Forever Quilting 4 You

Island Batik sends us free fabric at the beginning of each year, designating which fabric is to be used for each month’s challenge. They ask us to use as many SKUs as possible from that fabric line, which usually consists of twenty different fabrics. Of each of these fabrics we receive a half yard cut. So, what do you do with ten yards of fabric?

February’s challenge was to create a Log Cabin block of any kind. That left me a lot of wiggle room to explore and decide which pattern to make. Island Batik is always good at giving us examples and videos to watch for inspiration; for my Log Cabin block I decided to use a pattern that I have had my eye on for some time; I was dying to make it, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. I got my pattern online and couldn’t wait to receive it in the mail. So, when I finally received it, my creative juices started to flow and I immediately set out designing my blocks, figuring out what color would go where. I needed to make 3 different types of Log Cabin blocks, and once I decided on my colorways I started cutting my 2.5” strips, a few from each of the twenty colors/SKUs.

Now if you know me, you’ll recall that I’m a paper piecer at heart, so with this month’s challenge having to do traditional piecing I was feeling a bit out of my comfort zone; this made me extra fussy. In spite of that, I proceeded to lay out the strips for the blocks and began to assemble them. To my surprise (NOT!) I put them together wrong! With my seam ripper in hand, I took out what I had done and started again… only to find that I did it wrong again. No surprise here either; I just get so excited and ahead of myself! Of course, on the third attempt I got it right! Phew! As you can imagine, this first group of blocks took way too long to do; I figured out that I had been way too fussy from the start.

The 2.5” strips I cut for the second block were much easier to assemble and were going together quite smoothly until I realized that I was 4 blocks short and needed to cut more strips, so back to the cutting mat I went. I was on a roll as I finished the last 4 blocks in the second group, or so I thought. As I was about to start the third group of blocks, I looked at the layout and saw that it wasn’t the typical Log Cabin pattern. Instead, it looked more like logs laying off to the side of a cabin; they looked like tree stumps. After wrapping my head around this, I started on the third and final group of blocks; I was well entrenched in the construction zone (no hard hats needed) as I hammered my way through to the project completion!

With all 36 blocks constructed, I started to lay out the blocks, which was easy. But when I started sewing them together, I saw that some of the blocks were facing the wrong direction (Sister – don’t we need a seam ripper here? /pg Editor in Chief – reached out to the author, Sister, who said “no, I left them as they were!”). Just because it’s a Log Cabin pattern does not mean it would go together easily. Because the Log Cabin pattern is in fact relatively easier than most, it’s usually one of the first blocks a new quilter might choose to make… except for me. After 12 years of serious quilting, this month’s challenge was my very first time doing a non-paper pieced Log Cabin. If you guessed that the first Log Cabin I ever made was paper pieced, you guessed correctly! I know, I know… paper piecing a Log Cabin sounds counterintuitive, but then again, that’s me not always going with the flow.

I sewed the blocks into rows, and in the right order; it felt like a great start to finishing this challenge. For the next step, I needed to figure out what fabric to use for the border. I could use some of the 20 cuts of fabric that were left over, or I could use some of the solid black that was in my stash box for the year, but I decided to do something entirely different this time. I know, doing something out of the ordinary is a “new” concept for me, right?! Ha! I think not! You all know me better than that!

Traditionally, one uses the same fabric for each border, but I wanted to use up what I already had – 4 different black
fabrics. I cut them into 6” strips and sewed them together end to end (like bindings), making it long enough to go around the entire quilt. I also mitered the corners, mitering as I reached each corner. To say it looks a bit funky is an
understatement, but it goes well with the quilt and is in character with forging my own path (better an “oops” than a “what if”). Who knows, maybe I’ll start a new trend with my funky borders?

Picture before the quilting and the rain.

Quilted with Hobbs natural cotton batting, long armed with Glide thread. At the Veterans Hall in Auburn.

So, what did I learn this month?

Just because it’s a log cabin doesn’t mean that I won’t need to get out my seam ripper a time… or three.

Being creative (and choosing a different path) is my happy place.

Trying something new is not the end of the world, it’s just different and that’s ok with me. I’ve never claimed to be
predictable.

Getting newly released, free fabrics from Island Batik is the best, thank you!!

Thank you to our sponsors:
#Hobbs Batting
#Aurifil Thread #2600
#Island Batik Foundations

#Oliso Irons
#Cozy Quilt Design for the pattern
#Best Press
#Glide Quilting Thread

Kathy Engle Fabrics (newly released) – They ship to your local stores in February. Stop by Swifty Stitches in Carmichael Ca., my local quilt store that carries Island Batik fabric.

Fabrics used in this quilt are listed below in no specific order:
Love and Peace by Kathy Engle
122348795 Far Out Swirl Black, 122342795 Peace Joy Black, 122347795 Groovy Paisley Black,122341795 Zen Black,
122346945 Lava Lamp Teal, 122348955 Far Out Swirl Teal, 122341945 Zen Teal Cool Water, 122348900 Far Out Swirl
Teal, 122341280 Zen Orange Copper, 122349205 Peace Sigh Yellow, 122346243 Lava Lamp Orange, 122348190 Far Out Swirl Pink, 122342190 Peace Joy Pink, 122344180 Hearts Pink, 122343869 Funky Flowers Multi, 122347550 Groovy Paisly Blue, 122348575 Far Out Swirl Blue, 122347570 Groovy Paisley Blue,122349570 Peace Sign Blue.

Please follow my blog at the bottom of the page so you can see the wonderful fabric that I get to use next month.

Until then, what’s on your sewing table?
Victoria aka Tori