Fun with Squares: Quilt Block Cat Pattern

I’ve been having a lot of fun recently turning quilt block patterns into card ideas. Mainly I have used either full squares or simple half-square triangles in a star pattern. But today I wanted to make a card for a cat-lover friend and needed a design that would work for the standard card size. I found this pattern on Pinterest but couldn’t find the dimensions anywhere, so I made my own. The directions for this card are below. Here is the card!

I love the soft colors in this card using patterns from the Bloom Boutique DSP. The floral cats are a little harder to see, but I love the cute pattern and the overlay of the Lazy Daisy 3D Embossing Folder. This quilt block pattern would also look great with solid color cardstock to make the cats really stand out. What colors would you choose? I’m thinking Coastal Cabana, Berry Burst, Lemon Lime Twist, and maybe Peach Pie, set against a black background.

Directions for the Cat Quilt Block:

Here are the directions for this cat quilt block pattern.

• Cut eight 1 1/4″ x 1 1/4″ squares from your choice of patterned DSP or colored cardstock.
• Cut eleven 5/8″ x 5/8″ squares from your contrasting color cardstock. I used white here.
• Eight of these will be used as squares on each cat.
• Two of these you will cut on the diagonal both ways and use the eight pieces to make the head/ears of the cat.
• The last 5/8″ square you will cut into four 5/16″ squares. And then using two of them, cut on the diagonal both ways. These little triangles will be added to make the curve from the back of the cat down to the tail.

Here is a graphic that shows the construction of one of the 1 1/4″ x 1 1/4″ squares. You will have eight completed squares that you can add to a 3 3/4″ x 3 3/4″ piece of cardstock the same color as your contrasting cardstock used in the quilt block pattern.

Before you continue, choose an embossing folder and emboss the completed 9-block piece. I used the Lazy Daisy 3D Embossing Folder and was really pleased with how the pattern distributed across the block. I lined up one of the daisies right in the middle. Next, cut a mat at 4″ x 4″ to add behind the finished block and then add this to a standard card base. I stamped my sentiment from Scalloped Blooms at the bottom and also embossed this 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ piece with the Subtle Embossing Folder (retired.)

Making this card can get a little tricky cutting all the small triangles, but I love the fun result and will definitely be making more of these. If you give it a try, I would love to see the color combos you come cup with.