Log CABIN STAR QUILT

The making of this scrappy, delightful quilt in Spring Shimmer. 

I've got a new cape! Log Cabin Star travels from San Francisco to Santa Barbara

Have you ever made a log cabin quilt? This classic pattern is one of the most iconic blocks in quilting and so easy to make. I give you the PDF for free below, but here are the basic essentials for those of you who have a log cabin or two under your belt: 5" fussy cut center butterfly block. 1 1/2" strips pieced 7 times around center block. Make 16 of them in sets of threes with dark/light sides established and 4 corner light blocks....Add a windowpane bias 5" border and Viola! You're done... at least in concept :). Settle in, this is a longer post but it's fun and full of good information. Keep reading as I give you tips below, some helpful videos about trimming and little stories of life & California. This quilt, I made from my new Spring Shimmer which is in my shop and shipping world wide now in fits and bursts...as with many things in our Covid-19 era world. 

San Luis Obispo Creamery Photo Op Art

Butterflies- A lifelong source of inspiration, symbols of nature, beauty, hope and rebirth. I love seeing human's interpretations, like the painted wall above, of one of God's most transformative creatures. My mother gave me a book, Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus when I was a child...She gave me many books she'd find while browsing the Wellesley book store and so many of them are ingrained in my head, heart and soul. They have shaped me- most of them about compassion, love and the incredible potential of the human spirit. Thank you Mom. 

My boys amongst 100 year old palms in Santa Barbara - Hotel Milo

Fussy cutting the center blocks was so enjoyable. I really wanted to highlight the five gorgeous shimmery butterfly fabrics and this the perfect pattern to do it. The rest of the Spring Shimmer fabrics are used for the scrappy strip piecing. I loved repeating colors to add saturated areas of reds, oranges, yellows and blue. The PDF below gives directions with links to YouTube videos if you never have made a log cabin before. Give it a try! It takes just two FQ bundles. I have kits in the shop that include the Essex Windowpane border too! 

5 color ways of shimmery butterflies printed in Japan. No, I can't pick a favorite!

Spring Shimmer Log Cabin Star 80" x 80"

Having my two eldest both at California Universities has been a blessing. Both close proximity to San Francisco yet still far enough away....and our pocketbook likes in-state tuition. I think back to my days at university- left Boston to go to Burlington VT and then NYC. I definitely liked NYC better :) Vermont albeit gorgeous, had too many cows and cold winters for me. My first introduction to California, was actually Santa Barbara. Our college soccer team was invited to play in a women's D-1 national tournament fall of '86 and it was a serendipitous trip...Even though we lost terribly, California won my heart. Oh, and the Beach Boys was my first album as pre teen. So yes, the dreams had been brewing for quite some time. ​

Santa Barbara Blvd- Early morning beach fog

Put a quilt on it...and that wallpaper- pearlescent shimmer!

Book my mother gave me in the 70's

Covid quiet in SLO- We ate outside and on the beaches

My tigers

My peonies

Put a quilt on it - outdoor living

Indie doesn't miss a college tour

My boys UCSB surf style...such lucky kids

Log Cabin Star before the added border - The Art Barn

Cutting accurate 1 1/2" strips is key to block building. If your strips are wonky, your block will be wonkier...is that even a word? Pressing seams away from center block is also a good practice. Finished block measures 18 1/2" square. 

I played with different block settings

Dark star or light star setting?

​If you want to learn more about the history of Log Cabin quilts, I include a link here. Feel free to share any interesting tidbits about log cabins in comments below :) Love hearing from you. 

Pressing matters with Oliso

Clump your colors together for saturated areas, such as robin's egg blue

Last one!

Above are three videos that cover trimming and piecing the blocks together. I love making and even though I aim to be super accurate, I don't get my shoulders all hunched up about it when things aren't perfect. The more seams one has in the quilt, the more possibility of it not really laying flat. Which is OK. My favorite part about playing with fabric is the color, texture and design part. Not the perfect seams part...haha. I am soooo OK with that! 

Machine bound 100%

Zig zag and walking foot does the trick!

Feel free to download and print this pattern. Make it with my Shimmer or use it for your own stash buster! It's a great pattern to have on hand. Due to the fact it's free here, I will not be expanding on the instructions or offering more information. If you have questions, please see the many wonderful YouTube videos on how to make log cabins. Wealth of tutorials already out there so have fun! If you missed last blog post, take a look. It gives a broad overview of lookbook for Spring Shimmer and video that was sent to all the sales reps and shops worldwide. It gives you insider info. Also the Log Cabin is the first dive into details of the projects represented in the lookbook. Sign up for my newsletter/blog to stay in the know and become a part of my colorful fabric tribe!! We have fun! 

Remember last week, I talked about new CREATIVE SPARK Online Learning platform? It's exciting. If you have never taken an online class or want to learn more, watch YouTube LIVE presentation done last week. Here is the link. Plus I have a LIVE online class December 5th (3+ weeks away) and there are some spots left so join the party :) Hope to see you there!

Stay healthy and wear your mask! 
​xo