Hey everyone! Another Wednesday is upon us, which means a couple of specific things are on my agenda. I’m sure you remember the good ol’ days when not so long ago, Wednesday was typically my designated “work at home day.” It was the one day of the week where I was able to enjoy the privacy, peace, and quiet of my home studio, allowing me to stay focused and crank out some serious work in a matter of hours. With so much going on this summer I’ve had to put staying away from PG and The Gathering for an entire day on hold for a while… Either that, or be running back and forth several times a day anyway, completely defeating the purpose. The good news is, that after a busy few days on premises earlier in the week (including one where I had to play chef at The Gathering) I’m finally able to stay in my sweaties today and work from Anchor Point for the most part. It’s a good day for it too – overcast and gloomy. It’s been raining here all morning and I haven’t really feel like leaving the house. Perfect!

Up first on my to-do list for the day is what so many of you were up at the crack of dawn looking for – the third Moda Blockheads 5 block release, of course! For week three, Brigitte Heitland of Zen Chic brings us the first foundation paper piecing (FPP) design in the MBH5 series called Stellar Elegance. Brigitte describes her block as a more challenging one, and a “sneaky beauty” that throws in a twist just when you think you have it figured out… Hmm. Sounds fun!

I know many of you are new to foundation paper piecing but don’t let that scare you off. Both Brigitte and Moda have resources available to help you figure it out as you go, including a video posted by Moda that walks you through the Stellar Elegance pattern from start to finish. They share tips for reading and printing the pattern, cutting your fabric, stitching, and pressing your block. You can find this awesome video on Moda’s Inspiration and Resources page by clicking HERE. The pattern and full instructions including Brigitte’s own hot tips and tricks can by found on her blog by clicking the button below!

Last week I mentioned that if enough people feel they would find it helpful, I am be happy to post my block piecing technique for each block going forward so you can see exactly how I do things, however for this block, since it’s FPP there’s really only one way do to it so I simply followed what Brigitte did. For those of you following along with my color way, as promised I have added a link to Bella Silver (9900 183), which is my choice for the background. For the rest of my quilt I’m using a soft, muted collection of Bella Solids that I’m calling “Sundown.” Both are available for purchase on our website by clicking the buttons below!

As always, if you have any questions regarding this block please feel free to leave me a comment here on the blog! You can also visit the Blockheads 5 Main Page for more information on Moda Blockheads 5 and how it all works by clicking HERE. I also recommend hooking up with the virtual Blockheads community for even more support by checking out their Official Moda Blockheads Facebook Group.

Alright! Now that I have MBH5 covered for the week, I give myself permission move on to other projects! Like usual I have several things that I’m working on, including a few projects that have already been released along with some new ones that I’m dreaming up for the future. Speaking of new, I hope you’ll be able to join me tomorrow for my LIVE show on STITCH with Lisa Bongean at 1:00 p.m. CST. I’ll be showing off my progress on both MBH5 and our current Joyful Gatherings Quilt-Along, plus revealing my next new Christmas fabric line, “Dear Santa,” that’s scheduled to release sometime in spring of 2024. On top of all of that, I have my fingers crossed that a certain “special guest” who I’ve invited to join us will be able to make an appearance and give us an update on our friend Shelley. Either way, it’s going to be a great show with an after-party to follow on CommentSold. Don’t miss it! You can tune in by clicking the STITCH icon below. Hope to see you there! ~Lisa