Chapter 7: Piecing

My coursework took a big hit over Christmas when I had visitors for three whole weeks. By the time they'd gone (it was lovely to see them all) and I'd got my house straight again and ready for work over a month had gone by and it took me a while to get back into the swing of things. I'd taken a short course on basic patchwork last autumn organised by the Quilters' Guild so felt far more confident about my ability to piece something accurately than I had before, though I have dabbled from time to time over the years as I absolutely LOVE patchwork.

Fig.1

First designs for log cabin patchwork were worked in paper. I found a few interesting quotes about the origins of patchwork, which I added to the page. I particularly like this, which I found unaccredited on pinterest I think - "Pioneer women made quilts as quickly as they could so their families would not freeze. They made quilts as beautiful as they could so their hearts would not break."

The centre square was traditiionally often a piece of red fabric which represented the warmth of home. Sample 1 in Fig.1 is the traditional layout with the small square in the centre. Fig 2 has the initial square moved up to one corner.

Fig.2

Sample 3 (top left of Fig.2) again has the initial square in the centre but with matching pairs of strips placed on opposite sides, rather than placed in a circular motion. In Samples 4 and 5 I worked with first a diamond shape and then a hexagon.

Samples 6, 7 and 8 are designs worked in the Seminole method, a variation on strip piecing which originated with the Seminole Indians in the USA following the 1832 clearances. 

Fig.3

I then worked up some of my designs in fabric, using my purchased fabrics. These first five samples are worked using the Log Cabin method of piecing. Sample 1 relates to the paper sample 1, sample 2 is the same as paper sample 3.

Fig.4

Sample 3 above is the same design as paper sample 2. Sample 4 is worked around a triangle and Sample 5, below, around an elongated hexagon.

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Samples 6-11 use the Seminole method. Here two strips of fabric were stitched together then cut and pieced in different ways.

Fig.7

Sample 8 consists of four blocks of three strips stitched together.

Fig.8

Sample 9 again uses three strips of fabric stitched together then cut horizontally, with alternate strips being flipped and alternated with a strip of the black fabric. Sample 10 uses more of the same three strips, again cut horizontally and flipped, but this time without the alternating black strips, which are now placed only at the ends of the block.

 

 Fig.9

Sample 11 consisted of four strips of two contrasting fabrics arranged alternately then cut at 45 degrees and pieced together. 

I'm struggling to see 'animal print' in the vast majority of these samples, other than the obvious hexagon which is reminiscent of a tortoise shell and the last sample which maybe looks like the bars on a bird's wing, or scales on a lizard or snake. However, I did thoroughly enjoy making these samples, so I guess that's something at least.