A Spinning Log Cabin Quilt

Log Cabin quilts come in many forms and this quilt belongs to our niece Sarah and her husband, Jamie. I made it as a wedding gift in 2005. The strips for this quilt are 1-1/2 inch strips and the hearth block has red hearts in it. Sarah told me later that they had previously chosen burgundy and navy linens for their bedding so this quilt went very well with their decor.(I didn't plan it that way -it was a lucky guess):O)
The quilt has triangle sashing to give the illusion of spinning and the quilt is set in a pinwheel pattern. This quilt's strips came from many quilters' stash as I took a class one weekend in my hometown. It was a fun exchange as there was so much more variation than what I had in my own stash at the time. Each participant in the class brought a dozen sets of 10 strips of light(for a total of 120 light strips) and a dozen strip sets of dark value fabrics( for another 120 dark strips) We started the evening by trading the groups of 10 strips with one another. The only criterion was that everyone was required to bring good quality fabrics to trade. It was also interesting to see how people had grouped their colors into light and dark values. It was a fun experience and I would do it again. At the end of the evening I had built a few blocks but I was a long way from being ready to sew the blocks together.
I am sure that we were suppose to do a different layout with the completed blocks but this is yet another example of me doing my own thing with the pattern. I don't think of myself as a rebel, but I do like to put my own stamp on the quilts that I make. Log Cabin quilts have so many variations that it is not hard to find different alternatives - Sometimes, the hardest part for me is to settle on the layout and borders.

In the top picture you can see how Mars the cat has a long history of checking out my quilts and Christening them. By the way,it was Sarah's birthday yesterday so I want to wish her a very Happy Birthday!

There are still many more log cabin quilts that I would like to make- I have a book by Judy Martin called Log Cabin Quilts that has some lovely alternatives in it. And so the list continues ...

A friend and I were talking about all the quilts we would like to make before we leave this world and I said perhaps I should make a list. She said she had done that and found making the list overwhelming.. There are so many wonderful designs and patterns to make that I need to find a way to organize myself. How do you organize and decide what quilts you would like to make? I have many many books and magazines in my collection. If I am looking for something new I go back to them first, unless I have decided to take a course to learn a specific technique.

What do you do when you are looking for a new pattern? Do you keep a list of patterns or books with patterns that you want to make? Do you collect the fabrics and pattern and put them in a bin so that they are all together? I have a couple of bins of fabrics put aside that are my next quilts when I finish my current projects .. I best get moving on my current projects because I am feeling the need to start something new-

I wish I could say that it was because Spring is in the air but it has been snowing here in Alberta, for the past few days, so it will be awhile before we see the grass coming up and the blossoms on the trees...Right about now, I am tired of mittens and snowpants that my little ones at school still need- Recess is a fun time but it sure is nice when we no longer need all the extra layers of clothing so we can go outside to play...

I have really appreciated the comments that have been left on my blog- it is interesting to see how others make quilty decisions and share their process. Please feel free to add your comments... I enjoy the dialog..

Hope that you have had a good week and that you are enjoying some wonderful quilty experiences.. I am still plugging away on my Winding Ways blocks...

Tonight we turn our clocks ahead to daylight savings time so hopefully spring will decide to make its appearance soon!!

Regards from Western Canada,
Anna