Another Rebuilt Log Cabin in the works

For those of you who were interested in the Rebuilt Log Cabin, I am planning on beginning another one, (seemingly "scrappy") during a 3-day retreat this weekend.  I will take lots of photos, and hopefully, I will  can get them into an official Tutorial on this blog.  This is a project I've made years ago and have shown it here on occasion.

Would you like to join me?  Now is a good time -- well, for me anyway!  8-)))

I'm using squares and strips at 1.5 inch cut.  If you want to sew along with me, get your strips out (hopefully you have some scrap strips pre-cut!).  I'm starting with a dull red in the center, then adding my lights next.  My darks are in the green, sage, purple, blue combinations.  There are 5 rounds of lights and darks.   Assuming you use even amount of lights and darks, starting with the lights means you will end up with more DARK on the outside of the block.  Of course, we cut them/trim them before they are sewn back together, (rebuilding),  that will demonstrate a defininite zig zag look in each intersection. Confused?  8-))

You'll see when I actually MAKE the quilt and then post the photos here.  I'm planning 6 x 8 blocks (48) and if I remember correctly, they trim to about 10.5 inches, then I will add borders of some kind.

Yeahhhh - my bags are packed, I'm ready to go ...

Old Chickens

Hmmm - when a person cleans out unused bedside cabinets, she ought to be prepared to find things like this!  Are they not ridiculously fun?  The Rooster is 16 inches and the chickens are 12 inch blocks.  The combs and waddles are all 3-dimensional, and so are the tiny beaks on the chicks.  Why didn't I finish these?  Perhaps I didn't know what to do in the sashing.  I think I'll make sashing out of squares of ... something.  The pattern was wrapped up in the bunch of blocks and is from Quilter's Newsletter Magazine, July/August 2000.   It DOES need to be finished!

Oh yes, there's more in that cabinet.  I'll save that for another day!

Double T, AKA Stars over Shallotte

This is what is on my "Design Floor"!  LOL  And it's sideways to beat,  due to space, but what fun this one has been.  This was inspired from Bonnie Hunter's "Stars over Shallotte," in her second or third book, Scraps and Shirttails II.  My blocks are all similar fabrics, but each one different values in different places.  I am LOVING it, especially the zig-zag sashing. Blocks finish at 9 inches, and instead of using HSTs , I used Flying Geese and that great ruler (No Math ruler, previous post).  Each block came out PERFECT - unusual for me.  I am finished with the blocks but still need to make 4 half blocks, and more sashing.  It's eash to get mixed up sewing the sashing on diagonally, so that part is S L O W !  I have no idea what will happen when I get to the borders.  I'm thinking that some twining vines leaves, birds would contrast nicely with the hard sharp graphic lines  of the blocks and sashing. 

This was going to be a soon-to-be retreat project, but dang it, I'll be almost finished with it by then!  I"ll have to come up with a different one for the retreat.

Another pillowcase - Owls

Nothing too impressive today -- Just another pillowcase, but you know when you have some cute fabric like this, what are you going to do with it?  This is the perfect project!   I've made four different pillowcases, and they ARE somewhat addicting, being so cute!  Quilt Guild tomorrow and these will be donated.  Bye-bye!  These would make nice Christmas gifts for anyone. 

Pillowcases and more Double T blocks

I've made more Double T blocks -- look at the fabric I found for the zig-zag sashing - it's PERFECT!  I think I have 10 more blocks to go.  So far, they are turning out  PERFECT, every time, thanks to that good ruler by Lazy Girl (previously posted). 

This cute fabric (below) was given to me, but I've had it a long time, wondering what to do with it???  All those darling OWLS are not the easiest to work into a quilt.  However, after making several pillowcases for young foster children, something clicked -- voila!! That fabric  will be PERFECT for another pillowcase.

Here is my latest pillowcase - how long have I had those birdhouses???  I've saved that border, again, wondering what to do with it and lo and behold, it's the PERFECT border for another pillow case!  Do you ever make things for charity and then wish you'd made them for yourself?  I won't be tempted to keep it but it IS pretty cute! 

