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Thank you to Lisa Bongean for a wonderful block for this week's Moda Blockheads. You can access the block pattern on her blog at this link:  This week I was making the first of my blocks for my BROWN row in my rainbow row quilt. I don't work with brown a whole lot so this is a good exercise for stretching myself beyond my go-to colors. AND I decided to work in some of my new SOLANA fabric to the mixed prints block so it made it even more fun. But first...a little color/contrast study with the block...  I love the illusion of a square on point made from those flying geese when you keep the same color on all the flying geese and the small corner squares in the center. I also liked keeping a little shading difference between the center square and the star points surrounding it. But its interesting to see how playing with the outside half square triangles and making them a different color from the flying geese can give the block an overall octagonal feeling. And if you play with different colors for the flying geese on the larger and smaller blocks, it separates the inner square vs the illusion of the square on point. The example with the darkest corners on the large flying geese emphasizes a giant plus sign behind the on-point square. And in the bottom row I started playing with adding some orange, thinking a scrappier mix of colors and I like how the white corners and flying geese centers work together as a band of on-point border. The one with orange one might be my favorite of the color studies. But I think that is partly because I really like orange as a color.  My all-Thatched version is using the Cocoa and Oatmeal brown Thatched with a center square of Cream. The star points around the center are the Oatmeal from the back side for subtle difference.  For my version with prints, I am using the scenic print from the group in the corners with the criss cross ratan plaid, sunflower seeds on yellow and varietals on cream in the center. Solana doesn't have brown as a colorway but I think these browns from Thatched go with it quite well since the whole group has a warm, earthy feel. Makes me want to get out in the garden and start planting.  I love how perfectly these blocks go with my latest vintage Singer acquisition- this two tone 301. When I saw the two-tone colors I fell in love with this one. I just got it at Road to California in January from Aspire Sewing from Anaheim. She is lovely. I haven't named her yet (keep thinking "Mabel").  Please stop by the other Moda Blockheads designers' blogs and check out what they are all up to. I'm happy to be back to posting on time this week! Still catching up with a few so stay tuned for more to come this week! Want to follow me on Bloglovin'? If so, click this link! https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/robin-pickens-blog-20472215 
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At the time Corey Yoder's Starry Eyed block was released for Moda Blockheads, I was deep in Quilt Market sewing. Finally this weeked I've had a little time to do the blocks! Here is Corey's post if you want to get the pattern: https://corianderquilts.com/moda-block-heads-block-15-giveaway/  Blue, blue, lovely blue! The main blues here used from Thatched Basics are Royal 96 (corners and background) and Sky 93 (bright medium light blue). For the lightest blue I flipped Sky and used the backside. I wanted the effect of shading or dimension, so even though the pattern used a single square in the middle top, bottom and sides, I used triangles.  The dark center is Navy 94 and the white is Cream 36 in Thatched. I did some color studies on the computer the week of the block release and if you didn't get a chance to see those, it is at this link: https://www.robinpickens.com/blog/moda-blockheads3-starry-eyed-by-corey-yoder-and-giveaway  For my block made with prints, I decided to use my NEW Solana line that is shipping to shops in October! The blue here is a more tealish blue with green undertones. I switched up the dark center this time for a lighter center with my happy ladybugs!  In Solana, there are two blues- Pond, the lighter medium blue and Horizon, the deeper darker blue. I love how the yellow sunflowers really pop on that Horizon Blue. The other prints in the Starry Eyed block are the Criss Cross print based on Ratan and Varietals, which are linear illustrations celebrating the varieties of Sunflowers.  I'm so glad we add in more Thatched blenders with each group to have more color range to play with. As for whether or not they stay on as basics depends on the popularity of the color and if it is different enough from the other basics of Thatched. I like how the Solana colors work really well with Marine and Turquoise and Peacock in the Thatched Basics.  Really hoping to get another set of blocks done tomorrow and get closer to catching up. Happy sewing, have a wonderful Memorial Day and stay safe and well!
