Steps - a Rebuilt Log Cabin

 

 

 This was one part of my recent Trunk Show and posted several years ago.  Photos were generously taken by a friend who uses a different kind of photo app, so I had to fiddle to get the photos on my blog.  There is probably an easier way, but I'm managing one photo at a time.  My quilt is a "Rebuilt Log Cabin", a method not invented by me, but I sure love the oddness.  Border is plain ole bargello, which makes a splendid finish to this quilt.  

"Step Lively" a Rebuilt Log Cabin

This looks a lot like a previous "Rebuilt Log Cabin" I posted, but it's yet another quilt -- the colors are probably similar.  If you have studied this design, you may notice that I did the same cutting of border corners as I did with the block - look what happens? Hey, cutting off those 4 corners took courage!

I have a Tutorial -- my one and only Tutorial (tab across the top) for a Rebuilt Log Cabin  block.   

It's quilted with a variety of patterns and threads requiring several different needles and a LOT of tension  adjustments.  I'm happy with it, and LOVE the border variation, and really love that I took a chance!  Quilt size is about 65" x 85".  

I quilt on a DSM, a Janome 6500.  I started quilting Sunday, and finished it today, Thursday.

"Steps" - done

This Rebuilt Log Cabin project is DONE, with the exception of a label.  Saturday is Guild Day and I’ll take this for Show and Tell.  This is about 82" x 104", and quilted on a DSM, no stitch regulator.  It’s difficult to see the border, but it’s all various leaves, a few sprites, scrolls, curliques, a ribbon or two, following an implied vine, serpentining around the border, following the path of dark blue squares.  The quilt finished very square and straight.  Despite looking complicated, this is an easy border, which started with Quiltville.com Scrappy Bargello.  The first border (at the bottom) contained a bright blue that I didn't care for, but left it in - after all - that's how it started, and you never know what it's going to look like until it's done. 

DH was trying to hold it straight, but the deck is still icy and it’s COLD today!  And there is still some fluff, bits of thread to be removed.

I started this in October 2011 end, making the 50 Log Cabin blocks at a 3-day Quilt Retreat.  But then, due to several too-sad, distressing family illnesses and deaths, could not get back “into it.” The sad stress resulted in that our household was not working well, until I realized that “Steps” is what life, and death, and our quilting, are sometimes all about. Some steps are good, some terrible, but we still have that journey to wade through.  So I pulled myself back into this pastime that I love, the one that calms me, gives me inspiration, and exemplifies our lives, and our life returned back to some semblance of quiet order. The border?  Yes, it’s somewhat overwhelming – that’s exactly what it should be – a little overwhelming, to finish THIS quilt, called “Steps

 

Temps, MQ Mess, Border Quilting

 I reside in the middle of the USA, in the High Plains of western Nebraska (almost 4000 elevation), where we have had minus 36 degrees F. in January a few years ago.  This was taken last week and was the same temp the previous week as well - kinda scarey to be so warm this time of year.

Above is the kind of mess one has when machine quilting a large quilt on a domestic sewing machine.  Notice the crooked pictures, the blinds are mashed against the window, and my boxes of other projects on the sewing table surface are all askew.  I had to be careful that I didn't quilt loose bits of Orca Bay into the back of this quilt, "Steps", another Rebuilt Log Cabin.  The second light source is necessary to see stitches behind the machine. 

Do you see the large clip at the top of the photo?  The clip holds final instructions for an Arabic Lattice (John Flynn) hanging on the valance.  I was sure the project would be finished 2 years ago.  Oh my, that really IS a UFO.  The setting of the blocks are unusual and confusing, so I made sure directions were right in front of my face -- but 2 years ago???

Below is my current project (between Orca Bay construction), a Rebuilt Log Cabin called "Steps".    It's nearly finished and I'm working on coming up with a quilting design in the last border, 9 inches wide.  The book is from PatsyThompsonDesigns.com, and her suggestion is hyperquilted.  In this case, the extra color and lines are not needed but I sure like the thread lines. 

I use a Flexicurve, a long version, to help me "see" what the plan will look like.  I'll chalk in the implied spine, will start at the left (bottom) and work up to the top corner. 



Machine Quilting, and the Other Side of the Studio

While waiting for the next step in a Quiltville.com Mystery Quilt, I pulled out this  "Rebuilt Log Cabin," my name for the design, and I started the machine quilting.  I call it "Steps" for a variety of personal reasons.   I had dreaded the quilting, as I KNEW there were several pleats in the backing, but planned to quilt TO that area and then rebaste, a job I was NOT looking forward to - ugh!.  Happy Day - I lost track of where I was stitching, and dang it if I didn't quilt those pleats right into the backing and honestly, you can hardly tell they are there unless the viewer KNOWS it, and other than all you bloggers, I'm not telling!  Am I lucky or am I lucky?  8-)))

My husband works on the other side of our "studio" which is only a small room about 10 x 11 feet.  If he rolls his chair back when I roll my chair back, we crash, that's how small our space is, but we still manage to do our things. 

