The cabin is built

I've absolutely done it!

The logs are all joined.

Do you think it needs a border? Mum, be on the lookout please, this quilt is a-coming for quilting very soon!

 

scrappy logs

Sometimes, you know you've made the right decision.

Especially when the blocks come out so fast, and in such a fun way!

I feel like after months without sewing, this just had to happen.

I don't want to put the pineapple blocks aside, so I think this will be a good way to use them up.

Time for me to start piecing.

 

Scrappy Pineapples

And this is how quickly maverick blocks can come together.

Here's what I think.... The corner triangles are a bit wasteful, there's small triangles that get cut off every time, and they seem to small to do anything with.

So, I'm thinking I might switch to maverick log cabins, and use up some other small fabrics in my stash, cut into strips varying in width and then keep on sewing.

 

That scribbly stitching

This is a photo of a work colleague's first quilt. T just bought a new swanky-doo sewing machine with lots of bells and whistles. She is making this quilt for a gift to the host school in a Japanese exchange.

T has excitedly been showing me various stages of her progress. Then she asked me: what button do I press to get that scribbly stitching (stipple). I explained it was obtained by moving the fabric in a free-motion style, and to achieve results she would be happy with she would probably need to practise for about 20 hours before-hand. Did she have that time? So, I offered to quilt the borders for her.

Then I saw the quilt with its 3 dimensional leaves and flowers. I was not putting scribbly stitching on here! I stuck on press'n'seal a friend brought over from the U.S. a few years ago and drew large Eucalypt leaves. It didn't take long to quilt the borders. It was pulling all the sticky bits out of the close stitches that took a long time.

NB - I had a previous incident with press'n'seal. While I discovered it was wonderful for holding your quilt marking in place, it was a bugger to pull out when the quilting was detailed and close (If I forget, remind me and I will post a photo of my feathered star quilt).

And finally, my maverick quilt: Kaffe and Liberty United. Sometime around 2006 - Rosie, Andrea and I were stopping at earmarked quilt shops on our way to a particular shop about 2 hours uninterrupted drive from home (Sandra was overseas this time). We stopped at a shop selling Kaffe and Liberty prints and lots of other lovelies. The Kaffe prints were about A$32 per metre and the Liberty prints were about A$40 per metre. I found some of them irresistible and purchased a little from each family. I blended them with some fabric I was saving for a Paula Nadelstern kaleidoscopic quilt (lots more collecting to go anyway and I might not like them in another 10 years when I finish all my UFOs!).

Here she is with the binding on. Mum quilted large modern flowers in an allover design. Did you notice 2 of the corners are not square?