Log Cabin Hearts, a Flimsy

Log Cabin Hearts is a flimsy! I didn't hang the flimsy on the porchline since it's mud season here. In this picture Log Cabin Hearts is displayed on our bed. That pinkish/lavender fabric gives the quilt a glow.

And in this picture she's displayed on the porch glider.

The outside border is a darker fabric that does not appear in the blocks but I think it looks fine, it calms the vibrant colors.

At this point, Log Cabin Hearts is 97" square but we all know she will shrink after being quilted and washed. I have decided I am not going to hand quilt this flimsy. The fabric the hearts are appliqued onto is a batik and I could tell, when pinning, that they stuck harder than regular cotton fabrics. She has been delivered to Calico Point to be long arm quilted with an overall design and should return home sometime in May.

Log Cabin Hearts was designed by Esther Hershberger back in 1996. This pattern is in desperate need of updating, Esther has paper templates for you to use to cut the fabrics. I got the size for the log pieces by measuring the size of the templates. 

This pattern is NOT for a beginning quilter, the instructions are definitely not detailed. 

Log Cabin Hearts is quilt #7 on the long list of projects for 2025 and beyond!

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

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, Patchwork & Quilts

The Box is Empty!!!!

Last January I had a post about cleaning and organizing my cutting room. I showed you a picture of a box of 1-1/2" strings or strips or whatever you want to call them. I said that a challenge to myself in 2019 was to empty this box. And I wondered how many quilts were in the box?

I've sewn the last flimsy, which measures 63" by 81". This makes flimsy #8 which is also destined for the comforter bash. Most of the quilts I sewed were log cabin blocks. I was tired of log cabin so for this project, I changed it up slightly and made courthouse steps! 

These are regular courthouse step blocks. I started piecing these blocks before Bonnie Hunter made her crooked courthouse blocks.

The strings were picked over and there wasn't much variety. I refused to cut more 1-1/2" strips so I used 2" strips from the 2" strip box to finish them. I always trim to size after they're sewn anyway so I had plenty to trim off this time.

Originally, last January, I sorted the strings into 3 groups, autumn, brights and then the leftovers.

Flimsy #1 - I chose to make log cabin blocks with the autumn and bright fabrics. He measures 92" by 106".

This setting was popular in my area back in the late 90's.

I used all sorts of fabrics for the lighter logs. If it had a cream background, it went in this quilt, even it it had red roses! Some of the logs were more beige than cream but I used them anyway.

I did have to pull some fat quarters and yardage to cut more yellows/oranges. Apparently I don't use those colors a lot because there weren't many strips of those colors in the box.

For flimsy #2 - I chose a barn raising setting with a star in the center. Measures 90" x 106".

Flimsy # 3 is similar to the first quilt but has a star center and measures 90" x 106".

I don't have to quilt the 3 autumn flimsies, they'll be donated the my Pennsylvania grands school auction. Someone there will hand quilt them.

Most of the autumn colored fabrics were gone, certainly not enough left to make another quilt. Now onto the bright strings!

I made two large twin sized quilts with brights that have been long arm quilted 

The first one has a regular barn raising setting with a star center, this is flimsy #4 and measures 70" by 98".

Tammy from the 3 Sisters Quilting quilted both of the quilts. She called this design rain drops.

I saw a star log cabin quilt on someones blog somewhere and thought I can do that. And so I did for flimsy #5 and it measures 67" by 94". 

The quilting design I selected for this quilt was what I called orange peel but Tammy called pumpkin seed.

It's hard to see on the front side but shows up  better on the backing.

Flimsy #6 has traditional strings on telephone book paper to make this 60" by 86" comforter top for the MCC Comforter Bash. 

I'm not an overly patient person and I found removing the telephone paper from the back of the blocks extremely tedious! Not going to do that again!

For flimsy #7, I went back to piecing log cabin blocks and made this comforter top which measures 61" by 83" which also goes to the comforter bash.

I did cut yellows just to give this flimsy some color.

I have been pulling small pieces of yardage and fat quarters to cut for the light strings. I ran out of lights from the box while piecing the first 3 quilts!

So to answer the questions of how many quilts were in the box of 1-1/2" strings, there were 3 queen sized and 5 twin sized quilts. How many quilts are in your boxes of strings?

There were a few strings left, most of them shorter pieces. To use them, I am making 9 patches. I do have a 9 patch project in progress but the progress is extremely slow.

This was a fun challenge but I don't think I'll try to empty a whole box next year. The 2" and 2-1/2" boxes are overflowing too. Next year I'll see what I can make from them. There is no sense in having string boxes if I don't sew with strings.

Linking to String Along, Month 10, Midweek Makers, Needle & Thread Thursday,  Peacock Party, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, TGIFF!, Brag About Your Beauties, Finished Or Not Friday, Oh Scrap

A Flimsie & Sweet Surrender

I've finished my 2nd UFQ of the year so far; the Summer Lake Log Cabin from Judy Martin's Log Cabin Quilt book. This quilt top has turned out pretty, but there were times I wondered what it was going to look like. Talk about ugly fabrics!!! I had purchased the book and these fabrics years ago, in a kit from Lolly's in Shipshewana. I would never have selected most of them, but I have got to say, whoever put the kit together definitely knew what they were doing.

I've sewn the binding and made a reservation for quilting with the long arm quilter. Sometime this summer I'll be able to show you a completely finished quilt! 

Judy had me make the blocks differently than how I normally piece log cabin blocks. She has you cut the strips from the length of fabric, not width of fabric. This was to keep your fabric from stretching. Another change is you piece the blocks in courthouse steps design, the light and dark strip are both the same length each round.

I'm not sold on the length of fabric idea. I don't normally have a problem with the fabric stretching and if it does, it isn't hard to to make the block fit in. But I do like the courthouse step piecing method. I will probably piece my next log cabin quilt like that.

I've picked a couple more of the patterns in this book to make someday; but not this year.

The 18 original applique blocks from Sweet Surrender have been completed. I've prepped and have started appliqueing the 13 applique blocks I need to make this a full sized quilt. 

Here are 2 of the side half-triangle blocks. There are 4 of them, but I forgot to take a picture of the others.

Another triangle block. The other block I made from this pattern had red berries. I'm trying not to make the blocks look the same. I also added the red circles.

I'm tired of making the hexie flowers that are needed for most of these blocks and decided to make some changes.

For this block I made a yo-yo flower and I really like it. 

Now I'm working on the next 4 triangles.

Linking up with - Log Cabin Loonies,  Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Quilting is More Fun than Housework, Em's Scrapbag, Quilt Story, Esther's Wednesday WOW!, My Quilt Infatuation, Let's Book It, A Quilting Reader's Garden, A Quilted Passion, Crazy Mom Quilts

Two Finishes & Vintage Candy Cane Snowman

I have a lot to show you today but first . . .

Some of you are you are confused about the back basting applique technique I talked about last week.  Gay, from Sentimental Stitches, has a step by step tutorial. Gay is left handed so right handed people will be sewing the opposite direction. I noticed she marked on top of her fabric too.

Now onto the show & tell stuff!

Last Sunday afternoon I started quilting this snowman and I couldn't stop! I did all the quilting in an afternoon. Now I admit, there isn't a lot of quilting on this little quilt. I stitched in the ditch along the edge of the border fabric, then just outline quilted the embroidery. 

Since this project was hand quilted, I hand sewed the binding on the back side.

On the backside you can see the straight line quilting in the border fabric.

Several commented on how perfect this stripped fabric was for the border. This was fabric left from the Zippy-Strippy quilt I made DIL 2 in June.

He finishes at 12" square and I'm displaying him in a picture frame. I had to take the picture from the side, there was a glare otherwise. 

I'm not a seasonal decorator. If I think something looks nice, I display it, no matter what the season. 

The pattern is Vintage Candy Cane Snowman by Crabapple Hill Designs. The pattern was purchased from the Pumpkinvine Quilt shop in Middlebury, Ind.

Since the embroidered snowman project is completed, I'm appliqueing again every evening. Block 22, Crossed Laurel Spray, of the Pastor's Attic Quilt has been started. Freezer paper in the back of the leaves is the technique I'm using for this block. Pictures next week.

I also got the king size pillow cases sewed. Yes, I am finished sewing pillowcases! At least I think I am, you never know for sure.

Last spring I finished two flimsies which were to be long arm quilted. They were both quilted by Tammy from the Three Sisters Fabric. Last week they came home. I've finished the binding and they are officially finished!

First is the Summer Lake Log Cabin quilt designed by Judy Martin. The pattern is found in her Log Cabin Quilt book. I purchased a kit from Lolly's Fabrics in Shipshewana years ago. I love how she has turned out.

This log cabin quilt finishes at 95" square which I think is a rather awkward size for a quilt, but it is what it is.

The colors that read as blue in the picture are actually purples.

A close-up of the center star. 

The snail blocks in the center and the border are actually pieced the same as the log cabin blocks. It is just the placement of lights and darks that make a different design.

I used a purple whole cloth for the quilt back. The simple meandering stitch shows up nicely. 

I also stitched both sides of the binding on my machine. The straight stitching on the back beside the binding doesn't bother me at all. I think it looks just fine.

The next quilt is Cherry Blossoms by Karen H. Her blog is Faeries and Fibres. (Click the heading Patterns by Karen H. She asks that people link to her blog, not directly to the patterns.) 

This quilt is different colors than I normally use but I think she looks so peaceful and elegant. The 9-patches finished at 3" and the little HST are 1" finished. 

Karen had a plain fabric border on her quilt but I added a pieced border. I thought the border was needed to add a definite stop to the center, it looked too plain. The binding is a flange binding.

Again this binding is machine sewn on both sides.

The backing fabric for both quilts came from Calico Point. They have the most reasonable priced quilts back of anywhere, including the online fabric stores.  I like whole cloth backing, no piecing!

Here is a close up of some of the blocks.

This quilt was made entirely from my stash, even the background fabric!

She is quilted with meandering and measures 90" x 102". Karen's pattern finishes at 69" x 82" but I wanted it to be bed sized.

Both of these quilts will go on the pile to be given to the grandchildren as they become adults. 

Linking to - Log Cabin Loonies, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Quilting is More Fun than Housework, Em's Scrapbag, Love Laugh Quilt, Super Mom - No Cape, Quilt Story, Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Sew Fresh Quilts, Silly Mama Quilts, My Quilt Infatuation, Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, A Quilting Reader's Garden, Show Off Saturday

Stringing Logs

After finishing 3 queen sized log cabin quilt flimsies in autumn colors, I've moved onto the bright colors from the box. 

I saw a log cabin quilt online somewhere made with all star blocks. I loved how it looked so I decided to piece a log cabin with that setting. This is a large twin sized flimsy measuring 70" by 98".

I had the individual blocks pieced, then sewed the star blocks together at the guild retreat in February. 

After the stars sections were sewn together, I decided to have sashing in between the sections. I hadn't brought any fabric along to do that with. 

Several of us made a point of visiting The Scarlet Thread. I purchased some 'word' fabric and some aqua fabric too. 

I cut the necessary strips for the sashing then remembered I had wanted to get a small piece of yellow for cornerstones. I thought yellow would be good since the center of the log blocks were yellow. Oh well, I cut  the aqua fabric and used it. It looks just fine.

For the corners of the piano key border, I made half log cabin blocks. 

This quilt is set in the traditional barn raising but has a star in the center. The flimsy measures 72" x 100". I added the narrow outside border so when I bind the quilt, I won't cover up the logs. Part of that narrow border will be trimmed before binding.

A close up of the center star. 

I'll have these two flimsies long arm quilted.

The strings in the box are decreasing but the box still isn't empty. Now I'm going to divide the fabrics into lights and darks and see what I get.

Linking to Sew Fresh Quilts, Needle & Thread Thursday, the Peacock Party, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, TGIFF!, From Bolt to Beauty, Finished Or Not Friday, String Along, Show Off Saturday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Log Cabin Hearts

The corner blocks for the Log Cabin Hearts quilt are finally all pieced. Piecing these corner blocks took me longer than I though it would. Now it's time to start sewing them onto the corners of the appliqued heart blocks.

I showed you a completed block last Sunday. I'm in the process of completing the rest of them. 

The fabrics used in the log cabin blocks are not all the same. Over the years I had purchased some very pretty fabrics which were used first, then I had to substitute.

The fabrics in the top right corner are my favorites. I've had that center square fabrics for years, probably 20 years. The next fabric was another older pretty swirl fabric but again, not enough for all the blocks. The next strips are the floral I purchased to use in Teal Stars while the outside strips are also left from Teal Stars.

You can see in the blocks on the left side that the center fabric is different. I couldn't find any fabric even close to the small floral use in the top right center square so I substituted this large floral. Teal, purple and blue are those flowers but I thought it added some more color without being intrusive. 

The last 20 blocks are made with a fabric I don't like but it was the only thing close to the shade of the swirl fabric. It works but definitely not my favorite.

The first thing was to mark the corner of the hearts. You sew to within 1/4" of the edge with a Frixon marking pen. I wasn't thinking clearly and marked on the front side of the blocks. Fortunately the markings were dark enough I could see through the fabric onto the backside.

It takes awhile to sew the log blocks onto the applique blocks. Hopefully they'll all be completed by next week and I can show you a completed flimsy.

Log Cabin Hearts is designed by Esther Hershberger.

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

Log Cabin Hearts

The log cabins hearts are appliqued. This was much faster applique than the little pieces in the Elegant Garden blocks. I usually appliqued 3 blocks a day, one day I managed 4 blocks so it took me less than a week to finish all 16.

The pinkish/lavender fabric kind of throw off the tone of the picture but it does have tiny dots of teal in them. 

I pieced four corners log cabin blocks so I could finish one block to show you.

This block is 22.5", finishing at 22".

Four corners pieced, just 60 more to go.

The Log Cabin Heart pattern is designed by Esther Hershberger.

What did I watch while bing appliqueing (and sewing those log cabin corners)? I watched quilting videos on YouTube. I liked the videos from ordinary quilters the best, not the designers who sell patterns/fabric lines and have picture perfect sewing studios.

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

Log Cabin Hearts

In the midst of my machine quilting binge, I received a call from Calico Point, another quilt is finished, this time it's Log Cabin Hearts.

I don't know the name of this quilting design but it's very pretty. A close up of one of the blocks.

Displayed on our bed.

I haven't used a flange binding for several years but it adds a touch of color to the edge of the outside border.

You need to stitch slowly to sew the flange without sewing onto the binding section.

I used white thread on the flange. 

Log Cabin Hearts finishes at 95" square. The directions on the pattern has a very wide outside border. I didn't want that wide of a border.

The Log Cabin Hearts pattern was designed by Esther Hershberger back in 1996. It's an older pattern and has templates instead of rotary cutter instructions. I measured the templates for cutting measurements.

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