He makes wood, model boats and frankly, between quilts and boats, we are running out of space.  This project is USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides", circa 1700, a war ship and this is a crosswise  cross section.  The mast goes up another 2 levels, but he decided this was tall enough.  DH is a big man, large hands and I truly do NOT know know he can fiddle with all the lines, tiny knots, drilling teeny things, etc.  In this case, he cannot even rest his hand on anything when his hands have to be 18 inches over the tablle.  There are a LOT of words that come out of his mouth at times -- then I have to leave the area!  Those clamps are helping to hold knots tight, or glue or something.  This is a cross wise section, and his detail is amazing!  There are several decks on this ship, which would hold all the supplies for the crew.  This one starts as a kit, with the basics, and instructions are frequently in another language and almost always, have serious errors, so all calculations and cutting have to be logically challenged - you just cannot dump the parts out on the table - you have to KNOW how boats/ships are built. He's really good at adding or inventing the details that bring it to life, as well as "making do" when something goes awry.

Below is a close-up. So far, he's put in 150 hours, and there are many more to go.
 

37 Log Cabin Blocks on the Floor, and Goodbye, 2 QOV Quilts

Here are 37 of 48 planned Rebuilt Log Cabin blocks on the floor.  I have scrunched them way out of the way from foot traffic, just in case someone tromps through.   So far, I'm liking it!  I DON'T like the smudge on my camera  that I didn't see 'til AFTER the photos were taken.  I LOVE the zig-zaggy light and dark diagonals.  The blocks are trimmed -- mine are ending up 10 - 10.12 before sewing together.    Today I am packing up these two Quilt of Valor quilts -- sometimes it's hard to part with them but they sit on the shelf, unused, and they need to be used.   Off they go to Alycia in Kersey, Colorado.  The left one is a Rebuilt Log Cabin, and the right one is a Confusion Quilt, designed by Debbie Bowles. 

Regarding the Confusion Quilt -- the blocks are made oversize, and then trimmed - yes apparently I LIKE to make blocks and then cut them up!  Anyway, what is trimmed off goes to the floor, then picked up and sewn back together for the border, in whatever way you choose, producing some amazingly complex-looking piecing.  (Below) The horizontal black with stars is the "regular" border and above that is all the piecing made up of whatever.

Below is the red side of the quilt.  The horizontal white pieced to the red is the other side of the quilt border, and below it is part of the border, all the little bits and pieces picked up off the floor!  8-)))   I had no intention of it turning out something like a flag, with the red/whites together, and then the blue/whites together, but that's what happened.  This design is definitely a surprise in the end, and Confusion in that you don't quite know what it will turn out to be, until the end.  I LIKE surprises like this. 

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 ...

Done

This one is DONE and I'll be mailing it off soon, as a QOV. I removed all my leafy/viney quilting stitches in the border - it was OVERDONE and inappropriate. Some of the stitch/needle holes were still visible so I spritzed it heavily and hung it out to dry. Looks pretty good now. I did a simple stitch-in-the-ditch between 2 of the borders. This is much simpler and more in keeping with the stripes. I couldn't believe I actually had this backing in my stash - 4.75 yards. How perfect is that!

Workshop, Rebuilt Log Cabin

My Guild asked me to teach/hold a workshop on my Rebuilt Log Cabin. Here's a bunch of us, sharing a large beautiful library room with another class. We have so many members (138) that we frequently have 2 classes planned, instead of just one. This meeting was local and many of the gals car-pooled but I only had to travel 5 minutes! THAT saved ME the usual 2 hours of driving. Happy Day!

My post of March 12 and March 15 shows one version of a nearly finished, Rebuilt Log Cabin.

I'm embarrassed to see I didn't get everyone in my photos! Jeesh! I also see the value of understanding how to make a slide show instead of individual photos.

Back in the Studio

Despite unsettling days, sadness, and looking forward (NOT!) to cataract surgery in the next month or so, I've managed to get this quilt top together. I can't say I'm too perky though.

On National Quilt Day, (March 19) I am teaching/leading a workshop on this quilt. It's a bit wild, but I am sure quilting helps to blend the values. The corners are mitered, and I used those strips in the border, thinking of "repitition", "rhythm", and "continuity." My thread is a soft smokey blue, not too dark, and I will quilt it a LOT. Most likely it will be a QOV, for a female soldier. You can see it's VERY scrappy. Nothing except batting was purchased for this project.

I am waiting for another Quilting DVD to arrive, this one from the Pajama Quilter. If a person just uses 1 or 2 ideas from these kinds of quilting DVDs, then it's worth it!

My friend Chell who always perks me up, joined me last week for a Sew Day. She's making delicious progress! Click on the link for the direction she's heading! Stunning!