The Mighty Log Cabin

So, the next block for our funky Mulligan Stew/Kitchen Sink crazy block exchange is the Log Cabin. I love this block, I truly do. It has so many possibilities!

 It can be classic and traditional.

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Or funky and modern.

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Source: flickr.com via Trina on Pinterest

I counted and I've made 9 quilts that involve log cabins in some shape or form since I started seriously quilting six years ago. I won't picture them all here, but if you're curious the links are here- tummy time quilt, bright baby, there's no place like home, cars quilt, cheeky monkey, Sam's quilt, birds and trees, doll quilt, and lawson's quilt. That's a lot of log cabin love.

Saturday night, I demonstrated a simple, jelly roll friendly log cabin block.




I won't go into too much detail here but here's a quick and dirty diagram of the block.





The measurements of each of the nine pieces are listed. You sew #1 to #2. Press. Sew on #3. Press. And on and on. If you wanted a really traditional block, #1 would be red, #2, 3, 6 and 7 would be either light or dark. #4, 5, 8 and 9 would be the opposite. For a square in square look, #2, 3, 4, and 5 would be all the same fabric or color. #6, 7, 8, and 9 would all be a different fabric or color.  Does that make any sense at all?

I know that's not much of a tutorial, so here are a lot of others!
Trim As You Go Traditional Block
Scrappy Log Cabin
Picture Frame Log Cabin Block Video
Wonky Log Cabin
Hexagon Log Cabin
Strip Pieced Log Cabins

And if that doesn't keep you busy enough, here's a ton of inspiration-

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Well, if that doesn't send you racing off to your sewing machines, I don't know what will. Just remember, if you want to participate in the block exchange you will need to bring six finished log cabin blocks to our meeting on April 6th.

March Meeting Recap

Meeting Date: March 9th, 2013
Members in Attendance:12

Ummm, Quilt Guild rocks!

We welcomed two new members- Lisa and Autumn. We were so excited to have them there and look forward to seeing them again.

Peggy reminded us about the Desert Sage Quilt Show next month. It's not too late to register a quilt to show. You have until the 18th of March. Then the Quilt Show will be April 13th and 14th.

Heather told us about her son Tanner's Flat Bear Eagle Scout project. Information can be found here.

Because of the Quilt Show, our next meeting will be the first Saturday of the month, rather than the second. So, mark your calendars for Saturday, April 6th at 6 pm.

I demoed our next block for the Mulligan Stew scrappy happy block exchange. But, much more about that in the next blog post.

Afterward, we had a blast sewing late into the night.



Hope to see you all next month!

2/9 Meeting Recap

Just a few reminders from our meeting on the 9th-

1. Dues are due. $15 dollars for the year if you have not paid them yet. Yadda, yadda, yadda. I promise this is the last time I mention it since pretty much everyone has paid.

 2. The Desert Sage Quild Guild's bi-yearly quilt show is right around the corner. Enter! There's no entry fee, no scary judges, no reason not to. I will be bringing copies of the entry form to the next meeting.

 3. Speaking of the next meeting, it will be March 9th. We'll meet at 6 pm at The Quilt Barn. We'll get all our business out of the way and then stay for a late night sew. Fun!

4. Everyone did a great job on their Sawtooth Star blocks! I love all the ones I received. We decided to do Log Cabin blocks next, if you'd like to get a head start. At the March meeting, I'll do a basic demonstration. Then I'll write a blog post again with all sorts of links to tutorials and inspiration. Then, whoever decides to participate will swap blocks at the April meeting.

5. Thank you Heather for an awesome demonstration! She showed us the super-cute, super-useful zippered vinyl pouch pattern pictured above. There were kits ready (thanks Jenele!) and several of us make our pouches right then at late night sew with more help from Heather. If you missed it, you can still pick up the pattern (and maybe even one of the kits) from The Quilt Barn.

Hope to see you all on March 9th!

