Happy Moda Blockheads day!! Time for a few color studies of Laurie Simpson's Broken Dishes block. Started out with simple black and white and shades of gray with dark corners to make an diagonal direction. Then pinwheels and more playing with introducing color to give the feeling of color transparency (can you imagine a transparent film of color over the corners on number 4?). You can play up the diamonds within a bigger diamond or emphasize the middle band as a horizontal pointed shape. In the last row I tried more of a spectrum of colors and love how the very last one becomes an arrow by using the background color to make a couple triangles disappear!

I've been working on 8" blocks for this project and this week I was busy on another project with smaller blocks. I forgot I was doing the 8" for this and ended up making a 4" one! I'm debating adding a border or remaking it and I'll post the blocks after I do my scrappy one too.

Did you know it's National Sew A Jelly Roll Day on Saturday?! September 19th get your rolls ready for a day of sewing those long strippy beauties. A couple of my jelly roll patterns that I wanted to share are Definite Plus and Showering Stars. Both quilts can be made large with Jelly Rolls or smaller with Honey Buns. I recently made Definite Plus in Abby Rose and I'm hoping I can get to longarming it on Saturday. That's still working with Jelly Rolls, right? Equalizer is another pattern that works with Layer Cakes or a Jelly Roll and has a clean modern look. Pair your prints with some solids to create that gradated look to lighter color to create the feeling of movement. Whatever you pick for your project for the day, I hope you have fun sewing!

Coming Together by Lissa Alexander is a lovely play on Xs and pluses. I played a little with color, two tone color or no color in the center and one color or shades of color moving around on the X sides. For my layout, I'll be putting this to the lighter end of my blue row so I did the white X and kept my color in the background and center plus.

I used my tonal white on cream sunflower seeds for the white X and some of the blue coordinates for the background and center plus. For the Thatched version I used cream and the blue Horizon and Pond blues from the Solana line too.

For the block pattern, visit Lissa's blog and it will be posted in the Moda Blockheads group on Friday and in the Moda archives. Happy sewing!

I am really excited to be a part of the Sewcialites Quilt Along being given by the Fat Quarter Shop! The sew along officially starts on Friday, September 25th, 2020 and goes until Friday June 25th, 2021. A new block from a group of 18 designers will be released by the Fat Quarter Shop each Friday!

This is a peek at my first block, Devoted, done up in my Thatched basics in gray Heather. There are three sizes of blocks for Sewcialites- 3", 6" or 9" sizes. You can pick whatever size you like. I have never made a sampler quilt with only 3" blocks and I thought this would make a really charming wall quilt so I decided to go for the smallest block size!

This is a close up with a quarter so you can get a sense of the scale. I must admit that making these little blocks is rather addictive! I did not know that I would enjoy making the little pieces so much. It is really satisfying to use up some of my smaller scraps (because I have a hard time throwing away fabric scraps) AND the small size is a really nice little project to add in to the beginning or end of my day.

The Fat Quarter Shop created a layout for the blocks with a center section and corners made from the blocks. There are large half square triangles that surround the center squares and I decided to flip my big HST to make more of a diamond setting for the blocks. I'll be using either a light gray OR I might try some low volume neutral prints in there.  As you can see from my plan, I'll be making my blocks with white (cream Thatched) and two shades of gray. For three of the blocks (one of them- the flower- is my block!) I am highlighting them with color. Flowers, sewing machines and love...well, that deserves a little added notice!

Since I will be using all Thatched basics from Moda, I know one thing I can do to add subtle variation is to flip the fabric and also use the backsides. The back side has a more chambray-like look and I can get some lighter shades that blend beautifully with the thatched colors on the front. I've picked Heather and Pebble for the colors and haven't decided yet on the colored squares, although sprig, chartreuse and tangerine might be the flower and turquoise or peacock for the sewing machine.

