I always liked Charlie Brown.  I think most of us did because unless you were the super-coolest kid in school, we could all relate to Charlie.

Charlie was also a "blockhead".  Maybe not the same kind of blockhead as most quilters are, but we won't hold that against him.

Blockhead. noun block·head \ˈbläk-ˌhed\  A quilter who likes to make a wide variety of quilt blocks, who probably collects books filled with quilt blocks, who has lots of random quilt blocks but still wants to make more.

Does that sound like you?

I know five Blockheads.  They share a common bond in that they all love traditional and Reproduction fabric - they like to joke that they're on the "dark side" of quilting.  Last Fall, they put their heads together and decided to create a Block of the Week - BOW - made with 6" blocks.  They would each design eight blocks, swap the blocks and then share them with everybody else.  There will be forty-eight blocks with one posted every week starting in March.

The blocks will be available as free downloads.

The Moda Blockheads are:

Lynne Hagmeier - Kansas Troubles.

This is Lynne's Gooseberry Lane Sampler quilt.

Betsy Chutchian.

Tennessee Lady - made with Betsy's Rachel Remembered. I do love these blues.

Jan Patek.

Jan made Rufus in the Garden with her beautiful Coral Bells collection.

Jo Morton.

Logan's Crossroads - made with Jo's Reflections collection.  Hmm... more blues.

Lisa Bongean.

Lisa's Land of the Free, made with her Liberty Gatherings.  Red, white and... blue.

If you're keeping track, that's five designers.  With eight blocks each and forty-eight blocks total... the Blockheads need one more.

Guess who?

6" blocks.  Scrappy.  I'm in!

I've decided to use only blue fabrics from Moda designers - the five ladies I've mentioned so far, Minick & Simpson, some 3 Sisters and I'm sure there will be something else.

I'm particularly looking forward to working with this background fabric - it's one of Moda's Premium Muslins.  That's it under the blue prints and pattern pages.

The one in the picture - under the blue prints and the pattern pages - is a 90" wide, high-thread-count cotton in Warm White.  It is - #9948 11.

While I love the creamy ivory of the Warm White, I also love the 200-thread count 110" wide muslin that comes in a Warm White - #9954 11.  It is described as being "a percale", which is a high-thread count cotton known for it's smooth finish and soft feel.  This fabric is so silky soft, it almost feels like a lawn.

If you've ever shied away from using extra-wide backings because the fabrics didn't feel quite the same, I think these would change your mind.  They definitely changed mine - I am looking forward to using the 200-thread extra-wide on the back of a quilt soon.  I also love that they're budget-friendly.  And silky soft.  (Seriously - you would not believe how really amazing these fabrics feel.)

Blockheads Block of the Week.

• Starts - March 8th
• Blocks - each Blockhead will post the same block each week on their blog, Facebook or website.
• The Blockheads are all making blocks and a quilt - setting ideas and instructions will be provided at the end.
• Scrappy!  That's one thing all six of us have in common - we love scrap quilts, the more fabrics the better!  Most of the designers will be making a quilt using their own fabric collections... but there are a couple who are already whispering about making more than one quilt.  (Rumor has it that a few of the designers will be offering "starter packs" of their fabrics.)
• Yardage?  If you know you're going to want to use a single collection - I'd start with at least 24 fat quarters and 3 to 4 yards of background.

Here's how to find everybody:

• Lynne's Blog / Facebook / Website
• Betsy's Blog / Facebook / Instagram
• Jan's Blog / Website
• Jo's Blog / Instagram
• Lisa's Blog / Website / Instagram

Moda?  We're here.  And on Facebook and Instagram.

We'll all be sewing along and making blocks and quilts.  Whether your style is traditional and Reproduction, or vintage, retro, modern, contemporary and everything else... the idea is to have some fun making quilt blocks.

#modablockheads

So are you going to be a Blockhead in 2017?

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