Phew! That was a lot of sewing.

When I started playing around with the blocks I did not anticipate a quilt at all. It was just play. Standard, for me, of course. It was a challenge to use a fabric that I had laying around with no clear idea how to use it. In all honesty, it was a sample for a class I was teaching on using ugly fabric. It’s not actually ugly, but I was stuck on how to use it.

So, together with my students, we played around with some ideas. In the end, I settled on a three sided log cabin, made with fabrics picked to match. I stuck to lights and low volumes in order to keep with the breezy feeling of the inspiration fabric. I made a few blocks, smiled, then packed them away. A few years later I pulled them out and made a few more. Then, earlier this year I noticed that a quilt I gifted a friend is getting worn out - it is very well loved. I started a replacement, nearly finished the top, then realized it was completely the wrong quilt. But these blocks? Perfect!

Knowing she uses her quilt on her king bed I went for big ambitions. We know I love a big quilt! But it meant a lot more blocks. And more fabric. Then judicious use of the new fabric with the original fabric so it didn’t look like two different quilts coming together.

It is all improv, so trimming is where I found some order. Each column is unique in width, made up of blocks cut to maximize their use/minimize trimmings. Of course, each column wanted to be a different length so some additions were made here, some subtractions there. It all worked in the end.

Off to quilting so I can get her a fresh quilt before the weather changes.