Wonky Quarter Log Cabin Finish

Wonky Quarter Log Cabin

It's a finish!

50 x 60

I used some colorful and wider selvages to make the blocks. Most of the selvages came from quilt back trimmings to that is why they are wider. I normally don't like to leave that much fabric with a selvage. Most of my selvages are cut thin and I save them to use as garden ties.  

I used some spider web fabric squares for the start of the blocks. 

Blocks finished at 10.5 inches.  

I finished the top in April 2023.

I quilted it on my DSM with swirls in gray thread.

The binding is scrappy -- darker pieces from the leftover bindings box. 

The back. 

And ready for donation!

The theme in my sewing space this month has been STRINGS. I've finished up 8 string quilts and have been working on three new quilts - Feather Bed, Spider Web and Eight Point Stars.  I think that is about all of the finishes I will have this month but will continue to work on the new starts for the rest of the month. Maybe I will run out of strings. 

I differentiate between string quilts and strip quilts. 

For me...strings just happen. I don't cut into any fabrics to make string quilts. Most of the time strings are a result of quilt back trimmings or wonky end cuts of yardage. If someone sends me longer strips of fabric I first measure the width and if it is an even 1.5, 2, or 2.5 inches in width then I usually have one or two projects in process that can use that strip. If it is wonky or not exactly one of those widths then it goes into my string box.   

On the other hand...for me... strip quilts usually involve some cutting of yardage or even width strips I receive from other folks who send fabric and scraps my way. 

Next month the theme in my sewing space will be KIDS.   I hope to work on finishing kiddo sized quilt tops I have in the TBQ (to be quilted) stack and dig into the orphan blocks and make a few tops. 

And sew on...

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CELEBRATE! (my word of the year)

July 24 - I wasn't really up to celebrating much of anything. My sewing space used to be a back porch and has a flat roof with a very slight slant .  I noticed a small leak in my ceiling the last time it rained. After that son helped me get up there and put a tarp over where we thought the leak was. Well, it rained yesterday and rain still leaked in. I took a good look out the window at the roof when it was raining and I think it might be collecting nearer to where the water flows into the gutter so we need to move the tarp. We have known we need a new roof and gutters for awhile because roof is about 30 years old (we replaced it a few years after we moved here) but with hubby in and out of the hospital, too weak to do much and  still with many doc appointments pending for osteoradionecrosis in the jaw and dysphagia I have not gotten around to getting any quotes. And I don't want to have someone working on the roof when we aren't around.    So, anyway, I went to bed without celebrating a thing.  And then...hubby yelled for me. and woke me up. His feeding tube was about ready to fall out.   I do have a spare one here but first tried pushing that one back in and then measured the volume in the balloon that kind of holds it in place in the stoma and it was low so I added some distilled water to it with syringe and he was able to hook back up to the feed pump ok.  Today I will have to measure volume of that balloon again to make sure it doesn't have a slow leak.   So, I was proud of myself for staying calm in the midst of crisis and taking care of business - definitely cause to celebrate. I'm surprised I can do some of the things I do.  Last time his feeding tube fell out it was Christmas Day and we ended up in the ER. They did not have the right Gtube to insert so they put in temp foley cath. We ended up at the surgeon's office the next day and he put in a new one. I asked him what to do next time it fell out and he said "watch me put this in" and get a spare one for home. I didn't want to but I watched....just in case...

 

Selvage Quarter Log Cabin Top

It's a top!

Quarter Log Cabin

50 x 60

I used the longest, widest and most colorful selvages to make the 10.5 inch blocks. I wanted to make bigger blocks and more blocks but most of my selvages were not long enough or colorful enough. So this is where I ended up. 

 

And sew on...

 

Strings and Scraps, Snakes and Snails, Sugar and Spice

 Four new small tops to add to the mole hill  mountain of tops that need to be quilted. 

 This one is made of quarter log cabins and 2 inch scraps. 

In December I received a small box of scraps and some blocks. There were 21 Quarter Log Cabin blocks that were about 8 inch square unfinished. They all appeared to start with a 3.5 inch aqua square surrounded by 2 inch scraps.  I later found some starter squares were four inches or so so I trimmed them all to 8 inch square usually trimming the starter square to 3.5 inches.  There were also three blocks of that 21 that were missing one side. I added a 2 x 8 inch scrap from my 2 inch scrap bin and made sure those blocks were also 8 inch square with the aqua starter square trimmed to 3.5 inches.  I then made 3 more blocks from my own scraps so I had a total of twenty-four eight inch square blocks.  Then I decided I wanted the blocks to be close to 10 inches because most of the small donation quilts I make measure 40 x 60  and that's easy to do with 10 inch blocks.   That meant I needed to add two more rounds to the blocks.  My 2 inch scrap bin didn't have enough long lengths in it for 2 rounds so I decided to cut what was in there for the outside round.  I went to my scrap chunks and found some aqua pieces and cut those for the first additional round I needed to add. 

