’re here to kick off another round of creativity, community, and quilting fun with us.

This week’s block is called Regatta, a beautiful and beginner-friendly design by the incredibly talented Vanessa Christenson of V and Co. With its fresh, modern layout and clean shapes, Regatta sets the perfect tone for the season ahead.

You can find this week’s pattern here: BH6 – Block 1 – Regatta by Vanessa Christenson of V and Co.

Follow along with Vanessa!

Instagram: @vchristenson 
vanessachristenson.com

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 79,000 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.)
 

Watch Sarah’s Tutorial Below

To help you get started, Moda’s very own friend and quilting guide, Sarah Huechteman, is here with a detailed, step-by-step video tutorial. Whether you're a seasoned Blockhead or joining us for the first time, you’ll appreciate Sarah’s clear instructions, handy tips, and warm encouragement.

(Trust us — it’s packed with great techniques, especially if you want perfectly precise half-square triangles!)

What to Expect in This Week’s Block

Regatta features two classic elements:

• Half-square triangles (HSTs)
• Rail fence units

Sarah walks you through both components in the video, starting with a refresher on making HSTs — and if you’re not a fan of drawing diagonal lines on fabric, don’t worry. She shares some great alternatives, like diagonal seam tape, and explains how a scant quarter-inch seam can make all the difference when squaring up your blocks.

Pro Tip: To trim your HSTs to the exact size (2¾" unfinished), Sarah recommends using washi tape to mark your ruler — a clever and reusable trick that saves your eyes and avoids cutting mistakes.
 

Favorite Tools and Techniques

Here are a few gems from Sarah’s tutorial that we love:

• Fray-free diagonal line drawing with a Frixion pen.
• Using a rotating cutting mat (or not! — Sarah shows her non-gadget method too).
• Precision trimming tips for perfectly pointed HSTs.
• A reminder that slow and steady trimming is so worth it for a beautiful finished block.
   

Assembling the Block

Once your HSTs and rail fence strip sets are sewn, Sarah shows how to:

• Lay out the pieces just right (watch those triangle orientations!)
• Piece together the three rows
• Press, assemble, and voilà — a block that’s as crisp and cheerful as a sunny day on the water!
   

Let’s Get Sewing!

Ready to dive in? Here’s what you need to do:

• Download the Regatta pattern – Click here to get your pattern.
• Watch Sarah’s tutorial – embedded above!
• Pick your fabrics, follow along, and share your progress with us using #modablockheads and #blockheads6 on social media!

We can’t wait to see your Regatta blocks set sail. Whether you’re using bold brights, moody prints, or soft neutrals, your block is going to be beautiful — because it’s the start of something great.

Happy sewing, and welcome to Blockheads 6!

— The Moda Team