Curvaceous Cabins - Bendable Quilts

A few years ago I attended a Peggy Barkleys workshop, Curvaceous Cabins. It was based on her book, Bendable Quilts. Workshop allow you to learn new techniques while chatting and laughing with friends. Certainly that's a win/win situation. This one was more -- I came home with a fail-proof technique to use up those leftover 1/4 yards and less hunks.

First step was to pick out a light and dark color pallet. The blocks began as typical log cabins, but were trimmed asymetrically after each round. Sounds a bit absurd but results in a sliced block with no overlapping seams. I laid my cutting guide over a block so you could see how some strips are 1" and others are 1 1/2".



I ended up with six dark blocks and six light ones. Now for the fun! Stack a dark block on a light one and free hand cut from diagonally from corner to corner. I tried to miss the center blocks to reduce bulk when I sewed the pieces back together. Now I have 12 blocks to arrange into a lap quilt. We put together 4 layouts and invite you to help me decide which to use (or suggest one of your own).

Cheese and Crackers, Anyone?

I've had a soft spot for 30's fabrics since I was a kid. They populated my Gram's fabric stash. Only difference between those and the ones you find in the stores now -- hers were the originals.

Fast forward a couple decades and to a quilt guild rummage sale. I found a "Cheese and Crackers" pattern featuring 30s fabrics. I kept my eyes open and collected enough for a quilt. Every now and then I would open the box, cut a few strips, sew a few seams. Last month I decided that I had enough for a nice sized quilt. Actually I had enough for a nice sized quilt and a twin.

The pattern has a single primary block separated by white spaces. In one row, it sets horizontally; the next it's aligned vertically.

Using the 30s fabric and a unbleached background resulted in a relaxing quilt. I imagine you could take another style of fabrics and a dynamic background and the quilt would jump up and down, attracting attention.

(I'll be updating with finished pictures of both the queen and the twin sized versions.)

Quick and Easy Baby Quilt

Are you looking for an easy, almost fail proof quilt you can make up in an afternoon? I stumbled onto one in the back room of a small town quilt shop. During the East Tennessee shop hop, I was introduced to an intriguing cutting guide. It made pinwheel patterns from 9 patches. Although it wastes a bit of fabric, it significantly cuts down on matching seams. The end product looks more complicated than the actual process.



I chose a variety pack of dotted batiks, using a leftover muted background. An abstract butterfly pattern hooks the blocks together. It's machine quilted on my sewing machine. Overall, it's a quick and easy baby quilt.

Five Generation Quilt

This is the oldest of The S’s half finished projects.  About 100 years ago my great grandmother’s mother aunts and maybe grandmother got together to make a multi-generational quilt to give to their daughters.  The plan was to put the quilt together and use it and remember the family. My grandmother pieced hers with homespun linen and saved some of the blocks for her daughter. The quilt my grandmother made her squares are the ones with the thirties fabrics. 

 

These are actually quite cool to have around however maybe it’s time to finish the quilt? Now here is my dilemma ... what to do? Make more blocks as my great grandmother intended? Just sew what we have together? Use new fabric or old fabric?