Scrappy Sampler Quilt

Lately I've been thinking about quilts like this:

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And this:

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And this:

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And how I absolutely love them. And I think I've come up with a way for each of us to have a wonderful, scrappy, everything and anything sort of quilt by the end of the year. This is how it's going to go. Every other month, I'll introduce a classic sort of quilt block. I'll give a brief tutorial. I'll write a blog post with a whole list of tutorials. I'll throw in a whole heck of a lot of inspirational pins. Then, if you'd like to participate, you soak in all that inspiration, grab your scraps and make six blocks. However you'd like. Make them exact. Make them wonky. Make them big. Make them little. Make them yours. (Maybe make a couple of extra to keep). Bring your six blocks to the next meeting. We'll pass them around and you'll go home with six blocks made by others. The next month, I'll introduce another block. Next month, another block exchange. On and on. Until, by the end of the year, you'll have 36 wonderful, unique, scrappy, fantastic blocks to make into a quilt. Add any extra blocks you made and any orphan blocks you have lying around. Can you tell how excited I am about this?

Without further ado, January's block is the classic, timeless Sawtooth Star!

Basic Tutorials-
Sew Mama Sew
The Purl Bee
Thought and Found (Look at her tutorials for a ton of Sawtooth Star variations.)

Inspiration-

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And my personal favorite-

Source: flickr.com via Trina on Pinterest

There, that should keep you busy for a while. Let me know if you have any questions! Otherwise, see you February 9th with your blocks in hand.

January Meeting Recap

So, I meant to get this up so much earlier in the week. But, I have fallen prey to the cough that will not die. Seriously. I'm on day #11. But, I feel like I've finally turned the corner. Maybe. At least I'm feeling enough better to get a couple of blog posts written.

Can I just start by saying that you all are wonderful? Quilt guild is the highlight of my month. I love seeing you all. I also love knowing that I am not the only fabric-loving, quilting when I should be cleaning, crazy woman out there!

Alright, on to the important stuff from our meeting.

1. 2013 dues are due. $15 buys you a years membership into our guild. This is the money we use for publicity, charity quilts, paper products, giveaways, etc.

2. Everyone seemed so excited about our combined meeting and sewing night that we discussed keeping it. Pretty much everyone was in favor. So, from now on we will be meeting once a month on the second Saturday of the month. We'll officially meet at 6, get the business out of the way and then sew until they kick us out. If nothing else is going on in the classroom, we might have 4-6 available to sew as well. The meeting will always take place at 6, though so whoever is working at The Quilt Barn can attend. That means our next meeting is Saturday, February 9th. Be there!

3. We brainstormed a long list of ways to attract new members. I think we're going to start with the cheap methods of fliers and handouts. We'll post them at local fabric stores and around the community. Plus we'll have some business cards with meeting info for our members to hand out whenever they're telling someone about us. I'm also going to see about creating a public facebook page.

5. A couple of people have asked me knitting questions lately, so I'm holding a little knitting afternoon at my house. Saturday, February 2nd at 1 pm. 1240 Tara St in Twin Falls. Kids and any sort of handwork project are welcome. I might even make a cake.

6. I introduced our 2013 sampler quilt project as well as the first block- a Sawtooth Star. But, that's going to get a blog entry all it's own later tonight.

So, that's it. If you have any questions, email me at trinasdoings@gmail.com. Otherwise, see you the 2nd or the 9th!

Meeting cancellation

No meeting tonight, crafty ladies. The roads are icy. Several of us are sick. We'll try again for next Thursday.

Pictures!

So, I realised today that I never blogged the November meeting. And I can't find the camera I took pictures on at that meeting. And, it's been over a week since the holiday party and I haven't blogged that either! I hereby blame Christmas for all my slacking! Anyway, I figured I better at least post some of the fun pictures from last week.






























Don't we make some great faces? I wish I had taken more pictures of your beautiful faces and the beautiful things you made. I guess I was just too busy enjoying myself to remember to take pictures!

Our next meeting will be January 10th at the normal time (7pm) and the normal place (the Quilt Barn). We'll be trying out some new things for the new year. Be there or be square!