Irish Log Cabin OP 3, 4,5 and 6

Middle of the week became a little lost due to the holiday on Monday, so it seems appropriate to share Irish Log Cabin designs.

Mind you, Here in Australia and in New Zealand we have a holiday Friday too, so the middle of the week was still Wednesday!

I love the centres of the first two designs. Might have to go back and play with the blocks around the edge to see if I can improve that!

I have been asked a couple of times lately how big my virtual quilts are.

In my virtual world the quilts are usually at least double bed size, with blocks which vary between 9 and 15 inches … no miniature quilts here, even if what you see are all only a few inches square!

The Log Cabin deigns I would make with either 1.5 inch strips to make 9 inch blocks, or two inch strips, which would make 13.5 inch blocks.

That would make these designs with blocks on point nearly 80 inches or close to 100 inches.

EQ and Me OP 8

Very neat and tidy.

Tangled Irish Chain Blues 7

Interesting … but far from one of my best designs.

Stained Glass Early Project 6

 

It is OK, but I would now use a wider variety of designs in those circles … but i now have a much bigger selection of blocks to choose from, and they are much more accurate than they were back when I started this project file.

Just thirty virtual quilts to go to reach 4,000. My guess it will happen early in May, and then a few days of giveaways will start.

Patch Play 6, 7 and 8

A couple of days ago I showed designs which started with the quilting, but this one started with the applique which left lots of room for quilting!

I wanted the quilting to start with the applique design, outlining the shapes, and in some cases extending the design from the smallish applique with one of the bigger block designs over the top of it.

The remaining background has room to play a little, but I think I like the idea of cross hatching on the diagonal, changing to straight lines around the border.

White Wedding 56 and 57

We got married over Easter, and we are waiting to celebrate our first wedding anniversary on the same day of the Easter weekend. We were close a few times!

My parents only had to wait 25 years … we have waited 40 and still counting!

I think that means we are still newly weds!

Anna Pavlova 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11

We all know we need eggs before we get chickens … or is it that we need chickens to get the eggs?

When designing quilts we start with colours and shapes, then add the third dimension with a quilting design. Well, that is usually how it works, though Helen Stubbings turned that around by adding colour to what was essentially a whole cloth quilt with colour pencils.

I was playing with the quilting designs in this project file, using a whole cloth quilt as the background instead of adding the quilting designs to a colourful quilt. I was really straightening up the placement of the block designs in the quilting layer, but it was more fun using different blocks than just the one block over the whole quilt.

I rather liked the design above, and so went back to the piecing/applique layer to add a bit of colour.

Not too much … just a little bit!

Without the quilting it appeals to me!

But with that little bit of colour the quilting design needed a bit of modification. Though my thoughts when playing with the quilting design before I added colour was that the areas between the quilted patterns would be filled in with stippling or a similar filler design, but there is still room for filler patterns between and around other design elements.

 

Finally, what the back of the quilt would look like with a rather plain backing fabric. You have to imagine the filler of your choice … I like stippling or pebbles.

So, which comes first … the colour or the quilting?

Super 7s 55

If I was to give this design a name I think it would be Railroad Crossing.

Curved Cornerstones 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15

The first three designs today show that even a clever idea can be overdone.

I suspect that the designs would appeal to me more if the contrast between the cornerstones and the light was toned down a little!

The contrast stands out more because the cornerstones are bigger within the circle effect created by the thick and thin logs.

Now the cornerstones are smaller and the contrast is easier on the eye.

 

Love the spider webs in the last couple … or is that a hint to remove some cobwebs from around the house?

String of Beads Roundabout 18

Touch of Wedding Rings in this one!

Though perhaps Engagement Rings would be more appropriate … they look more like diamonds than wedding rings