Monday, April 12, 2021

Round Up Week 13: Another Log Cabin Variation (Pineapple Blocks) and Log Cabin Sampler Quilt from Elizabeth DeCroos at Epida Studios

 Time is passing so quickly.  It seems like it was just yesterday that I wrote the last update!

Sewing:

I made a second courthouse step block:


This time I really tried to be aware of the value instead of looking at the color - but the light blue in the center, compared to the other light strips in that direction is very dark. Ah well, back to the drawing board...

So at the beginning of last week I had these blocks in my log cabin exploration stack - from the free online eventbrite class "More Quilts - Log Cabins and Power Strips". 

This week we were on to pineapple blocks. I made a few variations of this block for the Block Lotto in 2011 - Sophie always had a great way of describing the colors to use to make the blocks look so lovely together.  I wish she were continuing with her block ideas.  

By making the logs so they are one inch after three rounds the block for my online class was supposed to be 10.5 inches. (Center block is 2.5 inches.) My block was 10 inches.




I added another round, and not trimming the outer addition, now it is 12 inches square.  According to the tutorial I found (Bella SKILLBuilder) I should add one more one inch log to finish at 10.5.

Again, I started with a light blue that is much darker than the rest of the fabrics in that location...  I have one more block to make.  Hopefully the block will look okay in the group of blocks I have already made. 



I found an online tutorial for making a 10.5 inch pineapple block with the same 2.5 inch center and 1 inch logs at:  https://youtu.be/jhDurpvOn9o
The entire quilt along info here:  https://blog.fatquartershop.com/bella-skill-builder/
This method makes use of the speciality ruler for making pineapple blocks.  Pretty neat, but I don't think I'll be making many pineapples...  The directions are very nice as they include what the measurements should be after a round is added.  Also, the cutting instructions make it easy to figure out what to do! 
Here sort of is the cutting information:
Center 2.5 inch
First round make with 4-2 x 4.5 and trim to 3.25
Second round make with 4-2 x 4.5 and trim to 4.5
Third round make with 2-2 x 4.5 and 2-2 x 6.5 and trim to 5.25
Fourth round make with 4-2 x 6.5 and trim to 6.5
Fifth round make with 4-2 x 6.5 and trim to 7.5
Sixth round make with 4- 2 x 4.5 and trim to 8.5
Seventh round make with 4-2 x 6.5 and trim to 9.25
Eighth round make with 4- 2 x 4.5 and trim to 10.5
Oops I forgot for each round also have to add the corners or maybe the information I typed includes the corners.  I'm not sure. 
So also at the end add 4-2 x 4.5 to the corners and trim to 10.5
Need to watch the video again to count things up correctly.

This site does a good job of explaining the dark and light corners using paper piecing patterns - https://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/pineapple-quilt-patterns.html

This pineapple has the same color for the center and the outer corners and stresses the need for contrasting values:
She also shows a different way for the first round than I have seen before. 

Added 4-13-2021: I'm thinking perhaps of making a pineapple instead of the wreath block for the block exchange I mistakenly signed up for.  I need to make 20 blocks that measure at least 9 1/2 inches - unfinished.  They must include some of the focus fabric.  (I have a half yard of the focus fabric.)  I thought the math for the Bella SKILLBuilder would save me, but it ends with a round at 9.25.  Perhaps if I started with a larger center block I would be okay?  Doing this block I could just use the fabric I have for different greens and whites and just have the red for the center and corner...  Perhaps I will know for the next Round Up post here....  : )


New-to-me Blog to Follow:

I did find a beautiful Log Cabin Sampler Quilt (doesn't look like a sampler!) from Elizabeth DeCroos at Epida Studio:


This sampler quilt has these Log Cabin block variations (click to go to her site):
  1. Getting Ready for the Log Cabin Sampler.  The blocks are 9″ square,  49 blocks total square.  Quilt will be 63" square.
  2. Corner Block  Make 11 blocks (five with a light square and six with a dark square)
  3. Bento Block Make 3 blocks
  4. Court House Steps Make 3 blocks
  5. Traditional Log Cabin Make 9 blocks
  6. Greek Keys Make 3 blocks
  7. Off Set Cabin Make 7 blocks
  8. Star Cabin Make 6 blocks
  9. Cornerstone Log Cabin Make 7 blocks
  10. Finishing it up
  11. Sampler Quilting Options
The directions for each block and information for the quilt are all generously available for free on the Epida Studios website.  

Elizabeth DeCroos's directions are very clear - so nicely arranged, I really like the way this quilt shows off the different styles of log cabin in a non-symmetrical way.  She also made the quilt with red and white and red, white and green.

 

So that's it for the sewing part of this entry.

=======

As I mentioned at the start, this week went by very quickly.  I did my three times a week phone chat walk with my friend, and I did five hours of exercise with my personal trainer.  Beyond that I think it was spent taking care of our little dog, planning and preparing meals.  Some reading.  I found a book I had purchased years ago - a novel about life in Taiwan "An Orphan of Asia".  

Hopefully, next week I will have more to write about.

And have the energy required to write!

My son and I made cookies and brownies this week!


Ah, I'm reminded of an article, I think in the Washington Post, about behaviors that we should continue with even after everyone is vaccinated and the threat from Covid is over.  I can't find the article again now...  But one of the behaviors was Cooking WITH YOUR FAMILY.  That sounded wonderful.  I guess my family does cook with me, but not on a consistent basis...

Too tired to write more now.

=======

4-13-21  I add the links to the sites with information on how to make the log cabin sampler quilt, another photo of the log cabin sampler, and more information about the Bella SKILLBuilder pineapple quilt.  And a note added about the Christmas block exchange....


No comments:

Post a Comment

Feedback is welcome!