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We’ve made it to Week 8 of Sewcialites 3, and this week’s block is the Beacon Block, designed by Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter. This block has a lovely, slightly traditional feel and comes together with a combination of half square triangles and flying geese. It’s a fun mix of techniques that keeps things interesting while still being very approachable even when the tiny HSTs in the 3" blocks finish at just 3/4" square!  For this block, I chose to use more of the Burgundy Thatched fabric as the background - similar to how I approached the color placement for last week’s block, keeping in mind where it will sit in the overall quilt layout. The block has to blend in while still being noticeable, a subtle balance when playing with color placement.  This week’s colors are Pink Grapefruit, Burgundy, Cranberry, Sugar Rose, and Fuchsia. Keeping the background really dark allows the other rich berry tones to stand out in such a striking way, almost like a Beacon!  I really enjoyed how this one came together—the shapes create such a statement, and it feels like a little classic tucked into the quilt. More next week!
Happy Sewing, Robin
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Week6 of the Sewcialites3 sew along is here, and this week's design is a beauty! Block6 is called Window Seat Block and it's created by Brigitte Heitland of Zen Chic. This block has such a clean, modern feel, with strong lines that really highlight contrast and color placement. True to Brigitte's signature style, the design feels both structured and inviting, you simply can't take your eyes off it!  The Window Seat Block is a fun mix of precision and creativity. Whether you lean into bold contrasts or keep things soft and subtle, this block gives you plenty of room to play with your fabric choices. It's also a great opportunity to focus on accuracy, as those crisp lines really shine when everything lines up just right.  For my version this week, I chose a range of colors from across the spectrum of my palette: Fuchsia, Primrose, Early Dawn, Sugar Rose, Cranberry, and Burgundy. I love how these shades work together to create both depth and softness, while still letting the geometry of the block shine.  As we reach Week 6, it’s exciting to see the progress week by week. Each designer brings a unique perspective, and this block6 adds a fresh, architectural element. It is the colors that bind them all together in a cohesive, harmonious composition.
Happy Sewing! Robin I love it when a color palette comes together and sparks endless ideas. That's exactly how I feel about this palette. We're at week 4, and block 4 is designed by Minki Kim. It's called Spring Wind Block and this block is such a fun one to sew. It includes plenty of bias edges and points that need careful matching, which makes it both a little challenging and really satisfying when everything lines up right. Taking your time with the cutting and pressing really helps keep those points crisp and the block nice and flat.  The colors I chose for this block are Smoked Paprika, Pink Grapefruit, Primrose, and Fuchsia. When these colors come together in this design, something really special happens. The block suddenly feels full of vibrancy and movement—almost like the shapes are spinning.  It’s always encouraging to lay out the blocks sewn so far and see the progress!  These blocks are sewn up in the colors that match the layout shown in the first blog post. Seeing that gentle color progression start to appear really gives a sneak peek to the overall design and makes me even more excited for the weeks ahead.
Happy Sewing, Robin Why can't a log cabin block REALLY be a cabin? Well, this little cabin in the woods has a roof and chimney to top those log strips to finish off a cheery home! This weeks block is MY block CABIN LIFE!  I thought the Darling Peony fabrics would be great to try in this "Cabin Life" block for Sewcialtes3 since there are little houses on some prints and words to share that loving home feeling. These blocks show off the 9", 6" and littlest 3" log cabins in peony pinks and reds.  For my own quilt, I'm using an all Thatched palette and liked using the darkest burgundy for the roof and smoked paprika for the "brick" chimney.  Want more info on my quilt plan for this sewalong? Last week I shared my layout using 3" blocks to make a wall hanging in this spicy pink/red/cream/caramel palette. Many thanks to the Fat Quarter Shop for providing this fun sewalong!
Happy Sewing, Robin I’m so excited to be one of the 25 designers participating in Sewcialites 3 hosted by Fat Quarter Shop! This sew along is always such a highlight of the year. All of the instructions and patterns are available on the JollyJabber Blog https://blog.fatquartershop.com/category/sewcialites-qal/ This week, I’m sharing two 3" blocks — and a little bonus moment! I wasn’t able to post last week because I was at QuiltCon soaking up all the creative inspiration and fun, meeting friends old & new. Wow, was it worth it! So instead of catching up quietly, I'm celebrating with two blocks at once!   I'm working with the Thatched Basics collection in the colorway shown above. From left to right the colors are: Smoked Paprika, Masala Spice, Carmel, Buttermilk, Early Dawn, Primrose, Sugar Rose, Pink Grapefruit, Fuchsia, Cranberry & Burgundy. Fabric requirements are as follows and they are approximate:
 Block 1 is designed by Chelsi Stratton and it's called Idyllic. The colors used for this block are Smoked Paprika and Carmel for the HSTs, Burgundy and Fuchsia for the hourglass blocks, Sugar Rose and Primrose for the teeny tiny 1" finished four patch. Precision is key when working with 3" blocks and a little spray starch helps!  Block 2 is designed by Susan Ache and it's called Twinkie's. I made little strip sets of Sugar Rose and Primrose for the center four patch and stripe blocks. The corners are Fuchsia and Early Dawn. This block has much lighter colors as it sits in the light section of the layout featured below.  This layout leans fully modern — clean, graphic, and bold with a fun cluster center of all the 25 blocks set together. I’m working in rich burgundy and berry tones, grounded with Buttermilk and some more neutral or less bold fabrics for contrast. The saturated palette gives these petite 3" blocks a lot of presence, and a strong cohesive composition.