I hope you will join along since sewing together creates such nice community, especially in times where we are more separated at home. A couple places to check in on a weekly basis on Fridays are the Fat Quarter Shop blog and LANDING PAGE (and this landing page has specs on how much fabric you should have and lots of information) and their youtube channel. There is also a facebook group called the Sewcialites Lounge and I just joined in. I will be posting my progress each week there and on instagram. Speaking of instagram, share your progress there using the hashtag #sewcialitesQAL and you will have a chance to win some prizes each month from sponsors like Moda Fabrics, Aurifil, Martingale Publishing, Creative Grids and more! 

See you on Fridays for a little sewing along!! Thanks Fat Quarter Shop for including me in this lovely project!

When you have a lot of half square triangles, there is opportunity to play within the angles to show shapes within shapes. I did some background colors that defined the quadrants of the block and also highlighted the white triangles to create diamonds, corners, and compass points. Try squinting to see the shapes more clearly. I also tried making a lighter center with radiating light going out. Also, how about that cute little star in the center? On a few a made them accent colors or warm tan color and others just left them full white. 

My Thatched block uses a light purple version that is from the Sweet Pea & Lily group. And that is also the group I used for my scrappy block, with a little flower in the middle! I made the 8" size and was really pleased with the little half square triangles. 

Hope you are finding your own fulfillment from this journey! Thank you Lisa Bongean for this rich and beautiful block design. Be sure to check out her blog at https://lisabongean.com/2020/09/02/moda-block-heads-3-block-34-fulfillment/ Happy sewing everyone!

It is such fun to see the differences you can come up with for Basket blocks. Last year's Blockheads sampler had one that ended up being one of my favorite blocks in the group (although I couldn't pick just one favorite). I like to see the variations on them. Visit Betsy Chutchian's blog for this weeks lovely basket block that she has provided!

For color studies I looked at the outer triangles going from light to dark on the outsides, light basket on dark background and more variations of scrappy grays to make a sparkly mix of light and dark. When I introduced another color I did a light to dark gradation and one where background ramps darker going in the opposite direction of the basket getting darker. Then I just played with the triangles to see what forms I could get that broke out of the basket theme. They feel very graphic to me. The very last one reminds me of corners of paper folded over and touching in the middle, almost like folding origami paper.

My baskets will live in the brown row so I'm staying with the more traditional basket theme and making the top part of the basket in lively oranges while the base is a lovely oatmeal color.

For my scrappy version I've got some Solana, Abby Rose and some Ombre Confetti to add some pattern play and some roses in the center of the basket. I thought the ratan/caning look of the Solana print had that basket feel in the print.

For those people placing their blocks on point, the basket is especially nice. I can't wait to see the versions of ones that people make on the facebook group!

Be sure to visit other Blockheads designers for more inspiration and happy basket collecting!

Doesn't it just make you happy when the block is about love? It does for me! Visit Sherri's blog for her sweet Love at Home block instructions:

The hearts are adorable and I think it is absolutely perfect that there are 4 of them and we have four in our family! I think the color studies are fairly straightforward.

What I've tried here is alternating colors of hearts, playing with color in the background with lighter hearts, making the hearts multiple shades of red (reminiscent of shading) and trying a single switched out heart to light on dark within the composition, or with neutrals and one pop of reds! How about tucking a little accent in there to reflect the reds? And the last one was an idea...remember Stacy Iest Hsu's Won't You Be My Neighbor block? What if ONE of those houses took up a quadrant of this block to signify the "Love at Home"! I just love it when blocks can play together!

My hearts this week will live in my purple row. Purple Heart Honor? Royal heart? Or just the majestic feeling of purple theatrical drama. Paired with pink it is romantic and pretty.

