Log Cabin Finishes

I finally finished up my Log Cabin quilts. They are fun to make, and I have plans for more!

First, a very traditional brown/neutral one.

Brown Log Cabin 95" x 95"

Brown Log Cabin (center detail)

Brown Log Cabin (detail)

Brown Log Cabin (detail)

Brown Log Cabin (back and binding detail)

For this quilt I used 1.5" strips (finished at 1"). The center red square is a constant fabric which I also used as binding. The back is a brown paint stroke print with a center panel of fruit and foliage (you can just see it in the backing detail picture). I quilted it with straight lines.

The second is a curved Log Cabin in red and white.

Curved Log Cabin (67" x 88")

Curved Log Cabin (detail)

Curved Log Cabin (back and binding detail)

This one was made with 2.5" red (and white on red) strips and 1.5" white (and red on white) strips. The center is a constant, and I also used it for binding. The back is a red/white check. I started the light side of these blocks with plain white strips to make sure the contrast in the center was strong. Again, I quilted it with straight lines.

I enjoyed making both of these. The red (2.5") strips seemed very wide--I may adjust them a bit if I do another curved Log Cabin block. I really love the brown one--I think the colors turned out well.

I have another Log Cabin in progress. This one is in the Courthouse Steps variation, and it is VERY scrappy. I have plans for several more as well, so you will be seeing more Cabin construction from me!

Happy Quilting! 😸

 As I mentioned last time, in all my years of quilting, I've never made a Log Cabin quilt before.

I went very traditional with color and layout, and I am basting it for quilting today. This picture only shows a part of it--it is 96" x 96"!

 

I'll post a better picture when it is completed.

Happy Quilting! 😺

Rhododendron Trail Finish

 Bonnie Hunter's annual mystery this year was called Rhododendron Trail.

I stayed (mostly) with Bonnie's colors--only substituting green for aqua. This is a different quilt than my usual ones; it is much lighter in color overall, but it is nice to make something out-of-the-ordinary sometimes.

Rhody Trail (92" x 100")

Rhody Trail (border and binding detail)

Rhody Trail (backing and binding detail)

A fun project--I love Mystery Quilts!

Happy Quilting. 😸

Three Finishes

 I haven't been posting much lately, but the quiltmaking continues!

This is a flannel couch quilt. A dear friend gave me some flannels, and I added a few of my own to the mix. I backed it with a piece of fleece I had on hand that happened to be exactly the right size!

Old-Style Winter Print Flannel (60" x 71")

Old-Style Winter Print Flannel (detail)

Old-Style Winter Print Flannel (backing and binding detail)

Next up is a Hallowe'en Trip Around the World. I know it is out-of-season, but next October, I'll be ready! 🎃 I call this one Spooky Trip Around the World.

Spooky Trip Around the World (90" x 90")

Spooky Trip Around the World (edge detail)

Spooky Trip Around the World (center detail)

This third quilt is a Bonnie Hunter design called Boxy Bow Ties. For some reasons, it sits in my brain as Botox Ties! Other than string quilts, this might be the scrappiest quilt I've ever made. There is a little of everything in here. I added a few extra cornerstones in the sashing that weren't part of the original design.

Boxy Bow Ties (94" x 94")

Boxy Bow Ties (detail)

Boxy Bow Ties (detail)

Boxy Bow Ties (backing and binding detail)

I'm still working on the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, Rhododendron Trail, and I'm doing her Hearts of Hope quiltalong as well. I've lots of projects in the works.

Happy Quilting! 😸

Grassy Creek [AKA October Picnic] is Complete!

 Every year, I enjoy creating a version of Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt. This year, her quilt was called Grassy Creek.

Grassy Creek [AKA October Picnic]  (98" x 98")

I used Bonnie's colors of red, orange, gold, and grey; however, I substituted blue for her green. I call this October Picnic because this was my color inspiration photo and the palette I created.

The quilt went together well, thanks to Bonnie's excellent writing of instructions. You can see some of the steps I took by clicking on the "Grassy Creek" label on the right pane of this blog.

I added a few bits of color to the grey string border to echo the colors in the quilt.

Grassy Creek [AKA October Picnic] (border detail)

I sent the top and backing to my friend, Leah, who then worked her quilting magic! I am thankful for her fine work.

