log cabin love
March 11, 2007 at 4:02 pm | In I love to make things..., wardrobe refashion |I made my first-ever log cabin squares yesterday and just snapped a photo of one before I turn it into a pillow:
The other one, in a different color mix, is tucked away in my flickr instead of posted here because it’s a gift and I don’t want the recipient to track it down yet. And that’s all I’ll mention about that, until April anyway!
I really love the look of gorgeous all-patterned log cabin pillows, but I’m a compulsive project-alter-er, so I changed the proportions a little. I wanted to show larger sections of my patterned fabrics so I made the center square 4 inches across, the patterned strips 2.5 inches wide, and the solid corduroy strips 1.25 inches wide. The finished size is 15 inches square.
I really like how the thin corduroy frames the busy patterns and calms them down a bit. I cut up two pairs of Andrew’s frayed old Levi’s cords and salvaged lots of the material, and all the other fabric was from my stash. Oh, and I found it easiest to press all the seams facing toward the center, I’m not sure if that’s what everyone else does, but it worked for me. I’m a total quilting beginner, but I’m feeling a bit more confident with one successful patchwork project done.
So I think I’ll stitch up 14-inch pillow forms with plain fabric and polyfil I have here, so it’s a self-contained project I didn’t have to leave the house for or spend any money on. Very Wardrobe Refashion!
For more log cabin inspiration, I absolutely love the work of Lisa Congdon and Denyse Schmidt… they make such beautiful things.
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I keep thinking that a log cabin is going to be the next installment in my little quilts. I even got out the pattern in the Crafter’s Companion. (Sadly, I think more yo-yo’s are calling me first!) Yours turned out quite cute. Is that a Japanese print in the center?
Comment by Sarah — March 11, 2007 #
Sarah, thanks! The center fabric is one of the Denyse Schmidt Flea Market Fancy Free Spirit prints. I love her stuff. (And the center of the semi-secret one on flickr is vintage.)
Comment by Susan — March 11, 2007 #
Susan, that’s adorable (like so many of the things you make!). Will you show the final product? And, did you reinforce it with batting or interfacing before finishing it?
Comment by mari — March 12, 2007 #
I’ve been collecting fabrics for a log cabin pillow for friends for awhile now- and with their birthdays coming up next weekend your posting of this is just in time! I really need to just sit down and start cutting the fabric for it.
Comment by mj — March 12, 2007 #
beautiful!
Comment by Nancy — March 13, 2007 #
I like the twist on the log cabin. And don’t you just LOVE using old clothes to make quilt blocks?? One of my favorite things to do. I love quilts!!
Comment by CROQ — March 13, 2007 #
[...] I recently got up the courage to try quilting after years and years of sewing, I’m extra excited to use these lovely squares in a project, [...]
Pingback by Repro Depot love « West Coast Crafty — March 23, 2007 #
[...] the chance to do some fun spring sewing lately, after a busy winter! I finally machine-quilted my log cabin pillow top — which is mostly vintage and Denyse Schmidt prints, bordered with reclaimed brown corduroy [...]
Pingback by Adorn Magazine: Blog — April 2, 2007 #
[...] finished my first log cabin pillow on Saturday! I love looking at it, I’ve been intimidated by quilting for years and was so [...]
Pingback by spring sewing projects: finished! « West Coast Crafty — April 2, 2007 #
I’m making a log cabin cushion for someone as a gift and i’m lucky to be the owner of one of Lisa’s log cabin cushions too!
Comment by Nichola — April 28, 2007 #