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This week’s Sewcialites 3, block 13 is Back Porch Block, designed by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree & Co.. It’s a beautifully detailed block with a lot of small pieces, making it a rewarding sew that sits comfortably in the intermediate skill range.  There’s a lot of structure in this design, and the piecing really comes together in a way that feels both traditional and fresh at the same time. Because of the number of smaller pieces, it’s one of those blocks that benefits from a little extra attention and patience. Spray starch is especially helpful if you're working on the 3" blocks, along with taking the time to press carefully and square up each step — but the finished result is absolutely worth it.  The color palette for this week is Burgundy, Cranberry, Fuchsia, Sugar Rose, Primrose, and Early Dawn. Each of these tones brings a soft progression of value and warmth, creating a cohesive, gently shifting gradient across the block layout from the center outward. My color selections are guided by the overall layout of the quilt. Since this block sits in the burgundy section of the design, I’ve used Burgundy as the background fabric. This helps anchor the block within its designated section while allowing the remaining colors to shine in the piecing.  It’s always interesting to see how each block contributes to the larger quilt design, especially when color placement plays such a key role in the overall structure. The Back Porch Block is a great example of how thoughtful color placement can completely change the look and feel of a complex block.
Happy Sewing. Robin
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Welcome to Week 12 of Sewcialites 3! It’s hard to believe we are already this far along in the sew along, and each week continues to bring a wonderful mix of quilt history and fresh new color play. This week’s block is Block 12 — the timeless Shoo Fly block by Sharon Holland.  The Shoo Fly block is one of those classic quilt blocks that feels deeply rooted in the original handcraft of quilting. Timeless, versatile, and full of history, it’s a design that has carried through generations of makers. You could almost call it a soul block! There’s something comforting about revisiting these traditional blocks and seeing how they continue to inspire quilters today.  For my version this week, I worked with Fuchsia, Pink Grapefruit, Burgundy, and Caramel. As surprising as this may sound, it creates such a bright and lively block. The rich warmth of Caramel and Burgundy balances beautifully with the punchy Pink Grapefruit and Fuchsia, giving the Shoo Fly block a fresh, energetic personality while still honoring its traditional roots.  One of my favorite parts of the Sewcialites sew along is seeing how color can completely change the feel of a familiar block. A historic design like Shoo Fly can take on a whole new personality depending on the palette and placement choices, and that creative discovery is always inspiring.
Happy Sewing! -Robin Week 11 of Sewcialites 3 brings us the Snuggle Patch Block, designed by Edita Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts. This block leans into a more traditional quilt block, making it a wonderful nod to classic patchwork. It’s labeled as a beginner skill level, but don’t let that simplicity fool you--Snuggle Patch offers a lot of versatility. From playful color combinations to more refined, tonal palettes, it can easily shift its personality depending on your fabric choices.  Beyond color, the block also shines in how it can be arranged within a full quilt layout. Whether repeated in a structured grid or mixed with other blocks in the Sewcialites series, it creates opportunities for a variety of finished looks. A timeless block with flexible possibilities, the Snuggle Patch block can offer endless creative potential.  This week’s Thatched color picks are especially rich and inviting: Pink Grapefruit and Burgundy—two of my personal favorites—paired with Masala Spice and Caramel. Together, these shades create a warm, layered palette that adds depth and a slightly sophisticated feel to this classic style block. It’s a beautiful example of how thoughtful color choices can elevate a classic design and give it a completely fresh look.  Seeing all of the blocks we’ve made so far come together is so satisfying. We’re almost halfway—what a fun sew-along this is! I’m already looking forward to next week.
Happy Sewing! Robin This week’s Sewcialites 3 block is almost too cute to resist. Block 10, the Little Berry Block, designed by Pat Sloan, adds a sweet and playful touch to the overall quilt with its charming patchwork berry motif. I’m working with the 3" finished size, which makes everything feel delightfully tiny—and definitely calls for a bit more care and precision. The smaller scale really highlights the patchwork details for this block, especially in the berry itself, where the two colors come together to create that classic berry look.  I couldn’t resist leaning fully into the theme, pulling from my Thatched fabrics of the rich Fuchsia and warm Sugar Rose for the berry itself, Caramel for the leaf unit, and Early Dawn as the background. The subtle texture of Thatched really enhances the block, giving the berry a soft, almost fuzzy texture that fits the theme perfectly.  This block is a fun make, and it delivers big on personality. It’s definitely one of those designs that would be adorable repeated across an entire quilt or even turned into smaller projects. Straight piecing combined with stitch-and-flip corners and half-square triangles, makes up this fun berry block.  A few notes from this week: Keeping a consistent seam allowance is especially important when working with pieces this small, as even slight variations can affect the final block. Pressing carefully made a big difference in reducing bulk, I pressed the seams open for this one.
Until next week, happy sewing! Robin Week 7 of Sewcialites 3 brings us a fresh and cheerful design with the Flower block by Elizabeth Hartmann @elizabethagh. This block has a clean, modern feel while still capturing the simple beauty of a classic floral motif. With her unique and highly recognizable style, Elizabeth Hartmann gives this design a distinctive charm.  A combination of stitch-and-flip corners and straight piecing allows this adorable block to come together with ease. The layout is approachable and fun to piece, offering a great opportunity to play with color placement. Whether you choose soft, subtle tones or something more vibrant, the design truly comes to life through your fabric choices.  This week’s color choices, from left to right, are Masala Spice, Caramel, Sugar Rose, Fuchsia, Cranberry, and Burgundy. I’ve placed this block in the darker section of my quilt layout, which is why I’ve chosen Burgundy as the background— the colors pop beautifully against the surrounding blocks.  Playing with these rich, warm colors inspires so many new ideas. The contrast you can create allows each element of the block to really express itself, bringing depth and personality to the design.
