Blogger’s Quilt Festival: Small

After finding the time and gumption to enter Jewel into the Blogger’s Quilt Festival I’ve decided to go for it and enter another quilt: The Heron Log Cabin.

This quilt was made to showcase the Heron print from Across the Pond by Cloud 9. I fell in love with this print but only bought a fat quarter. I have no idea what I was thinking but hey ho it’s nice to surprise yourself sometimes. Anyway, I decided to make a quilt that would be all about this print. Around about the same time I bought a Kona brights jelly roll and when I opened it to take all the purples out to use as binding I realised that the blues and oranges went really well with the Heron print. The idea to make a large log cabin quilt was born.

Heron Log Cabin Centre

I cut a centre panel from the fat quarter and then cut 2 1/2″ strips from the Heron print making sure the Herons were going up and down and across. Then I started sewing the jelly roll strips on. From time to time I would insert a Heron to break up the solids and use more of the fabric.

Heron Log CabinIn the end I only used the oranges, pinks, reds, blues and greens from the jelly roll. I wasn’t sure how to quilt it so I asked for advice on Instagram and Krista from Poppyprint sent me a picture of how she would quilt it. It’s basically like chevrons going towards the centre. I think it gives the quilt a wonderful modern look.

Heron Log Cabin

The quilt was pieced with Aurifil 50wt in 2600 and quilted in the fabulous variegated Aurifil 40wt that I seem to use on all my quilts lately, number 4654. It finishes at 46″ x 57″ and is perfect for snuggling on the sofa. It’s backed in the Ikea Britten Numbers and bound with Windmarks Mirage from Tule by Leah Duncan for Art Gallery Fabrics.

Heron Log Cabin

Please take the time to go and browse all the other fantastic entries to the Blogger’s Quilt Festival. I’m sure you will find lots of great inspiration. All you have to do is click on the link below.

 

AmysCreativeSide.com

By the way, this quilt was on my FAL and I’m happy to say that it means I have finished two of eleven WIPs. I’d better get a move on!

Can’t Get You Out Of My Head

Quite a while ago I ordered a jelly roll of Kona brights by Robert Kaufman; not because I needed it but because I love solids and it called out to me. Once it arrived I put it on my shelf and admired the vibrancy of the colours and how well the colours looked together.

Last year I opened it and grabbed the purples to use as binding for the Mindless Flannel quilt. Then I rolled it back together again, stood back and admired it some more.

On Monday the admiring stopped and the cutting started. After sorting out the yellows and greys I turned to one of my favourite fabrics ever and chopped that up too. ‘Heron’ is from the line Across the Pond by Cloud 9 Fabrics . The design of this quilt had been in my head for quite some time. I could picture it and I really wanted to do it but there was always something else I needed to finished first. The list of things I need to finish is still as long as my arm but the quilt top has finally been made and it’s just the way I imagined it would be.

Heron Log Cabin

Excuse the poor quality picture. We have been swallowed up by the fog and despite having all the lights on it’s still really dark. However, I love the bright colours in real life. It has, of course, been pieced with my favourite Aurifil thread 50wt colour 2000 which is a lovely neutral colour that seems to go with all the colours in this quilt.

It finishes at 48″ x 60″ and is going to go and live on our sofa once I’ve quilted it. Little Miss Bossy-Boots tried to get this one too (she already has two quilts) but I thought it would be nice to have one we can share.

My dilemma now is how to quilt it. Once upon a time I would have just echoed the log cabin but after taking three (!) fmq classes on Craftsy I really want to do something else. Should I go for feathers (very ambitious), dot to dot quilting à la Angela Walters or use some of the designs I’ve learned from Leah Day? Answers on a postcard, please!

PS I will post better pictures the minute we have a sunny day.

Not Sure

Last year I bought a layer cake of the same fabrics I’d used for Little Miss Bossy-Boots’ tumbler cushion so that I could make a quilt for her bed. I decided not to make a tumbler quilt as I thought it would be a bit too coordinated. This last few months I’ve been looking at the fabric having no clue what pattern to use. Sunday I did something that is completely out of character for me, I jumped in and just started cutting strips to make wonky log cabin blocks. There was no planning, just taking strips and sewing them together.

I finished the first block and didn’t really like it. Thinking it was too late to change my mind I persevered and made another block. I liked it a bit better and continued. I have now made four blocks and I’m still not sure that I like them. I feel they are rather busy. However, I’m hoping I will like the quilt with a nice neutral sashing and wide border.

Sorry about the bad picture, the weather here is simply atrocious. July? The weather gods must be having a laugh…

What do you do when you don’t like something you’ve started? Do you persevere and finish or do you just put it aside? I really want to finish this quilt for my daughter.