The finished quilt measures 27.5" x 27.5", making it the perfect size for a statement wall hanging. Happy Sewing - until next week, Robin What a ride it has been - both educational and wonderfully fun! The Moda Blockheads 6 final week is here and I'm excited to share the two quilts I've been working on. Both the Popsicle palette and the Snuggly palette quilt tops are officially complete, one playfully bold and the other oh-so-comfy sophisticated. It has been a pleasure watching these two colorways take shape stitch by stitch.  Here's the Popsicle palette quilt top. This project has been quite the journey, full of small victories, a few challenges and lots of hours with fabric scattered everywhere. Seeing the two colorways come together, identical in design yet each with its own personality has made every effort worth it.  These bright colors came together even better than I imagined, creating a design that feels lively and full of energy.  And here's the Snuggly colorway. I'm struck by how calm and serene it feels. There is a softness to these colors that has spoken to me throughout this entire project, encouraged me to slow down and enjoy the process.  Thank you to Moda Fabrics for hosting yet another inspiring Moda Blockheads designer sampler challenge. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching this community sew along, experiment with colors, fabrics, and layouts, and share their progress but most of all cheer each other on week after week. It's been a joy to be part of this creative adventure and I'm grateful for the friendships and inspiration that continue to grow here. I know you will miss Moda Blockheads, just like I will. So, why not get ready for another sew along sampler with the Fat Quarter Shop's SEWCIALITES 3!! Yes, I am one of the designers for that quilt and am now thinking about what I want to do with my Sewcialites plan....hmmmmm. Want more info? This is the Jolly Jabber Blog with dates and specifics: blog.fatquartershop.com/join-us-for-the-free-sewcialites-3-quilt-along/ The Sewcialites sew along will run February 20th through August, 2026 with new free blocks released on Fridays. I hope you will join us! Till then, happy sewing! Robin  Cross Training by Jenelle Kent brings cheery Xs to our weekly Moda Blockheads sew along! It is also fun to play with those background triangles and see what develops.  You can treat the blocks as four quadrant Xs or play with the middle triangles to make it appear as one main image, like the ones in the middle row. Don't the center ones remind you of Granny Squares in crochet? I like seeing the center as more of a focal point or light spot. On the top row, the middle image starts to suggest Xs and Os just by flipping the light and dark of background triangles. The bottom row plays with one section reversed, traveling shades from light to dark, and emphasizing the patchwork diamonds in the center.  Here is the block with grayscale and construction lines. I often figure out my quilt plan and colors before I do the color studies. As you can see, my sewn blocks follow the original plan for the Xs in a nice stacked formation. I was thinking about a little pop of color accent with the Dotty green for the popsicle palette.  I like how it plays against the darker, more serious red and burgundy. I'm including the updated image on my quilt layout so far.   Here are the warm, snuggly colors for my other quilt. It is raining and a bit cold here today so the thought of curling up under the snuggly palette quilt is especially enticing!   My Cross Training Xs are in the upper right quadrant. One more smaller block then I'm filling in those big corner blocks! Till then, happy sewing!  Heather Briggs worked her magic and came up with Sweet Pea. Sweet Pea is such a charming little block, so full of personality and surprise. You never quite know how it's going to show up next, and that's part of the fun.  Let's dive into this color study, take the bottom row, first design where Sweet Pea is showing up as a Friendship Star. But it doesn't stop there, the first row, first design it's taking a twirl as a Churn Dash variation. A twist and a spin and it shows up as a whole new design.  Using greyscale with lines really brings out the bones of the blocks. The blueprint behind the beauty, now the construction becomes much clearer. My brain starts firing off new ideas. "What if I rotated this or added color there?"  The green and turquoise version here adds a new layer of depth to this block as if the star is about to burst out of its frame.  The combination of Thatched basics and Dotty Thatched in this configuration is so vibrant, it's almost a feeling! Sew anything in these colors and the overall feeling will be the same. I call this happiness!  The Snuggly palette really lives up to its name. It's just so easy on the eyes. Even when Thatched is flying solo it's making a statement. Soft brown hues with a pop of color.  These colors are perfect for fall. Not loud, but warm and grounded.  We've been stitching our way through this Moda Blockheads 6 challenge and while the finish line isn't in sight just yet, there is something satisfying about seeing progress stacked up.  Two weeks ago I missed getting my color study up! It has been and still is a little busy around here...Quilt Market is coming up and we have had a LOT of sewing to do. I'm so excited to share the projects for my new line soon. I've already shared pictures of Coven on social media. Here is what I meant to share two weeks ago for Block 17's color study! A simple block but we can still see it in other ways!  Happy Sewing!
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About ROBINDesigner of colorful florals and Thatched basics for Moda Fabrics . Modern to transitional quilt designer, cross stitch designer, sewist, crafter. I am proud to be a designer for Moda Fabrics!
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