Okay, so most quilters want to see how small they can make their pieces. But, if I want to quilt for myself and keep my commitment to Linus, I need to go big or give up.
This is what happens when you make a log cabin out of 4 inch cut strips.
First, you only need six blocks. (Yay!) Second, the contrast between dark and light becomes even more important. I have trouble with medium. Next time, I might try to use medium on the most outer strips. They don’t work well in the innermost strips.
But, it’s pieced and pressed and ready to be basted and I don’t think I worked on it more than 4 hours, including cutting the strips.
I have enough strips to make a second one. I get another chance to get it just right.
And, then I have one cut in two inch widths for the neighbors. I’m glad I didn’t start with that one.
I still don’t like the homespuns. I’m spoilt. Spoilt rotten to crisp, slightly stiff fabrics and I just cannot make homespuns behave that way. So, now I have another group of people to admire…those that use homespuns in the most wonderful ways. We all see their quilts. And, I for one have thought “how quaint”. Well, it ain’t so, y’all. It’s hard work to do that.
For me, I’ll be glad when that bin is empty.
Be well and have a great Tuesday. BTW, I did get invited to join the bee. But, we’re going to be on vacation for the July meeting.
I wonder if my house sitter would mind taking quilts to bee for show and tell?
Lane
6 comments:
My kind of quilt. Love it.
Love that LC! Great idea to use the larger pieces. I also have one of those bins, so this will be a great way to start using some of it up.
Barb
I have a pattern where you start with a 14" center square and add strips starting with a 3" and going up a 1/2" width wise for each strip you can make it as big as you want. It's one big old log cabin block, but makes a super fast baby quilt. I add a top and bottom border to make it longer it and it's done.
I'll have to try the homespun and see what I think. I think I'm also spoiled by being able to push crisp cotton edges against the edge of my piecing foot.
I use rubylith sheet film to look at my fabrics (it turns them all to grey, and you can judge how light or dark they are. Colors interfere with my being able to judge how medium something is.) It's pretty cheap for small pieces.
Have you tried using spray starch to stiffen the pieces? When I do heirloom sewing, spray starch helps me manipulate some of those laces and fragile fabrics.
I love that you are going with 4" strips!
Happy you got invited back to the bee. Check out some of the new modern quilt patterns for 'big'. I'm not sure if these designs came out of an affinity for a simple, clean design ethic, or maybe the younger designers have short attention spans so there's minimal piecing :)
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