November Log Cabin Challenge

The November challenge for the Island Batik Ambassadors is called Cozy Cabins Log Cabin Challenge.  We were given instructions to make something from the fabrics sent to us with the Island Batik Ambassadors program (we are given 2 boxes a year with fabrics to use and promote).  Our instructions for November asked us to incorporate a log cabin block or some kind of log cabin variation into our project.  We could use any fabrics in our boxes and it was to be 36" x 36" or larger.

I love log cabin blocks so I had really been looking forward to this challenge.  Since we could use any fabrics from our boxes of fabric I spent a lot of time looking at all the fabrics I had left.  We only have this project and two more challenges left to do.

I was sent this beautiful 2 1/2" strip pack of  Lavender Sage with two coordinating fabrics that I hadn't used yet.  Here is a photo of it when it came.

It's a good thing I took the above photo when it came, because I forgot to take another one until I'd been working on the project- here are some of the leftover strips

I really love these fabrics and since the first time I saw them I thought they reminded me of Petunias!  With only a couple months left to use the fabrics I wondered about using them for the log cabin challenge. The  2 1/2" strips are wonderful to use for making log cabin blocks.  Check out all the great Precuts at Island Batik.

I still thought the fabrics reminded me of petunias - not log cabins.  What to do?

Much as I love to  make log cabin blocks, I decided to only use them as a border in this project.  I made a partial log cabin block and combined them along the border.  I just love how the fabrics in this collection work together!


In the center I made petunias using raw edge applique, using Steam-A-Seam 2 for the fusible.

The 2 1/2" strip packs are my favorite Precut to use.  In this quilt everything except the white background and the flower pot is made from 2 1/2" strips.  Pretty amazing what you can do with a 2 1/2" strip!  The white is a  basic solid white batik and the brown was from a 10" square of the Vintage Morris collection- all from Island Batik.

I was happy with the quilting for this project.  Many times I'm at a loss when it comes to the actual quilting.  Once again the new Westalee Rulers that you can use on a domestic machine were wonderful to use.  I used  6 different rulers:  a straight edge,  Rope 2/5 (I used just the arc edge), Rope 1.5, 8" arc, mini Spin-E-Fex 4, and the Mini Clamshell.

It may be hard to see here, but I used the Mini Clamshell ruler to add a decorative trim to the flower pot.

The mini Spin-E-Fex was used in the yellow corner blocks, and the arc was used in the borders.

I used the rope template in the dark purple outer border, but you can't really see it.

I can't say enough about how easy these rulers are to use and how they improve my quilting.  Check them out at Sew Steady.

Here are a few close ups of the flowers.  It's nice to have these on my wall now as the ones I have outside are almost gone.

 For Batting I used Hobbs Cotton that Hobbs had sent in our Ambassador Box.
The quilt is 36" x 36"  and I named it Pansies - of course!