When asked what colors she preferred, Erin simply said, "Aunt Judi, I want bright colors ~ not necessarily pinks" so choosing fabrics this go round was very easy. I ventured into Hancock Fabrics this past Friday afternoon to select seven bright fabrics that complimented each other. After all, I had just found out earlier that day that Matthew & Gabrielle's baby due in mid-December is also a Princess, so that meant I needed to get to work & soon if I hoped to have both quilts finished before the babies are born.
Fabrics prior to cutting laid out in the order of quilt block
Strips are cut and laid out in order of assembly
Let the sewing begin ~
Making a Log Cabin quilt is very much an assembly line process.
It's an easy quilt to assemble, yet each one is unique depending upon the fabric colors selected.
And the cutting ~
After the center strip is sewn to the first light strip, the set is cut into nine 2 1/2" sets.
Center square with 1st light makes the 1st set.
Two strips of each color are added to the block
More cutting
Block assembly ~
The block grows larger with each additional strip added
Completed block
I always sew an entire block together and look it over to make sure I am totally happy
with the colors. Nothing is more depressing than to complete all nine blocks and lay it out
to discover I didn't like the way it looked put together.
Granny always said, "A stitch in time, saves nine".
Well, my take on that is "If I love the block, I'll probably love the quilt!!!"
After all nine blocks are sewn together, I lay them out to decide the pattern I love best ~ I normally get other opinions as well. The Log Cabin baby Quilt can only be assembled two ways ~ All 7's or Fields & Furrows.
All 7's
Fields & Furrows
For Princess Nydegger's quilt, I chose All 7's (Matthew helped me decide this one ~ he said Fields & Furrows looks chaotic ~ must be his OCD kicking in!!!)
First row laid out to pin prior to sewing
Blocks are lined up & pinned so that proper alignment is achieved
First of three rows completed.
Repeat two previous steps twice more.
Once all three rows are assembled, they are sewn
together to complete the quilt top.
And there you have it ~
A quilt top
Just pieces of fabric
Made with lots of love
For a special someone in my life
Ready to be prayed and loved over
while being hand quilted.
I have people ask me from time to time if I'll make them a quilt, which is normally followed by "I'll pay you." It's crazy, this quilting hobby of mine. It started 18 years ago, soon after Granny moved into the home shared by Jessica, Matthew & me. Rosalie, my best friend from Picayune, suggested that we make a quilt top and let Granny quilt it for me. Well...the quilt top was assembled in a weekend, but when I brought it home to Granny, she was afraid that she couldn't do it. I had no choice but to learn how to quilt.
One hundred twenty-seven quilts later, I'm still at it. I quilt because I love it, it's relaxing and each one is made in its own uniqueness, just as unique as the recipient. If I allowed someone to "pay" me, I am fearful that the emotions I feel would be lost. (Plus they probably couldn't afford my asking price!!!)
That just would not be fair
for a Quilt not only brings warmth
but also lots of love and comfort.
No comments:
Post a Comment