For my scrappy quilt I used fabrics from my Sweet Pea & Lily line. Did you know the two purples in Thatched Basics are from that particular line? AND in August there is a Basics Bundle that Moda is showing on instagram and that Aster purple is in the basics bundle. It makes such a nice lively color combined with the greens and blues of the group (and oranges too)

So would you like a peek of how my quilt layout is progressing so far? When I jump around each week from color family to color family it is hard to tell so here is a preview: 

For reference, below is a computer image with blocks I've filled in as I've done them. I am working on making a darker/more color saturated left side gradating to a lighter, less saturated right side, while keeping rows of rainbow color. Can I say rainbow color when I have brown and gray in there? A spectrum of color, I guess, is a better description. It is very interesting to see how it is progressing as I work along. I do have some things in advance but not everything so I keep working with a large part of this being a mystery to me too!

Have fun with your hearts and lots of love this week! Visit the other Moda Blockheads designers:
8.5 – Sherri McConnell- we are here!
8.12 – Betsy Chutchian
8.19 – Jan Patek
8.26 – Brigitte Heitland 
9.2 – Lisa Bongean
9.9 – Lissa Alexander
9.16 – Laurie Simpson
9.23– Vanessa Goertzen
9.30 – Stacy Iest Hsu
10.7 – Robin Pickens
10.14 – Janet Clare 
10.21 – Jen Kingwell
10.28 – Joanna Figueroa
11.4 – Corey Yoder

Yes, my proposal was years ago and I am still happily married to Mr. P, my sweetie! But the "other" proposal, "The Proposal" quilt block designed by Jen Kingwell for Moda Blockheads, well that finally happened.

Sometimes on the facebook Moda Blockheads group I see someone post their block that is, let's say, less than perfect and they express how they were frustrated making it. I just wanted to share that you are not alone. We all have those days. This block really kicked my butt! I just don't seem to "think" the way that paper piecing comes together. I have to concentrate really hard and mark the paper with what piece is going there and double and triple check. Yet still I ended up completely throwing away one section and starting it over. And boy that seam ripper was out. A LOT. One seam was ripped out four times. I found myself muttering "don't cry, its only a quilt block."

The block wasn't THAT hard. But sometimes we should just put the sewing down and come back to it the next day. But that was not the mood I was in. I was in the mood to conquer and overcome and tough it out. After the fourth time ripping out the one seam I finally got the piece big enough (I swear I thought my piece was big enough and positioned right). And I finished it. I am quite happy with the result. I wanted to try for the look of light on one side of my diamond and shaddow on the other. I like the softness of the grays. I like the subtlety of the Thatched used on front and back sides for lighter shades. 

But could I really do a second one for my other, scrappy quilt? When I have trouble with a block I wonder WHY I decided to do TWO quilts. I could give that up now, even though we are more than half way to the end. But now, I will make another block. Yes, the desire to tough it out and overcome is deeply entrenched. 

But this is where the advice I sometimes give other people kicked in...you don't HAVE to do every block. You can pick and choose if you don't like something in Moda Blockheads. There is no quilt police that will throw you out if you skip a block. So I decided to make a block and JUST MAKE IT UP!

That's right. I just used scraps of fabric I had from Thatched and Ombre Confetti from V & Co and did some half square triangles to mimic the feeling of angles and stayed true to my palette and I quite like how they look as a pair! So maybe some day with more practice the paper piecing will "click" and be easier. But for now I am happy with my "improv make-do" additional block!

If you would like to make an alternate block similar to mine, I don't have a pattern made up but I can share the sizes. The corner half square triangles are 3 1/2" unfinished. I made them from two 4" squares that I make two HST from and trim to 3 1/2" (for a finished size of 3"). You will need (4) of them. The center HST is 2 1/2" finished, made from 3" squares. You need (1). The rectangles between the HST are each 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" inches (for 1 x 3" finished sizes). This block uses (8) of those rectangles. I joined in rows, then join rows together.

Now I can breathe a sigh of relief that I am caught up (for now!) Just in time for a new block tomorrow....

