What? Blockheads 5!
Moda Blockheads is an amazing opportunity for new quilters and I strongly recommend that you join in the fun if this is you. For more experienced quilt makers, a chance to learn some new tricks or at the very least, a new quilt top!
I first joined the Moda Blockheads Community in 2019 as a very new quilter. I heard about the opportunity through YouTube and as soon as I saw the quilts being shared in Blockheads 2, I realised that I could work towards a longer term project, share my work and see a lot of other colour and fabric variations as well as be a cheer squad for my Blockhead pals via the FaceBook page.
As a new quilter it is hard to work out what style of quilts are your style. All quilts are beautiful to me but where I originally thought that I liked modern quilts, I started to realise that the quilts I liked making were more traditional styles that I was making them my own through contemporary fabric choices. I had done a lot of research into the traditional quilt blocks published by Kansas City Star and other similar published sources as well as reference books including Barbara Brackman’s iconic Encyclopaedia of Quilt Blocks that documents 4000 traditional Blocks. It is amazing how many variations are possible with very minor changes. Moda Blockheads is the equivalent concept of a designer sharing a free block each week to build your skills and your experience of block making in the best traditions of quilting everywhere.
This was also the first quilt that I decided to quilt with an Edge-to-Edge design. At that time I didn’t have my own machine and had the quilting done locally in Melbourne by The Quilt Room who did an excellent job on finishing this quilt. The backing was also a wide-back fabric (108” Wide). Unfortunately, I don’t like the backing now that it is quilted. Although it is from the same designer and company, it is sateen and shinier and heavier than standard quilting cotton. The fabric used for the quilt top is mostly Corey Yoder’s Pepper and Flax collection. Would you believe that I started my blocks with a charm pack? Added a layer cake and quite a few random fat quarters to round out and have enough fabric.
In the meantime, the most recent Blockheads 4 quilt has all the blocks made and is just waiting for me to decide on a setting and put the quilt top together. I used Anna Maria Horner collections for that one that ended up being very purple once all the blocks were done and to be honest, I am not sure I like it! Maybe it will improve once it is put together…ever hopeful. Perhaps starting on Blockheads 5 might inspire me to finish Blockheads 4?
That a wrap from me, I will have added a few images of parts of the Blockheads 3 quilt (my version). As the first larger quilt I have made, and the first Quilt Along I participated in, I won’t be parting with this one any time soon...I just love it.
Have a great day, consider if Blockheads 5 might be for you and if you will join us for a new block each week, and most of all — happy quilting!
