I've Been A Log Cabin Loonie For A While

 When Running Man and I 

were first married 43 years ago,

we lived out in the Piceance Basin in 

northwestern Colorado.
This was our home,

 a little green log cabin.

We were here for 3 months,
while he did his research for his master's degree.

 Julie's Log Cabin Loonies

made me think of that cabin so long ago

and the different log cabin quilts 

that I've made over the years.

So if you'll indulge me,

let me share those with you.

Despite the fact that Eleanor Burns 

first published her 

Quilt in a Day Log Cabin book

in 1978

I didn't make my first log cabin quilt until 1987.

It was a circular log cabin and
was constructed with
paper pieced pattern designed

by June Ryker of Colorado.

 It was a challenge

 but rewarding to make.

I love remembering the popular
color scheme of the time,

country blue and mauve.

I sold the quilt to a local dentist

who had it hanging in his office.

The following year, 1988,

with the same popular color scheme,

I made this log cabin with the 

traditional barn raising layout.

I sold this one as well.

In 1990

I was enjoying the folk art designs of the

Red Wagon gals,

Gerry Kimmel Carr, Linda Brannock,

and Jan Patek.

The courthouse steps border

was perfect using
Roberta Horton's plaids.

2001 found me crazy

for the Buggy Barn girls

and their Crazy Log Cabin.

Their stack, slice and shuffle method

was a fun way to get the scrappy look without

too much effort.

In October, 2004
I was heading to Bennington, Kansas

for a Quilt Getaway with the talented

Lynn Hagmeier of Kansas Troubles.

 I bought her current line of fabric

 and spent the weekend 

 happily cutting and sewing.

In 2014

I purchases this wonderful

red and white antique log cabin.

It was the perfect combination

of a red and white quilt and 

a sunshine and shadows log cabin layout. 

Then, of course, this year

there was Strawberries and Chocolate

The Log Cabin pattern is an old and beloved

design and 

I'm sure there is still one or two more

that I'll have to make.
How many have you made?

Until Next Time-
Kyle

Flower Gardens

 I live in beautiful Fort Collins, Colorado
located along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and

home of Colorado State University.

One of the advantages of being a university town

is the outreach to the community.

CSU is well known for it's

horticulture department and the research it does

on different annual plants and their tolerance

to high altitude, arid conditions,

wind and hail.

(Sounds like a great place to live.)

Actually, it is

and the Annual Flower Trial Gardens reminds us
that flowers can grow here.

 

It's a beautiful place to come and stroll

and enjoy all the different varieties of flowers and color.
The air even smells sweet.

What better place to take some

photos of a flower garden quilt than at

a lovely flower garden.

 The pillar print by Andover and Di Ford
has made a fantastic vintage style border.

The colors in the border were
the perfect guide for choosing the
fabrics for the hexagons.

Each corner came out differently because of the
miter, but the pillar still
flows around the quilt.

The sun was beginning to set and the
surface of the quilt was washed with
a soft golden light.

The nearby geraniums were a brilliant red which
caused the reds in the quilt to pop and show off too.

I'm thinking,
I might have to hand quilt this one,
but we'll see.

There was an older man sitting on a bench
enjoying the evening and he watched curiously as
Running Man and I moved the quilt
from place to place
setting it with different groups of flowers.
I don't think he ever figured out
exactly what we were doing.
Hopefully,
 we didn't interrupt his quiet evening too much.

Until Next Time-
Kyle

Almost Done

Ever so slowly my

hexagons have come together.

 

I like how neat and crisp the back looked

 with all the paper templates. 

Finally, all the sections were

completed.

And I started to see what it would

look like with the border I'd chosen.

The next step was to connect all the rows

with the diamond shape.

It looked fantastic to see it all together.

I  had been putzing along at a pretty good clip,

 when I saw myself heading

onto a very uneven road.

Hexagons don't leave a straight edge,

but a very bumpy road.

The directions said to cut each side 

straight and leave a 1/4" seam.

I couldn't do that.

All the sides of the hexies were tacked down.

And all I could see was trouble ahead.

So my solution was to applique the border

to each side of the quilt

It has taken quite a bit of time to

get it right.

I've actually taken each side off at least once.

I was surprised how much the top

stretched even with the papers intact,

extra pinning and careful placement.

Well, it's almost a flimsy.

It's heading off to it's official

photo shoot this week.

Until Next Time- 

Kyle