Tulip Tango Shadow (48712 14) designed by Robin Pickens

Tulip Tango designed by Robin Pickens

y have such elegant long stems and leaves. A group of tulip stems, with buds not yet opened, arching over in a gentle curve, creates a lovely sight. I’m fascinated by how they can be so pretty in the simplest of shapes with a single color, or have big multicolored and striped petals with ruffled and fringed edges. It’s as if the flowers said, “it is time to put on our flowing dresses and dance”. And not just any dance, but one where they are the star of the show in rich color and graceful, dramatic shapes.

Tulip Tango shows big luscious blooms in the main prints with the twinkle of light and movement in the background. The gracefulness of the leaves command their own coordinate print with the movement of sweeping curves. Tulip paisleys dance around each other while simple little scattered tulips make a sweet and simple print. For a lacy feel, butterflies quietly flutter among the tulip bouquets, their wings blending in amongst the beautiful buds. A special little twist to the complimenting Thatched this time...a dotty party of little spots!

A few new quilts are shown to show off those tulips! Tulip Season is a tall, elegant tulip block, standing tall and proud. This Fat Quarter pattern uses some of the extra fabric to make a pretty little garden fence of flying geese around our tulip garden. Criss Cross Kisses plays with Xs and outlined Xs and little arrow points using those extra pieces cut off from stitch and flip corners. This pattern uses Fat Quarters or Fat Eighths. And for the more modern tulip lover, Tightrope is a dance of rectangles and thin plus signs that balance along the rows. This is a Jelly Roll pattern, however, it can also be made with Layer Cakes. All three of these new patterns are Layer Cake friendly!

Time to make your own spring bouquet with fabrics scheduled to arrive in shops in April 2022. With pretty buds and colors of cream, linen and princess pink to deep dramatic cranberry and dark shadow, celebrate the tulips and their glorious dance!
- Robin Pickens