Today I get to share my newest fabric line for Moda Fabrics, SOLANA. It is based on sunflowers and warm, happy colors. When I designed this fabric, I had no idea how much I would need and enjoy working with this optimistic group of fabrics at this particular time.  Solana is a Spanish word for "the sunny side" of a mount or valley. This seemed like a perfect name for a group about sunflowers because they are always looking to the sunny side, always reaching up to that sunshine.  This collection feels like it celebrates simple pleasures. Ladybugs crawling on leaves, tall blooms looking pretty yet bold, linear illustrations of fanciful sunflower centers... It does remind me of being on family vacations in the summer, driving across country with the windows down and the warm air rushing at my face. I've included a painting of a rural scene in this collection that reminds me of those car trips and seeing miles of farmland and fields.  Solana includes 4 main colorways of cream/buttercup, green, peach/clementine, and pond and horizon blues. The large florals are accompanied by a criss cross ratan pattern, tall stalks, ladybugs, varietals illustrations, sunflower seeds, and of course more Thatched blenders. This collection will be shipping to quilt shops in October 2020.  A very exciting addition to the line this time are two PANELS! Each of these panels have a quote in the center and are a yard in width. Want to have some fun with free-motion quilting? Or add blocks for borders and make these the center of a bigger quilt? I can't wait to experiment more with these and share my progress with them!  The quotes are "Wherever life plants you, Bloom with Grace" (French Proverb) and "Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. It's what Sunflowers do." by Helen Keller.  It's been a different experience to prepare for Quilt Market in a virtual way. Today I would have been back home, just arriving from a late night flight after seeing all you wonderful quilty peeps at Market. I miss that experience. It's like reuniting with family. But I am learning new ways of connecting with people over the internet and video. Speaking of video...this is what my dining room ended up looking like to make my market video! I'm still cleaning up...  I'll post more about my quilts with this group, as well as my progress with my panels. I hope you are all finding some sunny inspiration in your days and can look to the bright side! -Robin 
I was able to get some more Village houses done in between other projects. I hope that I am able to keep making these fun little houses here and there and will have a full village in time for Christmas.
My mother sent me some little fabric pieces she had too so I included some of those for some doors. I've been using fabrics from Sweetwater, Gingiber, Zenchic, Deb Strain, Natalia Bonner, Bonnie and Camille, my Thatched and Splendid, along with other pieces from my stash.
I'm so glad that Moda and Miss Rosie's Quilt Company made this pattern available to us during this time of staying at home. It is fun to sew these village blocks. You can view my previous post for more info on getting the pattern https://www.robinpickens.com/blog/the-village-in-christmas-cheer
Happy sewing!
Happy Blockheads Wednesday! I squeezed a few flying geese in here or there while I was doing other sewing this week. I love the balance and movement in this Crossroads block from Betsy Chutchian. You can get the pattern by visiting her blog here:  This week I am playing with ORANGES and it is such a lively color. Orange and purple, orange and green, orange and yellow, orange and pink...these are all ways I love to see orange pair up with other colors. I've used a mix of Abby Rose and Dandi Annie and Thatched on my mixed print block. Before I show more pictures of those, would you like to see some COLOR PLAY with this block design?  I liked the idea of the flying geese changing color as they moved closer to the square in the center. The top two image have darker geese on the outer perimeter with colors getting lighter as they march towards the center. The one on the left also mimics the dark to light movement with the triangles in the corners of the geese units as well, with a very dark background moving to a dark to medium pinks for the geese backgrounds. On the row right under that, its fun to see how the large corner blocks all becoming that same dark background makes the outer geese look like horns blowing out in all four directions. My next one was just color play to see the blocks in all different colors. Then on the bottom row I tried mixed colors within the geese, keeping my rows in a more pinky horizontal row and more purple vertical row, with a pop of orange for the center. The white large squares keeps all the focus on those flying geese rows. The very last image feels like 3 vertical columns with orange, red and gold reading in a stronger vertically banded composition.  Since my overall quilt plan is to go from darker blocks on the left to lighter blocks on the right, I thought I would borrrow from this last color study idea. My Thatched-only block has the Tangerine color to the left large squares and I'm envisioning the light movement by making my right squares the lighter Apricot color. I think I'm going to have to fix that seam on the left or replace that upper left block to give myself a better seam allowance when I join these together. But that is for another day...  I also used the idea of the dark perimeter geese moving into the lighter/more yellow colors as we get to the center. I feel like it is pointing to the sunshine!  Visit the other Blockheads designers to see their blocks this week! Corey Yoder - https://corianderquilts.com/ Sherri McConnell - https://www.aquiltinglife.com/ Betsy Chutchian - http://betsysbestquiltsandmore.blogspot.com/ Jan Patek - http://janpatek.blogspot.com/ Brigitte Heitland - https://www.brigitteheitland.de/blog Lisa Bongean - https://lisabongean.com/ Lissa Alexander - http://modalissa.com/ Laurie Simpson - http://minickandsimpson.blogspot.com/ Vanessa Goertzen - https://lellaboutique.blogspot.com/ Stacy Iest Hsu - https://www.stacyiesthsu.com/blog/ Robin Pickens - https://www.robinpickens.com/ Janet Clare - http://janetclare.co.uk/blog/ Jen Kingwell - www.jenkingwelldesigns.com/blog Joanna Figueroa - https://blog.figtreeandcompany.com/  On another note, I'll be sharing a new fabric line coming in a few weeks! I'm busy sewing and so excited to share so I hope you check back in. Till next week, happy sewing everyone!
Robin |
About ROBINDesigner of colorful florals for Moda fabrics. Modern to transitional quilt designer. Illustrator, sewist, crafter. 
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