We are half way through the blocks at this point! It is so fun to see them all come together as a group. This is a cheery block from Corey Yoder to kick off round 3, RING AROUND. The pattern is at Corey's blog:

This week's block has a ring of squares that surrounds the center diamond. You can keep the "ring" around the center fairly straightforward (like the first one and the one below it) or treat the small squares as more of a checkerboard (second image). Playing with shades of light and dark can make a glowing square overlaying the horizontal and vertical bands running through the block. Dropping out the corners to white emphasizes the octagonal shape that the block can take. And that last image treats each corner as it's own color group.

I was intrigued by dropping out a couple opposite corners and how the shape can look like a leaf out of a Minecraft world. I also experimented with the dark outside going into a light inside as well as creating more of a hashtag shape within the center. So many possibilites!

At first I thought I was going to try one of those giant pixelated leaves but when I tried it with the other blocks it looked a little out of proportion. However, someone commented on Facebook at the leaf could look good with the circle one next to it (middle of bottom row) as a big bloom. That could be a fun pillow! So I'll still try it on another project. 

I had fun with the center being a little picture frame for my scenic print from Solana (shipping in October 2020 to quilt shops) and a mixture of prints from Abby Rose and Painted Meadow surrounding it. Thanks Corey for the fun block!

More Moda Blockheads Designers:
7.29 – Corey Yoder- we are here!
8.5 – Sherri McConnell
8.12 – Betsy Chutchian
8.19 – Jan Patek
8.26 – Brigitte Heitland 
9.2 – Lisa Bongean
9.9 – Lissa Alexander
9.16 – Laurie Simpson
9.23– Vanessa Goertzen
9.30 – Stacy Iest Hsu
10.7 – Robin Pickens
10.14 – Janet Clare 
10.21 – Jen Kingwell
10.28 – Joanna Figueroa

Happy Wednesday! I enjoyed making Joanna Figueroa's block this week. I had just finished the little 1" HST from Janet Clare's block design so those corners came together so fast after all that practice! If you haven't gotten Joanna's pattern, you can go to her blog through the link below:

Color studies for "Broken Dishes" start out with a few shades of blue with white, then progress to include green, along with playing with light and dark. The four corners of the block look very different depending if they are white, dark color or lighter colors. I like how the right image on the top row has the look of bows or baskets on angles in the corners. And directly underneath that block, the bands of colors of teal or blue run through in horizontal and vertical bands. The first image on the second row has a "rounder" or more octagonal feel, while the one next to it has strong square side borders. 
In the bottom row, the first image is a graduation of light in the center, radiating out. And the two images next to it assigns colors to each corner, creating shaddow and light bands within the colors. 

My blocks this week will live in my blue row. The all-Thatched has Royal and Sky blues, utilizing some backs for more light shades. The scrappier block uses the warmer Seafoam blues from Abby Rose with an additional "Varietals" print from Solana added in. If you have Abby Rose, the blues carry through very nicely to Solana.

Can you believe we have finished the second round of the sewalong? Next week we will go back to Corey Yoder and start the rotation over! Happy sewing and have fun visiting the other Blockheads designers!

The lovely block "The Proposal" from Jen Kingwell brings back memories of a sparkly diamond ring glinting out in the moonlight with a question that warmed my heart from my dear husband (husband-to-be at that moment). I will be doing my block this week in white and light gray shades, just like a diamond. But what if you wanted to try something else?

This paper-pieced pattern can be done with gradations to give that 3 dimensional look. Or maybe treat it as a graphic, light and dark bands with more contrast. The third image plays off dark on light background on the top with light on dark background mirroring on the bottom. In the bottom row, when you accent the middle side angles with another color, it starts to look more like an emblem. The last image also suggests some transparency and light coming through on an angle. 

Teresa on facebook asked about ideas for this on point and it is an interesting block to think about that. Since I still had my file open I tried modifying and rotating a few. I like how a grouping of 4 can point to a center area. For the one on the right, I took the two halves of the block and joined them on the opposite side to make rays coming out of the center.

I'll post my block when its done. Right now I'm STILL making HST from Janet's block from last week! Almost there...