so many of you asked how I made my blocks...I did not paper piece them.  This is my way of making the blocks and trimming off to me is worth the time in having to take off the paper!
 The logs are only 1/2" finished...here is how I get there...
 I sew on the first piece I make 3 blocks at a time.

Then I trim  to 3/4" of an inch leaving the red square alone. it will finish at 1" I wanted it to have a bolder look. remember these blocks are little 1" finished red square to the 1/2" finished logs.

 I just keep adding the next piece  and trimming!

 The red square is cut 1.5" square.  the strips are cut 1.5"  (I have a large collection of 1.5" strips its a size I use a lot)  This is whats on my cutting table this am !

see the ruler 1.5 " strips!
See the block right now is 4.5" all trimmed ready to be sewn into rows , logs 1/2" finished block will be 4" finished

Every one has their own way of working for me this works well, yes a tad waste of fabric but I am not printing out a lot of patterns , using paper to paper piece , my blocks are all ready to be sewn together nice and trimmed and no time spent pulling off the paper.  For me thats all worth it.  PLUS the fact I always have lots of 1.5" strips ready to use.
ok enough about the log cabin blocks for awhile!!!!  hope this answers all your questions and was helpful if your interested in making your own log cabin quilt.

Just heard about another antique quilt exhibit in the NY area,  looking forward to going.
 Katonah Museum of Art
Feb 24 thru June 16, 2013
134 Jay Street - Route 22
Katonah, New York 10536
(914) 232-9555
I love visiting art museums so am looking forward to going to this one.. quick glance it looks like its near where the Somers Quilt show is every May.

Update on the book yesterday it was a USED book I ordered thru Amazon
photos by Ken Burris, Shelburne Museum , VT.
Eloise Beil
1996 Kokusai Art Tokyo printed

 Another book I bought used back in Dec that I have been wanting to share with you.  This book is amazing, has so many large pictures of antique quilts in it.  no patterns just inspiration, my type of book!  Quilts from the Shelburne Museum,  I have 3 other books from the Shelburne museum but this one I just LOVE!  Quilts in here I don't remember seeing before.  I can't recommend  this book enough.

 I have wanted to make one of these string star quilts but this one maybe a bit too liberated for me but I bet I know a few of you that are going to love this one!

 HOw modern looking is this quilt?  so unique can't you see this done in bolder colors , say grey and black, so graphic.

Ok this quilt just makes me smile, OMG isn't it beautiful?  love how the one block is framed.

so many beautiful blocks in this quilt, some I have seen in patterns of different quilts of today.

 ok I am just obsessed with making these blocks right now, here are another 24 I made since monday

 Its growing on the wall!

 so fun to look at all the fabrics isn't it?

 another shot of fabrics...


and here is whats on the cutting table this morning, 3 more blocks to whip up today hopefully.
are you wondering why the block is there?  heres a tip leave a block on the table where you pin so you keep the fabric orientation going in the same direction every time....don't ask how I know that!  I really was trying to change the way I worked this year but not sure I can.  When I am inspired to work on one quilt I really just have to go with it.  Guess we all have our own system of working for me its doing what makes me happy.

Homefront and Battlefield Quilts and Context in the Civil War by Madelyn Shaw and Lynne Zacek Basset,  this book is a treasure to those of us that like antique quilts and learning more about history.
I just fell in love with this quilt on the cover, WOW!

 don't you agree?  Just love the mix of fabrics used to make this quilt and that border perfect choice.
and look the quilt is not pieced perfectly but who cares!  it is just amazing too look at.
The book is available thru the American Textile History Museum, I will admit its a bit expensive but it helps support the museum and there are not a lot of quilts in the book,  a lot of the quilts in the book though are ones I have not seen before so I am happy I bought it.  I just wish they would have used more antique quilts from the time period.
Here is a quilt in the book that I am very inspired by.  Look at her use of the American Flag in the border and see them in the baskets randomly?  Love that, also love the borders, would love to try this some day.

 a few more log cabin blocks made and then added to the ones on the wall already.

probably won't show this again till its done, I don't want to bore you with just blocks :)

Hope you find time to sew this week on a project that is really inspiring you.

 made a few more blocks for my log cabin quilt.  I like to take pictures of the blocks so far to help me decide what colors I need to add and what colors I need to stop using for awhile!  I made my 12 blocks (thats the goal) for this week, actually made 23 since Sunday!

It is fun to add them to the other blocks on the wall. Now I feel as if I am making some progress. 99 blocks done, I only need another 301 blocks!  remember they are only 4" finished ! for an 80" square quilt.  So are you inspired to make a log cabin quilt now too????  BE WARNED making these blocks are addicting.

took a break from working on these to start  another little girls doll quilt , this will be a top by tomorrow hopefully. 

 My 12 blocks for the past week...I am just loving these little blocks, they will finish at 4"!

 here are all the blocks so far.  I am just putting the blocks up the wall, they are not laid out the way they will be my quilt.  Its fun to move them around right now.   I am using the fabrics from the scrap bags I talked about in this post here....still amazed at how much is in each one.  This quilt is going to probably made from the scrap bags I bought and the strips I have already cut over the past few years of 1.5" strips!  I am sewing and trimming, not paper pieced.

Here is the scrap bag I am cutting from today, I hope to make another 12 blocks today.
Hope your finding time in the sewing room today as well...

 I decided to go with a different pattern using these two fabrics.  I love making this little block
remember last year I did it in red and white, here is the pattern for my block.  They are little! The whole block is 4" and the little quilt is 18 3/8" x 18 3/8ths.

