The Grateful Threads Project: Log Cabin Quilts

My biggest summer sewing goal is to ferret out the parts and pieces already sewn in my sewing stash and get them finished.  This log cabin quilt top is a perfect example.  Sometime last year a friend and I exchanged miscellaneous scraps.  My little bag was met with a good sized box from her.  Gulp!  Luckily, most of her scraps were in strips so I quickly sorted them and got busy sewing log cabin blocks.  Something shiny (or possibly paid work) drew my attention away and they sat waiting for me to return to them.  Return I did last week.  They were all sewn together, a border added and now they await the longarm.  This will be going into the stack for my fall delivery to the Houston Furniture Bank.  

You really can't beat a log cabin quilt for using up scraps.  All kinds of odd ball pieces just work together.  I am continually amazed and pleased with these quilts. 

This week I have less time for community quilts.  Some paid work has crossed my studio threshold.

A pretty yellow and grey baby quilt was finished yesterday.  Today I am stitching a caterpillar quilt.  

(sorry he's sideways-editing didn't straighten him up)

In literature news:

I started reading Anna Karenina last night.  Meeting the first scheduled deadline of 66 pages is going to be easy.  Pronouncing the last names of all the characters is going to be a bit more difficult.  I did listen to "Arkadyich" pronunciation on YouTube & was pleasantly surprised I was pronouncing it correctly.  My schedule has a helpful little cheat sheet of all the main characters should I really get stuck for who is whom.  With Tolstoy switching back and forth between the 3 or 4 names of each character, I really have to be on my toes.

I'm on Audio Book 4: The Kalahari Typing School for Men in the 20 book series by Alexander McCall Smith.  I guess I'll be spending most of the summer transported to Botswana Africa.  It's an interesting series & easy to listen and comprehend the various life lessons presented.  I'm enjoying it immensely.

I don't use my front sitting room much.  It's a shame, really.  It has a good reading lamp, comfortable chairs and a pleasant vibe.  I'm committing to using it for reading and maybe some handwork.  While in there last night I looked at the only space I have for a wall hanging.  It would likely be appropriate for the wool applique piece should the scales tip more in favor of finishing it.

I also pulled out My Crazy Life a crazy quilt pieced in 2012 that has been waiting for the handwork.  It's very large & when finished would need a dedicated wall.  Since it will likely take me years to finish it, I can ponder which wall later.   Every time I pull it out to stitch, I seem to pull out the same half finished block.  Last night I looked at some other blocks (there are 9 - 21" blocks).  It might be more motivating to stitch basic stitches on all the blocks before worrying about detailed stitches and embellishments.  

I'm currently a little out of the groove. I need to readjust my mindset.  I'm unsure how much I can handle!  Reading at night and stitching some?  Not roaming Pinterest or embroidery sites for hours?  Hmmm, old habits are hard to break.

Join the Conversation! 

Do you have underused areas in your house?