I tried to capture the quilting, but it is hard to see. I altered the red backing color a bit as I manipulated shadows and highlights of the photo.

I used a grey striped binding to finish the quilt.

Grassy Creek [AKA October Picnic] (backing and binding detail)

And, of course, I had to throw in a Waldo. 😊

Waldo sighting!

I used many fun fabrics in this one--there is a lot to look at.

Some Dalmatians

 

Frogs and Snowpeople

 This quilt is heavy! A large quilt, small pieces, and string blocks make for a hefty project (another reason I was so happy that Leah quilted this--I dreaded trying to wrestle it through my DSM!). 😉

All in all, I am very happy with the outcome of this mystery quilt. Thanks for the fun, Bonnie, and I look forward to this year's mystery.

Grassy Creek [AKA October Picnic

Happy National Quilting Day! 😸

 

 

Floral Trip Around the World

 I just love this pattern!

Floral Trip Around the World 90" x 100"

Floral Trip Around the World (back and binding detail)

I made this quilt once before with a travel theme. This time I used florals and a range of solid colors. It was another quilt that requires careful planning and organization, but it was fun to make!

I used a cheater fabric for the back to continue the floral idea, then I added a striped binding to finish. It is brighter than it looks in the photo--I took the photo on a cloudy day.

Happy Quilting!

Kaffe Fassett Nine-Patch

 I know someone who loves lavender!

Kaffe Fassett Nine-Patch 98" x 98"

Kaffe Fassett Nine-Patch (detail)

Kaffe Fassett Nine-Patch (back and binding detail)

I combined lavender and purple with a Kaffe Fassett jelly roll (and a little extra from a KF layer cake) to make this quilt. Setting the blocks on point with sashings and cornerstones gives it a look different than the standard nine-patch.

I had never used a jelly roll (2.5" x WoF) before. I liked the variety of fabrics; the roll was cut accurately (without pinking!); and the fabric was excellent quality and very soft. That being said, I didn't particularly like the jelly roll format and will likely not buy another one. In a quilt like this one, I think it would have been easier to piece if the fabrics had been starched a bit, and I was afraid that I would warp the precut strips by starching and pressing. Charm packs (5" squares), layer cakes (10" squares), and fat quarters (18" x 20") are fairly easy to starch when a firmer hand is needed.

I do like the way this turned out, though. I think the lavender and purple work well with the KF fabric which, typical for the designer, is wildly colored with big, bold prints! :)

Thanks for stopping by! 😸

Under My Needle Today

 It looks like chaos, but I do have a method!

I keep telling myself to make smaller quilts, but I don't listen very well. 🙉

No Passport Required (Part 2)

In my previous post, I outlined the steps I took in preparing to make this Trip Around the World quilt.

No Passport Required 112" x 122"

After the prep, it was time to sew!

I don't have many pictures of the actual sewing--it was just stitching square to square...to square...to square...

I worked from two corners towards the center, making two identical rows and attaching them to the previously sewn sections. In this way, I was building up two parts of the quilt at once. In the end, I would join the two pieces to create the whole quilt. The rows were long and bulky, but doing it this way helped me keep things in the right places--correct placement is essential to this design.

These was no fancy quilting design. I quilted this on my domestic sewing machine, so it was a matter of squeezing the large quilt through the machine. I did a simple straight stitch along the diagonal lines for quilting. It is rather plain, but my emphasis all along was on the fabrics, so the simple design worked well.

I am happy with the results of this project. I'm including several pictures of the fabrics, so you can see the range of the international motifs.

No Passport Required 112" x 122"

No Passport Required (center detail)

No Passport Required (fabric detail)

No Passport Required (fabric and binding detail)

No Passport Required (fabric detail)

No Passport Required (Where's Waldo?)

No Passport Required (There he is!)

No Passport Required (binding detail)

No Passport Required (backing)

No Passport Required (backing detail)

No Passport Required (fabric detail)

No Passport Required (center fabric detail)

I had such fun collecting fabrics for this. For the USA round, I bought some license plate fabric with state names and alternated it with fussy cuts from a fabric panel of a US map.

So there you have it--a Trip Around the World with no travel injections, no flight delays, and No Passport Required. Just think--you can travel the world without even getting out of bed! 😎