IN PURSUIT OF PLAID

 My fascination with plaid is well known.  It has been a staple in our Christmas decorating for years; and is scattered around our house in pillows, throws, etc.  I scour thrift shops for wool plaid garments to felt and use in my wool quilts. Bob wears a lot of plaid cotton shirts; which when worn out, I decontruct and store the good parts in my fabric stash. 

I think it is time to make a cotton log cabin project using some of my plaid stash.

I'm going simple with a log cabin, straight furrow design, in a table runner format.

I almost always paper piece my log cabin blocks now as I have had trouble getting them to come out square with conventional piecing.  It is really helpful if you need to deal with some bias edges.

The Stats:  "In Pursuit of Plaid", 2021, 12"x24", Paper pieced, machine quilted.

To me, a log cabin quilt is such a majestic design, inspite of its name; that I  rarely use a border except a binding to control the madness of so many fabrics.

Some of my previous log cabin projects:

"Going West", 2017, 24"x24"

Chevron or Arrow layout

"Log Cabin Table Runner", 2012, 15"x100"

Sunshine and Shadow layout 

"Homestead", 1982, 24"x24"

Sunshine and Shadow layout

Following is one of my favorite log cabin projects.  In the 1990s I found at a quilt show vendor 81 antique log cabin blocks.  They were all different sizes -- small to large -- but the fabrics were fabulous most of them light weight wool or silk.  I brought them home not knowing how I was going to make them work into a quilt.  I trimmed the larger ones, and added to the smaller ones (with some of my father's old silk ties).  I worked until I had them all the same size; then set them together in a straight furrow layout.  It was too heavy to hand quilt so I tied it at the intersections with perle cotton with a backing and binding of red wool crepe.  It is the only quilt I have had hanging in my house for 25 years.  I love it!

May you find joy in your passion!