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Kat's Mountain Quilt Block

January 30, 2026

The universe is written in mathematical language, and the letters are triangles, circles, and other geometrical figures.

Galileo Galilei

I've mentioned several times that I'm a real numbers nerd...so much so that I majored in math as an undergrad 🧮 Knowing that and keeping in mind I'm a quilter, it won't surprise you that geometry, trigonometry, and calculus were my favorite subjects in high school.

Shapes fascinate me, which makes designing quilt patterns far more fun than work!

When my dear friend Kathryn shared her technique for turning a half-square triangle into a pattern that resembles a mountain range, I knew I'd discovered the perfect inspiration for my next 50 Shades of Gray block design: Kat's Mountain

The steps to make this block are super simple:

Make a half-square triangle.
Slice it into strips.
Sew it back together with the strips in a different order.

Of course, I had to mix it up and make it math-y by creating a scrappy square of fabric for my mountains 🤓 So, here are the instructions for a 6" finished block:

Kat's Mountain Quilt Block

I'm also going to try a version that uses improve piecing for the darker fabric to see what effect it creates. What will you make, and what shades of gray will you use?

I can't wait to see!

Fifty Shades of Gray

(Not THAT Fifty Shades of Gray 😂)

Kat's Mountain is part of a fabulous, year-long quilt-along that's all about shades of gray.

Throughout 2026, an army of quilt designers are sharing a collection of fifty complimentary 6" block designs that use shades of gray plus one pop of color.

Yellow is my all-time most favorite color 💛 It's so cheerful and happy! I'm using it for my accent color in all fifty of my "shades of gray" blocks. Together, grays and yellows combine to create an energetic balance that is both modern and uplifting. I can't wait to see how it comes together as we fly through 2026.

One block a week is perfect for new quilters wanting to learn techniques and build skills, and one block a week is not too much for an experienced quilter to add to their project pile. So, please join me!