Hello out there! It is still snowing and we are still shoveling. This has been a whopper of a winter so far and I am starting to look forward to Spring. I figured I would write a post about my very first Log Cabin Quilt while I warm up and dry off.
In my quest to be a better quilter I pulled out a treasure I found at the thrift store many years ago. It is a Better Homes and Garden book titled American Heritage Quilts. I sat down in front of the fire with my coffee and read it cover to cover learning so much about quilts through out history. All of the patterns are included as well so I decided to start with the iconic Log Cabin Quilt.
My fabric stash is chock full of modern prints so of course that is what I used, and the only new fabric purchased was the grey and black dotted binding. In the future I would like to make this quilt again with vintage reproduction prints so I have one that is old fashioned.
Traditionally the blocks start with a red square representing a home's hearth. A yellow square in the center symbolizes a candle in the window and a black center square in a Log Cabin Quilt hanging out on the clothes line would be a subtle signal that the home was a station of the Underground Railroad.
I decided to use all three. Each block has a dark side and a light side and they can create several different patterns depending on how you place them. I chose the "Straight Furrows" pattern which symbolizes a plowed field. "Courthouse Steps" and "Barn Raising" are a couple more pattern options I think I will try soon.
I am so pleased with the way this fun quilt turned out. The backing is a gingham cherry print with some black sashing. Each piece of fabric is quilted by "Stitching in the Ditch" creating a super cozy, nubby, quilty texture.
I had two extra blocks left over in the end so I whipped up a trivet/pot holder using a off kilter quilting pattern. I was pondering the idea of using this twisty stitch pattern on the whole quilt but after finishing the trivet I felt it would be a bit dizzying because it has so much going on already.
Well I have stalled long enough, my feet are warm. Time to head out and get to shoveling but I'll be thinking of my next project the entire time.
I have a weakness for these handmade bookmarks, I love them. 
Many wonderful hours were spent hand embroidering this little lady in her basket of notions. I loved stitching those spools of thread with a satin stitch. I am very pleased with the way it turned out. The black Ric Rac just makes it pop. Gotta get more black Ric Rac.
Here is look at the inside. It is reversible but the inside is not as exciting as the outside. I used two different fabrics from Heather Bailey.
The bag below went to Amber my niece. She is a fine quilter and I filled her bag with sewing notions and a book full of quilt patterns. I hope she will use it someday.
I used a dark green print by Anna Maria Horner for the inside lining.
My little niece and nephew both received patchwork book bags from me. They are super duper simple and great for using up scraps. I even made a little pocket with their names embroidered on it. Once the bags were complete I filled them with the sweetest books. I had the best time shopping for those books. I really had a hard time keeping myself from buying a copy of each one... for myself! There are some amazing children's books out there.
The back-
The front of Jesse's
I used the same lining for both of them.
The back-
The best thing of all is the bags can be filled with a quilt or pillow and they become super comfy pillows. Today I am going to baste and quilt a "Ballerina Quilt" that has been on hold until post Christmas. I am thinking of making a matching quilted bag... we'll see. 
