Log Cabin Hearts

The next quilt for Joanna been started, this time it's Log Cabin Hearts. This is an older pattern designed back in 1996, almost 30 years ago. Log Cabin Hearts is designed by Esther Hershberger.

Of course I'm going to change the pattern, it's too long and narrow for my taste. I'll be making 16 hearts and not adding the wide outside borders. There will be borders, just not that wide.

The hearts look more interesting if there is a contrast so I'm adding some purple.

The 16 log cabin blocks for the hearts are pieced.

The next step is to cut the hearts out of the blocks. I've traced off the hearts onto the backside of freezer paper and ironed it onto the back of the blocks. Before I cut out the blocks, I stay stitch along the edge but not on the edge. These blocks will be needle turned and I want to be sure the stitching doesn't show.

Stay stitching on the front.

After the stay stitching is completed, I cut out the heart shape leaving 'turn under' for the applique. The edge is pressed to the back.

The next step is to applique the hearts to the backing fabric. I will finish the Elegant Garden block I'm appliqueing now, then Elegant Garden will have to wait until the hearts are completed. Applique happens in the evenings but the 64 partial log cabin blocks, that surround the heart section, will be pieced during the day.

You can buy freezer paper that has been cut into 8.5" by 11" pages but that's not large enough for the heart pattern. I have a roll of freezer paper that I bought at E & S Sales in Shipshewana. 150 square feet, that is going to last me a long time! You can probably find this product online somewhere, I didn't google it.

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Elegant Garden, Block 13

Another Elegant Garden block is completed, block 13 this time.

Elegant Garden is an older quilt designed by Edyta Sitar. I'm always behind in applique trends which is okay, the quilt is just as pretty now as it was in 2007.

Linking to Patchwork & Quilts, Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday

Teal Stars

The Teal Stars flimsy is finished, I'm pleased with the way she turned out.

She has been delivered to Calico Point for machine quilting. She should return home sometime in April.

I didn't have a pattern for Teal Stars, the design was created as I sewed. 

I did have a pattern for the stars though but the instructions told me to sew 4 strip sets for each row of the diamond, three strip sets would have been enough.

I had originally intended to have a log cabin border but since I had those strip sets leftover, they were used in the making the borders.

As of now, the flimsy is 98" square but she will shrink during quilting.

It doesn't show in the photo but the background fabric has a light aqua design in the fabric.

The leftover fabrics will be used in the next quilt for Joanna. The prep starts today for that quilt and there will be something to show you next week.

This flimsy was #6 on my list of quilts to piece in 2025 called Stars & Log Cabin.

This is the pile of 4 patches that were sewn while piecing Teal Stars. They sewn as Leader/Enders.

I must have put some in the box before I took this picture. They made with 2" squares and will finish at 3".

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Elegant Garden, Block 12

I'm making good progress with these blocks. Block 12 is completed and I really like it. 

I thought it might be too dark but it isn't.

I trim the fabric behind each layer of applique so it isn't so bulky.

There are 4 layers of fabric on the dark blue/circle flowers.

I'm considering hand quilting this quilt but won't make that decision for certain until these blocks are sewn into a flimsy. That decision depends on what I think of the outer border blocks.

I'm surprised by the variety of fabrics in the civil war fabric tub.

Elegant Garden is designed by Edyta Sitar.

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday

Teal Stars

Teal Stars is the first of several quilts I'm hoping to make for granddaughter Joanna this year. 

The center has been completed and piecing the first border is in progress.

I had trouble squaring the stars so I added sashing around the outside of the star blocks then trimmed them to 32.5".

After adding the pieced sashing and the background fabric sashing, she was supposed to measure 74.5" but she ended up 74" for some reason, I'm going to have to tweak the pieced border.

I did use a pattern for the stars but the rest of the quilt is being designed as I go. I knew I needed an even number so that is another reason I added sashing to the stars.

After I posted the first star last week, several people commented on how well the points matched/line up. I spent a lot of time sewing those diamonds. I carefully pinned each seam intersection. I'd rather spend more time doing it right the first time then have to take a block apart and re-sew. Patience is not something I have a lot of, now I remember why, the last time I sewed a Lone Star, I threw that pattern away and thought never again!

On another note, I don't know if Mail Chimp is delivering my blog posts anymore. If you have subscribed to my blog but it isn't being delivered, you'll have to search for it. Sorry about that but I don't know what to do about it. I normally link up to various linky parties during the week also.

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Elegant Garden, Block 11

Block 11 didn't take long to applique.

I have challenged myself to use civil war fabrics I already have on hand. Sometimes I don't think a block is going to look right but then it comes together when it's finished. Adding the pink and yellow/orange fabric really adds zing to the block.

Elegant Garden is an older quilt designed by Edyta Sitar.

I stopped at Elaine's last week to drop something off. She showed me her progress on  the applique borders for Rhapsody in Blue.

The blue vine will go around the corners when the borders are attached to the center. This is a modified version of the applique from the Lady Jane pattern designed by Nancy Rink.

Rhapsody in Blue is the quilt we are making together to donate to the Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale. We won't have it finished in time for this year's auction, we're aiming for the 2027 sale. This quilt will be hand quilted and I'm planning on putting it into the hand quilting frame this fall.

On another note, I don't know if Mail Chimp is delivering my blog posts anymore. If you have subscribed to my blog but it isn't being delivered, you'll have to bookmark it or search for it. Sorry about that but I don't know what to do to solve the problem. I normally link up to various linky parties during the week also.

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday

Teal Stars

On the long list of projects for 2025, numbers 6, 7 & 8 were to make quilts for granddaughter Joanna. She's a teal girl and I have started the first quilt. For lack of a better name, I'm calling it Teal Stars.

I made the first star just to see what it was going to look like. Now I need to sew three more stars. They're ready to sew, hopefully next week I'll be able to show you all four stars or maybe, perhaps, the finished center section of the quilt.

Teal is one color I don't have very much of in my stash so I went to Calico Point and bought some. I did have one fabric from my stash, the dark outside diamond. I made sure the new fabrics played well with that fabric.  

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, UFO Time, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts