Grandmother's Cabin

I finally finished my quilt last week, Grandmother's Cabin, and thought I would share some photos with you, since I know I am long overdue for an update.  Some of these pictures are before I put the binding on, some are with a different camera so colors may vary, but you get the idea. 

I had hoped I'd finish it long before now, but a few of life's interruptions during the month of September pushed my finish date up a bit further than I originally planned.  However, I was still able to meet a deadline I had set for entering it into several shows coming up, so on that note, I am quite pleased it is done and ready to send off into the quilt show world.

"Grandmother's Cabin"

I made the top back in 2012 and it has been sitting in a closet waiting to be quilted up until a couple of months ago.  I knew I wanted a lot of quilting on it, but really wasn't certain as to how elaborate I wanted it to be.

The log cabin blocks were foundation-pieced on paper.  The hexagon flowers were made using the English paper-piecing method.  The Dresden plates and the hexagon flower vine are all hand-appliqued.  This is only the second quilt I have ever hand-appliqued.

Since the quilt is so busy visually with so many pieces and such a wide variety of different fabrics, I decided to keep the quilting clean and simple with lots of grid quilting and straight lines.  Although though there is still a ton of quilting, it tends to play a more supportive "background" role instead of obliterating the details of the quilt itself.   This is also the first time I have used a wool batting, which is Hobb's Tuscany Wool.  The top thread is Wonderfil Invisafil 100 weight and the bobbin thread is Wonderfil DecoBob 80 weight.  The quilt finishes at 91 inches square, the log cabin blocks are 9 inches and the border is approximately 9 1/2 inches wide.

 

I did mark every single line with a fine-tipped water-soluble blue pen.  The grid lines are a half-inch apart and all of the lines were quilted with free-motion quilting.  The only thing I used the walking foot on is the narrow cable in the border.  The log cabin blocks are free-motion quilted in the ditch, spiraling out from the center by quilting in the seam line of each strip.



My inspiration for this quilt came from my infatuation with traditional quilts from the 1930s.  After I finished the log cabin blocks and was deciding on a border, I got the idea to combine a couple of classic quilt motifs that are easily recognizable into a single quilt to pay tribute to the 30s era as well as to our grandmothers that made them.  Since I also love scrap quilts as well as collecting fabrics that are reminiscent of the Depression Era, I challenged myself to use as many fabrics in the quilt as possible.  I kept the overall values on the lighter side in order to evoke a sense of the pastel, candy colors associated with that time period.  This is an original design and there is no pattern available.



And finally I would like to send out a big thank you to all of you who have been e-mailing me as to my whereabouts, your various questions, and the lovely comments I receive on my tutorials.  I am so flattered and appreciative of all the e-mails, as well as being overwhelmed at the interest in my work.  You never really know how many people you reach when you blog, but I will say that the response from all of you is very gratifying and I wish there was a way I could meet you all in person to say thanks from the bottom of my heart!  Until next time. . . Happy Quilting!

Log Cabin Show 'N' Tell



Wow, summer is now officially behind us and the upcoming holidays are quickly approaching.  Hard to believe!  This summer I've tried to spend every spare minute when I am not working or wrapped up in day to day living quilting my unquilted tops.  Although it's been such a relief to finally complete several quilts all the way down to the binding, sleeve, and label, I think I grew a bit tired of it after awhile.  I was so anxious to get back to what I truly love the most, piecing!  So the last four weeks I've been doing just that. . .  

In early August I took a break from machine quilting and decided it was time to piece a new top. . . .hooray!  And what could be more fun than a traditional log cabin to use up MORE of my scrappy strip stash.  I've gone a bit overboard over the last couple of years with these strips, I admit.  But it is such a convenience to just open up a plastic bin and start sewing with strips I've had cut and continue to cut in between projects.

I decided to make this log cabin for my husband, partly to celebrate a milestone birthday he is having this December.  But it really came about after he made a comment to me that I've made everyone a quilt except for him!  And he was right, I have never made him his very own quilt!  Although it really never dawned on me that he didn't consider all the quilts I've made to date for our home his quilts, too.  But let's face it, most men don't go for quilts in pastels and Easter egg colors!

So I asked him what quilt pattern he would like and his choice was the log cabin pattern.  And it turned out to be the perfect choice.  I went through two closets of fabric and cut strips from any fabric that remotely looked like a man's shirt, underwear, or pajamas, anything fishing or surfing related (his two favorite passions), any fabrics with dogs and even some tropical  prints thrown in for fun and added those to my ever growing bin of scrappy strips.  I even cut up a few of his own shirts and funny print boxer shorts that he no longer wore!  That was a ton of fun and it really gives him something to talk about now.

I separated the strips by value first, lights and darks, and then by colors.  The blocks are foundation-pieced and finish at 7 1/2" with the strips finishing at 3/4" wide.  The top measures 75" square.  I am currently marking the top in a simple grid for quilting and will hopefully get the quilting completed in the next couple of weeks. 

Another bit of recent excitement is the recent release of the book 500 Traditional Quilts by Lark Crafts.  I am so honored to have two of my quilt featured in this inspirational book of amazing quilts.

Summer at the Lake. . .

. . .and Blooming in Chintz are featured.  Both of these quilts will also be part of the 500 Traditional Quilts traveling exhibit beginning this fall in Houston at International Quilt Festival.  The exhibit will travel through next summer 2015 as part of the many shows Quilt Festival hosts.  If you have the opportunity to visit one of the shows, I'm sure it will be very exciting to see many of the quilts featured in this book in person.

Happy Quilting!