Thanks, Janet, and to her Mom, and to her Aunt, for this fabric

I've learned to check my small car's trunk before grocery shopping, knowing how often there is "stuff" in the trunk taking up space that is needed for groceries.  Today is grocery day.

A while ago, I wrote a post, called "Thanks Ron's Mom," which was a gift of a good deal of fabric, some not so great, but a lot of usable fabric.  I'm still working on the usable stuff.  Last week it was Ron's wife, Janet, who gave me boxes of fabrics, when cleaning out her Mothers' things, after her Mom passed away. Her Mom also had things of her Aunt's, who'd also passed away some time ago. Janet brought it to me at my office, and I hadn't had time to look at it, so into the trunk it went.  She knew I was a quilter, and if I couldn't use it, I would bring it to Guild for others.
 
There it all is - slobber, pant, drool -- maybe I won't get to grocery shopping after all.

First, I pulled out some neutrals from the box on the left (above)  to work into my present project, those "T" blocks. 

Below - here is a template made of ice cream container (kinda warped) and a LOT of squares of vintage fabrics.  I won't look closer for now, but I see an easy WIP, almost ready to sew!

Below, these look like fabrics from the 70s -- not cut up for blocks.  I don't want to stop too long to inspect more closely.

OMGosh (below) I hate to use the word "Jackpot" but that's what I said out loud when I saw this!  Hand pieced, nicely done and ALL done.  No odors, done well, neat narrow seam allowances and all I need to do is sandwich it and it MUST be hand-quilted.  The vintage fabrics are all in good shape -- from the 40s? What a great winter hand-quilting project! 

And if that wasn't good enough, here is "Jackpot #2!", seemingly made by another person, as the stitches look different.  Again, no odors, no holes, well done -- another must-be-hand-quilted project  They both only need pressing, and possibly another border.

Ready for another?  This 6 pointed star will require more work but it also is well done.  The edge pieces are a bit raveled, but another Jackpot!  How I hate to realize those ladies didn't have the opportunity to finish them. 

Dear Janet and Ron - I promise to love them,  I know I'll finish the two that need to be hand quilted.  I am most grateful you thought of me.  Extra fabric will be used by my guild for personal and community/donation projects. 

And I haven't shown all the contents of the box yet.  First glimpses showed vintage 40s fabric in blocks, 2-3 different styles.  That's going to be another day of pleasure -- for now, it's time to get those dratted groceries.

Tutorial - No math flying geese - by Lazy Girl

I have over-simplified a Tutorial with more-than-enough photos, using the No Math, No Waste Flying Geese ruler, by Lazy Girl.  The instructions are straightforward and on the ruler.  You use 1 large square and 4 small squares for 4 flying geese units (I need twice this amount for my block).  Geese are usually the DARK fabric but in this case my values are reversed.  i.e., this light fabric will be my geese.   My finished unit will be 1 and 1/2 x 3 inches -- that's all a person needs to know, the finished size of your unit.  The photos should speak for themselves.  Feel free to contact me if you have questions. 

You will have to trim off the points.

Voila!  You can really see the "T" with this value arrangement.  Kewllll!

Scrappy T blocks

This ruler specially designed for flying geese eliminates all waste -- once you know correct measurements for flying geese and use this method, you don't even NEED this ruler, but I always forget and it's nice to have this great tool.  There is little stretching, and so far, all have been nearly perfect.  I will include a photo of the method in process next post.  You start with a large dark square for the geese and 4 small light squares for the background per block.  However, in this block, values are reversed. 

Here are my 9 inch "T" blocks.  I LOVE how the "T" is more prominent in some blocks than others, depending on the values.   Be sure those geese are  pointing IN or you end up with another design - not a bad design,  just unexpected.  I plan to set them on point, with a zig-zag setting, inspired by one of Bonnie Hunter's gorgeous projects. 

 

After making 6 blocks, and having some pressing problems with bulk, I realized that when making the large corner HSTs, I should press to the LIGHT, and the construction is much easier,  more exact, and it lays flatter. 
Below is the back, showing pressing direction.  In order to get those geese points to lay flat, I clipped the seam allowances to near the seam line and pressed them IN.  That solved a second pressing problem. 

As usual, I am using what I have on hand - a never ending supply.