Monday 23 February 2015

Wonky Log Cabin Blocks

I am passionate about log cabin blocks and log cabin quilts. At the beginning of 2015 I decided it was time to learn to sew straight seams so... the ideal place to start would be to sew traditional log cabin blocks, or so I thought. Indirectly, I was trying to create order out of chaos...

Anyway... I made a start using Amafu's Maluti Moments and Brazillia fat quarter packs. The following photo is of one of my first blocks.


Sewing square blocks, how boring my creative brain screamed. The rational brain argued back... you need to finish what you start and, it's good to create order out of chaos.. Ha!!!!! 32 or so squares later, I was very proud of myself... It's time to play with the blocks to see how they best fit together....Then I realised that somehow, predictably not all of the blocks are the same size and so their seams don't fit together in a line. Now what... Yippee shouted the creative brain - you see, you shouldn't try and create square log cabin blocks. Let's take what's left over of the same fabric and make wonky log cabin blocks.....


In the meantime, I started making a blue and brown Shweshwe quilt for a very good friend of mine - in the square log cabin phase - I have to continue because I can't make wonky log cabin blocks with this fabric. What happens if I make a lone star as a centre  panel and add log cabin blocks around the centre panel? No, no no, not more structured shapes shouts the creative brain....... But what to do? This quilt needs to be finished. To be absolutely honest with myself, the creative brain is still working on ways to make wonky log cabins out if this fabric.






I also took some of the square log cabin blocks that didn't fit and played with them. I added black crosses to the blocks - along the lines of what Nancy Crow taught me years ago. What people don't know is that sometimes creative brain gets very angry with the world. The block below is the start of a series which expresses the feelings of "I'm done" - not sure what I'm done with but here is the start......




















As for the wonky log cabins... that's a post for another time. Let's just say it's interesting working on 3 different quilts at once :)


Tuesday 3 February 2015

2015 and Funky Fabric Dyeing

2015 has arrived - wow, what happened to 2014? Guess it's time to move on and embrace 2015 with both arms. I can't wait......

Summer is here in the Southern Hemisphere and we are having a hot dry summer - not so good for the farmers as Africa has a perennial water shortage under normal circumstances. It is however great news for those of us who use the hot African sun as a catalyst to create the most beautiful hand dyed fabric. A friend and I hand dyed about 20 metres of fabrics in the last couple of weeks. Now it's time to cut fabric, pack it and send it on it's way. Watch this space for our new venture and the destination of the fabric.

Some photos below of the fabric that being dyed, cut and sewed into a beautiful quilt top.