I have abandoned my muddy yard for cutting strips for my next quilt. I am so happy to be making it from my friend Susan's new book, Modern Log Cabing Quilting. I picked the cover quilt (minus the buttons) as I've been itching to give crosses a go, but had yet to find a style that I wanted to sew. Of course, there are other great patterns, too:
Susan is a great writer. As with her book Bead Simple, the diagrams are clear and the instructions (and in this case, the patterns) are solid. She has prefaced the projects with a history of the log cabin quilt, and discussed and diagrammed its variations. I am really down with how scrappy some of the quilts are, too-- that's what quilting was and is for a lot of folks, right? Using what you have to make something useful? That's a feeling I need to embrace now more than ever. Even when I'm not totally down with the palette, I can picture using my own bits and pieces to put together something that I am totally down with.
There are 10 quilt patterns and 15 more projects using log cabin patchwork building. Susan explains efficient block building and talks about ways to personalize your projects into heirlooms. Mostly, I love that the finished projects in this book already feel like heirlooms rich with personal meaning. That's just how I want to look at putting a quilt together-- I want them to be labours of love.
I have a little interview with Susan over at Bolt Neighborhood today. Plus! We're giving away a copy of the book there, too. You'll be able to meet Susan and see some of the projects over at Modern Domestic next Saturday, April 2nd. Susan and book contributor Daniela Caine are also elbow deep into organizing a fundraiser for relief in Japan. You can find out how to help at Quilts for Quake Survivors.