Well, then  I decided to just go ahead and sew the little quilt together.  Its graphic and modern.
I will be donating 12 little quilts this year to a charity for children this year.  some little girl will love this for her doll.  Pink and white is so classic.   think I need to make another one or two using this same fabric combo!
go check out Cheri's  completed's little quilt too~  spend the weekend making little quilts!

 just love these two fabrics together, decided to whip up a little quilt

 started just playing thought this would work...no did not like the way the blocks looked unfinished

 so add a strip on top and bottom, nope.. something is still off....

ok make some more blocks reversed  then alternate the blocks....
hmmm still not sure so I  spent 2 hrs or so and decided to walk away, maybe tomorrow it will look better to me!  maybe I should have just made the 4 patches for Cheri's quilt along !

 This is probably my favorite quilt I have ever made.  I just love this bird toile  and well red?  Do I even need to say anything else????

 I hope they keep reproducing this bird toile for years to come in red!

Don't you think this quilt already looks like an antique quilt , which you know is always my goal with every quilt I make., so tell me do you agree???

I just finished sewing the binding down so happy now I can finally use this quilt.   This quilt is for ME!
I very rarely keep a quilt for myself, sorry I just can't part with this one even though someone asked if it was for her....
9" blocks
81" square.
Think I need to shop for some more bird toile :)

 my first finished quilt this year!  I chose a grey black for the binding its from the morris apprentice line by Barbara Brackman.  I was surprised how well it worked as it is not a bold black at all , love the leaves on it too ! I actually had a hard time choosing binding for this one.

 My quilting started to improve by the time I was done with the quilt so there is hope!  We are our own worse critics aren't we?  I am so happy I hand quilted this one as I know he will appreciate it as well as it sold me on doing more hand quilting .

 My goal is to make 12 blocks a week of 4 patches for a future project...some are 2 fabrics some are 4 different or 3 different fabrics...love that it draws you in to look

 Yes 12 blocks a week of the red and green nine patches too!  That will be a quilt by Christmas this year.

And TADA!!!!  my crumbler quilt  is a top now, 75" x 76",and on the hanger with the backing ready to go to the machine quilter today.  Having that template to make the side shapes just really made it so much easier.
I had a very productive weekend in the sewing room, hope it was for you too!

Did you see the quilt Carol made?  I fell in love with it instantly!  another quilt I can make from the scrap basket except for the background which hopefully I have something in the closet that works
The pattern for it is FREE!  a bonus.
And Did you see Nifty's quilt she made with the template she won from my giveaway?  just how fun is this one, The TIKI ROOM! does't the name of the quilt say it all?

A friend gave me this sign on Friday, ok so tell me don't you just agree with it!

I whipped up 3 little quilts this week to send to Lori from Humble Quilts.
she will work her magic on them and donate them to  AAQI.

I made another flag quilt too!  I want to hand quilt this one its going to be a gift the other one I had Lorre machine quilt for me and I will put the binding on that one this week.  My goal is to bind at least one quilt a week!  I need to catch up on binding and one a week in more then doable!

next post I will share my little quilt I hand quilted needs the binding put on and has to be in the mail on Monday. The flag quilt is the next one to hand quilt , I figure after I hand quilt a few of these I will be ready for a big quilt!
Have a great weekend
btw can you tell I love tumblers?

 Back in Nov. early Dec.  my friend Mary Jo from MI (no blog) told me about these grab bags , she loved them.  She said you love making scrap quilts your going to be amazed at the variety of fabric in each bag and the sizes of the pieces....each bag they say is between 2.5 to 3 yards of fabric total.  First I thought no, I have enough scraps/fabric!  I kept thinking about these grab bags thought it would be fun so I decided ok maybe I should order a few next time I placed an order I ordered a few after Christmas , this is a picture of ONE of them!   all that fabric which a lot of it is folded  in one bag for $9.00, its a great deal in mho!.  So I decided to challenge myself make a  little quilt or two  from the bag only.  Very easy to do and I was able to chose the fabrics I wanted didn't use them all, went with the browns/reds and pinks and one of the beiges.

 laid out what I thought would make....

 cut down the strips in the center rows they were too big...

 then decided the scale of the 4 rows was just wrong for such a small quilt took off the last row and settled on this but not before I had tried borders...

I liked the borders (yes many of the strips are long enough for borders!0, but decided I liked it without better and the size would be perfect to donate to Lori for AAQI.  

 Just look still have so much fabric left from one bag!

 I had ordered 6 of them so here is the piles of the other 5....they are going to be cut up today for various projects I am working on now...and the rest put in the scrap basket (btw its empty right now can you believe it!)

here is whats on the table ready to be sewn into a quilt today....The blue was 2 big pieces 9" x 22"  from the grab bags, the background I had in my stash, actually it was on the cutting table and looked good with the blue so I decided to use it :)
I can't tell you how thrilled I am with these grab bags....if your looking to increase your stash of reproduction fabrics or looking for fabric to make little quilts with or applique  these are perfect in mho!
yes its true I ordered another 12 yesterday ( I emailed them yesterday to see if they even had 12 more that would be different and they said they have so many and no two are really alike , they cut a lot of BOM'S and this is where the fabric comes from)  with the rest of the Christmas money.  So what does that tell you?  I am sold on these little treasures and just had to share
After today I am back on my own schedule, looking forward to spending more time in the sewing room!  Hope you can find time to quilt too...