 I originally thought I would join four blocks together with all four aqua squares together in the center but that didn't look right to me when I started down that road. I ended up setting them like a stair step and was surprised when the aqua strips I added to the blocks joined up perfectly with the aqua starter squares.  That was a happy accident. I think this definitely flows now. 

 Strings

40 x 60

 I made these blocks back in December.   I used paper for the foundation so this month I finally trimmed the blocks and removed the papers and assembled the top.  These 10 inch (finished) blocks all came from my string bin.  I used black strings for the centers and bright for the rest. 

 This is another top that came out of the string bin. And, again, blocks were made in December and this month finally trimmed, papers removed and blocks assembled for a top that measures 40 x 60. 

 For these 10 inch (finished) blocks I used pink for the center string, brown strings went on both sides of the center pink, then I added more pink strings and finally finished off the blocks with browns. 

 This Wonky Log Cabin also came out of the string bin and used mostly skinny and shorter strings in red, white and blue. It measures 36  x 54. 

 I made these 24 blocks in December too. I originally thought I would make 48 of these 9 inch finished blocks so I would end up with a larger top. I trimmed the blocks since they were in the same pile as the string blocks and assembled them into a top forgetting my original thought that I would make more blocks. I remembered my original thought this morning when I saw the quilts hanging on the line and noticed this Wonky Log Cabin was smaller than the rest.  But this size is still okay for donation if I ever get it quilted. 

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

It's a Jungle Out There!

It's a Jungle Out There! 

48 x 64

It's finished and ready for giving or gifting! 

Last year I tried to reduce my string scraps and sorted them into boxes by color group.  When the sorting was done I had a box of pink and white strings, blue strings, green and brown strings, bright strings.  

This is the second quilt I made from a box of brown and green strings. There were a few gold ones thrown in there too.   I posted about the other quilt from the green and brown strings yesterday.  I finished this top way back in March 2018 to be quilted this year. The time has come. 

I also added in a variety of green and brown critter fabrics for the centers (are they really centers in a quarter log cabin or are they starters? )  - odd bits and pieces left over from bug jar quilts, I Spy swaps, etc. 

 When I found I didn't have 48 pieces of critter fabrics I threw in some glow in the dark eyes from the Halloween fabric stash.  Here's looking at you, kid! 

 I used a tan sheet for the backing and quilted it with leaves in green variegated thread. 

The binding is scrappy and also came from the box of strings.  I sewed it down by machine using a blanket stitch. 

By the time I get to my strings they are pretty stringy. Even after washing I can see a few stray threads here and there.  Guess the quilt needs a shave. 

This was my goal #15

for

Q2 Finish-Along

It's a Flimsy! Camouflage

  

48 x 64

Camouflage

or maybe

It's a Jungle Out There

While I was quilting a big quilt on my DSM I took a lot of breaks from quilt wrestling and switched to an old machine and made Housetop or Quarter Log Cabin blocks from the box of brown, green and a few yellow strings.   I also added in a variety of green and brown critter fabrics  for the centers- odd bits and pieces left over from bug jar quilts, I Spy swaps, etc.    When I found I didn't have 48 pieces of critter fabrics I threw in some glow in the dark eyes from the Halloween fabrics. 

I originally intended to make 10 inch blocks but due to a very stupid mistake I ended up with 8 inch blocks.  I didn't figure that out until all blocks were made and I was at the square up stage, darn it.  I was thinking a 60 x 80 quilt would be a nice size donation quilt for a big guy but now it's probably a nice size for a little guy. 

In order to have the critters in the blocks oriented correctly I first made 12 top left blocks, then 12 top right, then 12 bottom left and finally 12 bottom right.  Then I assembled them into blocks of four blocks and finally into rows and columns 3 x 4. 

I see one block of four with some upside down frogs I didn't notice until I took these pictures. It bothers me enough to rip it out and orient it correctly.  The bird string ended upside down too. 

There might be another quilt in the left over in this assortment of strings but I think I'm going to re-sort again and add them in to different assortments - maybe add a few red and orange strings for a fall themed string pile.  I still have lots of strings to use.  A lot of these pieces are trimmings from quilt backs or odd sizes from the very end of a piece of yardage. 

Using green strings was my Rainbow Scrap Challenge challenge of the week. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday