Nicholas' Quilt

Here is a quilt that I made for my grandson. The animals were embroidered by my mother and made exciting centers for the log cabin blocks. Tilting the blocks give them the freedom to add fun to an otherwise common quilt layout.

It was a joy to combine talents with my mother to pass on a memory quilt that "Grandma and Great-Grandma" hope will be treasured for many years to come.

Yes, another fabulous way to use our scraps. And just in time, there is a fabric sale going on.....

Assemble blocks

Now you are ready to assemble a quilt top with your tilting log cabin blocks. Lay out rows alternating a marked block and an unmarked block. The first block will tilt one way, the second block will tilt the other way, etc. (If all the blocks tilt the same way, your quilt will look like it is falling over.)

Seam the blocks into rows. I like to seam my rows vertically as it seems to provide more design options. Seam the rows together into a zany, fun loving quilt top. This is a wonderful way to make good use of your extra strips. A multitude of pattern options using these scrap-eating blocks can be found in my book, "Log Cabin Quilts with Attitude".

This design option makes a lovely scrap quilt, but come back to see the possibilities.

Trimming your scrappy Log Cabins

Today you will take the log cabin blocks that you made and trim them to a consistent size so they can be combined in a quilt top. For a bed size quilt, a 9" block works well so you will trim the blocks to 9-1/2". Here is where the fun truly begins.


Use a 9-1/2" square ruler or mark a larger ruler to that size. Lay the ruler on your first log cabin block, tilting it as much as possible but still keeping it entirely on the block. Trim off the edges on all four sides. Trim half of your blocks with the ruler tilted in this direction. (Because some of your blocks are larger than others, you will be able to tilt the ruler more. This is good because your blocks will have more attitude.)





Using the second half of your blocks, tilt the ruler in the opposite direction and trim. Again, on some of the blocks you will be able to tilt your rule at more of an angle than others. That's great because each block then adds its own special interest. Mark each blocks in this pile with a pin or a piece of tape so you can easily and quickly tell them from the blocks in your first pile.


Don't your blocks look so much more fun now that they are trimmed?

Come back soon to see how to put your blocks together into a quilt top.

Scrap Strips

Today, we'll delve into the pile of scraps that is overwhelming you.

We'll start with the strips that were left over from another projects. Pick out your strips and put them in a paper bag or box. See that pile of scraps getting smaller.

Wasn't it fun to remember what you made out of those fabrics? Wouldn't it be fun to use those scrap strips? But who wants the bother of resizing them for a new project, I sure didn't.

So here's the plan. Sew those strips into log cabin blocks. Use any widths, use any colors. Start with squares, rectangles or pieced bits such as half square triangles. Have fun pulling strips out of your bag and stitching them on. Since we are headed for a bed size scrap quilt, continue adding strips until your log cabin blocks are approximately 10-1/2" to 12" in size. Your blocks probably won't be the same size or shape, after all your strips are all different widths. That's o.k.

Come back tomorrow to see how to transform these mundane blocks into their jazzy, fun-loving counterparts.

Overwhelmed with scraps?

Have your scraps taken over your world? Are they crawling out from the corners? Are they tangling around your ankles as you try to move? Are they poised on the upper shelf ready to attack you when you least expect it?

No, this isn't a leftover Halloween horror story. But this may be the reality of your quilting world. In the next few days, I will be giving you suggestions for taming your scrap overload and getting control over your quilting studio.

Come back soon.