I hope you’ve enjoyed exploring the Flower block as much as I have and that it inspires your own color experiments for this block. Happy sewing! Robin 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 The Sewcialites 3 sew along continues to bring all the creative joy, and Block 5 - Little Love block - designed by Vanessa Goertzen is such a sweet addition to the series. This heart design feels like a celebration of all things cozy and handmade, and it’s quickly become one of my favorite blocks so far. What I love most about the Little Love block is how simple shapes come together to create something so expressive. The heart design is classic, but the layout gives it a fresh, modern feel. It’s a great opportunity to play with color placement—whether you go for soft, romantic tones or something bold and eye-catching, the result is always charming.  The fabrics I chose for the block this week are Fuchsia, Primrose, Early Dawn, Buttermilk, and Caramel—together, they feel as delicious as raspberry milk chocolate! The combination brings a warm, sweet palette to the heart design, adding just the right balance of softness and richness.  I played with fabric placement, mixing hues to give the heart some depth and dimension. It’s amazing how even subtle shifts in color can completely transform the look of the block.  If you haven’t started yet, it’s definitely not too late to join in. The Sewcialites 3 sew along is all about enjoying the process, building skills, and creating something beautiful one block at a time.
See you next week. 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 This weeks block is block 24 and it is designed by Sarah Thomas and it's called Mod Water Wheel. I did not include this block in my quilt layout and therefore don't have any pictures to show. It is, however, a pinwheel variation block made up of half square triangles and stitch-n-flip corners. What I am working on this week is assembly and for that I have quite a few pictures to share. The intersection block sections for both the Popsicle and the Snuggly palettes are finished and photographed. These additional blocks measurements were listed during MY block 6 week. Here is the link to the blog post: https://www.robinpickens.com/blog/moda-blockheads6-week-6-is-my-block  These intersection blocks are made up of one of the Moda Blockheads 6 blocks, the HST intersection of the stars, and rectangles pieces. All the measurements to construct this block is in the Blog post for block 6. This includes cutting diagram and cut sizes. Shown here is Moda Blockheads 6, Block 9, Polaris, with my HST sides, in the Popsicle palette.  The two intersection blocks shown above have the same color placements for the rectangles and the HST patchwork but this group will be rotated in placement for the other end of the quilt. The Moda Blockheads 6 block used here is Block 12, Flight Path.  These intersection blocks are used as a divide for the colors to change drastically. Here the Moda Blockheads 6, block 3 is Sunday Best. I've got more contrast between the red and orange background colors.  The Moda Blockheads block used here is block 1, Regatta.  The Snuggly quilt is made with rectangles in Thatched Oatmeal and Cranberry. The same construction of these Intersection block sections as with the Popsicle palette quilt.  Two section blocks with Thatched Cranberry to the right, Oatmeal to the left. The patchwork above is identical for the two block sections.  Two section blocks with Thatched Cranberry to the left and Oatmeal to the right. The Moda Blockheads 6 blocks are the same as were used for the Popsicle palette.  The rest of the section pieces have been sewn together and are ready for final assembly. Oh, what fun! To see all of these blocks jointed together for one giant beautiful Moda Blockheads 6 quilt, tune in next week! I'm excited to see everyones interpretation of this challenge.
Happy sewing for one more week! Stacy Iest Hsu designed block 22 and named it, Lucky Charm. This block is a combination of the Cat's Cradle block with a nine patch center. This configuration can take many forms as the color studies show, anywhere from a Windmill block to a Daisy-in-a-square on point block. I like how the center can pop out as an individual diamond more or look like part of the background. Each week the color studies uncover new and unexpected modern designs. It's a way for me to get acquainted with a design.  The construction of the Lucky Charm block is shown here in greyscale for clarity. See the third block in the first row, in this version a Friendship Star appears with a nine patch in the center. A unique block unto itself! The guiding lines here help highlight the core structure of the block.  The Dotty Thatched Turquoise and Lime fabrics compliment each other beautifully. The calming element here is the light blue half square triangles in the Cat's Cradle. The turquoise Dotty Thatched reminds me of the ocean in the summer. A wave that ripples and curls under itself, causing small bubbles underwater. I just want to dive in.  I've sized up the Lucky Charm block to fit it into my quilt layout. At 18" finished it's twice the size of the pattern provided. To size up a square block you subtract 1/2" from the original size = (original size - 1/2"). Multiply with how big the new square should be, in this case x2, then add 1/2" back in. The center nine patch square in the original size is 1 1/2". To size that up (original size: 1 1/2" - 1/2") = (1"). (1") x2 =2” then add 1/2"= 2 1/2" square - each center nine patch square for the 18" block is 2 1/2" square. Use this formula for the other squares.  To size up a half square triangle the formula is the same in principle but the value of the seam allowance is different. The formula is as follows: the original size - 7/8" then multiply with the size you want, for this block x2, then add 7/8".   In the Snuggly palette, this block looks softer and quieter than the popsicle palette. It is a big difference this week! Thatched in Mocha, seen in the center nine patch, has a lot of contrast to the lighter colors. It has a slightly reddish cast which compliments the Pink Grapefruit and Petal colors in the quilt.  I must admit assembly is underway! (That is why I sized up this block- so I could fill one of my larger corners.) Check out the first square in my 9 patch layout! I love seeing this come together!!  This is a 27" block. My overall quilt top layout will be 9 large 27" square sections assembled as a giant 9 patch. This is one of those sections and will be set in the lower right hand corner of the quilt. See the layout below.   We're almost there.
Happy Sewing, friends! |
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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