Changing focus here and new project

 I am back on my feet again, and able to keep food down.....that was an ugly virus.  Anyway, it gave me pause and time to think about my plans.

   In the last couple of years I have done a lot of quantity, and gained a vast improvement in quilting skills.   I am not going to even count the number of quilts, much less small projects.  I guess I thought I was in a race, and had to have the numbers to get there.  I had made plans for about 15 quilted projects for this year along with a couple of challenges.  That is about to change.

   I want to take a slightly different direction here and put my focus on the design process.  I hope to bring out options, inspirations, and put some design ideas  into what I share.  A lot more content and focus on quality---how did I get there--- rather than the quantity.  I need time to quilt more donation quilts, so my finishes will number less I am sure.   I hope you will stick around, ask questions and come along for the journey.


   Last month  I started prepping this project for the new year.   I chose the English Garden quilt from the book Watercolor Log Cabin Quilts by the Palouse Patchers.   The book is out of print, but can still be found occasionally on different sites.  The block was described as a rectangular log cabin block that  is flipped and staggered across the quilt and becomes a twisted ribbon on the diagonal.    Something a little different I thought.   Right off I realized it was not quite a log cabin, but rather a variation at best.

Rectangular block for English Garden

    I did a mock up in EQ7 to show what I mean.  Strips are 2 " and you create a dark and a light side.  I caught myself adding the first light strip to the right instead of opposite the first dark strip......like a log cabin.  I went back to the book and checked  arrangement again.....this is correct.
    A setting strip will be added when the vertical piecing begins that will actually complete the log cabin look.   Not there yet...so I won't confuse the issue before hand.
 

    I went ahead and put in the cutting size measurements for reference in this photo that I used.     A block can "grow" and warp by strip piecing....
 ( butting one section to another against a long strip, sew,  and then cut) .   So I do cut the strips into the correct length before piecing to  be sure that the block is the correct size....it will finish at 4 1/2" by 6".

   I am using floral fabrics....what else would you expect.  But I think this one would be a good design to play with in batiks or scraps---- as long as you pay attention to the value and get a dark and a light side.  And the proportions could be easily made larger or smaller according to the strip size you want to work with.
  Meanwhile, I have some blocks to piece and setting lengths to cut......and next time I will show the actual layout.  Happy stitching.