Log Cabin Quilt Part 4 - The Finished Product

I finished it last week, and let me tell you, that binding hides a multitude of sins, as well as highlighting some of them. Tell you what though, I love that it's made from scraps. I love that I used up material and in the process, discovered just how much I have. I love that it's warm and snuggly. I love that it perfectly fits a king single bed (tested by Steve's mum last week).

I know the people who will use it won't be looking at the stitching and commenting about how the stitch lengths are uneven, or the lines wobble. I know that the bright colors and backing fabric will make me want to look at it for a long time and feel good. I know that despite it's mistakes and inaccuracies, I've made a quilt that I love and I learnt a lot doing it. Yay!

Click for Part 1, Part 2, an Interlude and Reflections on the journey that was making this quilt. 

Log Cabin Quilt Part 3

So yesterday I went through the stash and found some purple (left over from Steve's Aladdin costume (sorry there were never any photos of that :P)) which worked. I cut it out, I sewed it together and then sewed it on. Hooray, the top is done!

Then I grab the material that I have lined up for the backing, put it down and find out that it's actually an inch too short! AHHH!!! I figure, that's ok. I'll cut it down slightly more and then put a boarder on it to make it the right size and it will all be fabulous. Excellent plan.

I loved the fabric before (thanks Ikea) but now that it's got a cool boarder, it's 100% better. Excellent. Now I put the top on to check that the measurements were correct and it's all ready to sandwich with some batting and make a quilt. The evidence is below, the backing is now two and a half inches too wide! GAHH!!

It may be a while before I can bring myself to do something about this. It cuts so deep when you have a such a set back. Sigh.

Log Cabin Quilt Part 2

So I did work a lot more on the layout of the Log Cabin squares for this quilt. I ended up taking photos of the squares, whacking them into a table in word and then moving them around as I saw fit. The random layout was pretty quickly discarded and I tried a few others before I stumbled on this diagonal one which worked quite well. 

I was going to get more feed back from people and what not, but I just wanted to get the thing done, rather than have it sit around unfinished. Today, I pieced all of the squares together with the sashing (that's quilting term for the bits between the squares). I even sewed a little while Sophie was roaming around - risky! 

This square is my favorite. I don't know why.

Log Cabin Quilt Part 1

So I don't know if you remember these:

but I had a set of four of them from the 2013 Block of the Month Quilt that I did last year (in 2013 funnily enough :P). Anyway, I loved the block, but I ended up re-doing them for the actual quilt in different colors (and when I did that, I made some extras just cos I love them).

While wasting away the hours earlier this week, I had a strange desire to sew something. It had been a whole week since I'd sewn anything (Sophie's birthday dress) and I guess I was having withdrawals. Also, I couldn't sew my actual next project because I was waiting on getting some things. So I set that all aside, took out the quilting box, found the Log Cabins and thought to myself; "I'll just make a few more and then I'll have a quilt top in the makings."

I now have 48 Log Cabin squares made out of scraps. One of the goals for this quilt was that I would make it out of whatever I had on hand. No going to the material store and buying material (even if it was on sale and a good price :P). I do have enough material to get away with it (more than enough in fact) and it was a great way to use up lots of little scrapy pieces that I had in the box. Excellent.

The tricky thing now is to come up with a nice balanced layout for all these lovely Log Cabins that I am happy with. I was happy this morning with the layout pictured above, but looking at it now, I'm less happy - why are those two dark blue squares in the same row at the bottom? Why are three of the "yellow heavy" squares all on ones side of the quilt? What was I thinking; where is the balance?? Gah!

With 48 squares of Log Cabins, working on the layout is no easy task in itself. With Sophie to help, it's even harder.