Manx log cabin

This is a doll quilt (or little wall hanging) I made, using a folded log cabin pattern. Oscar our Dachshund, was thinking about joining my doll I guess!

It is also often called: the 'Manx log cabin', originated from the Isle of Man. Fiona of this blog post here wrote a very clear tutorial and nice story of it's history, worth reading! I added a practical little step to this tutorial.

 Like a regular log cabin you start with a square and add strips of fabric in a chosen width.

 Only before stitching the next strip, you fold the sewn strip back (mostly 2/3 of the width, minus the seam allowance). So far the same tutorial like Fiona's.

 What I did to make it easier to iron the fold in the strip is: I used a template (made out of a cereal box) with the desired width.

In my case my strips were cut to 3,5 cm (very narrow, you would prefer to make wider strips). After sewing with a 0,5 cm seam allowance, 3 cm was left. 2/3 of 3 cm is 2 cm. So the width of the fold is 2 cm as is the template is.

 Here the fold is ironed down and you can take a peak under the fold.

a few blocks done

 There is no need to quilt this, which I think is a great advantage! To join the blocks you work like a quilt as you go method ( just picked a clear tutorial by Leanne and Marci with pictures) only in this case you don't have to worry about the batting.

 The things I learned is to: 1st pay attention with what thread you sew, because it shows on the back. Secondly how you start and stop your sewing line, this will also show.

And thirdly only sew the logs length without the seam allowances at the beginning and the end (like in the improvised drawing above). I'm referring to the last rows because this will make it easier to sew the blocks together. 

Sewing the background squares together I chose to do this by hand, probably the only method without sewing all through the front. 

The little quilt is finished with a little binding. I used mostly woven fabrics and linens. Also lots of Japanese woven fabric scraps. I love the feeling of all these types of fabrics, lots of texture!

I first saw an old quilt with this pattern at a friends house in Maryland (USA). Her family called it: 'a toe catcher log cabin', a funny name, I think, but very understandable if you look at all those folds!

Oscar thinking: She smells nice...may be I could try something here....

Me talking to Oscar: I know it seems tempting but you are not going to fit in there as well.....

Enjoy your week,

GroetjesAnnemieke

Mijn eerste quilt- My first quilt

Al even wilde ik ook deze oude quilt op mijn weblog zetten en na het lezen van haar berichtje kreeg ik weer een duwtje in de goede richting. In 1982 begon ik aan mijn eerste quilt naar aanleiding van een patroon in een Ariadne uit die tijd. De beschrijving was zo simpel: koop stof, maak malletjes, trek ze om en naai alles in elkaar. Ik dacht ook nog , dan maak ik hem lekker groot, 2.50 bij 2.65cm, dan past hij op een groot  twee persoons bed.

I wanted to put this old log cabin quilt on my weblog and after reading her post I thought now is the time to do it. I started this quilt in 1982 after reading an article in a magazine (see below). It said just buy fabric, make a template and cut all the fabric with your scissers. Than sew them together and you are done. I thought that sounds simple so I might as well make it a big one: 2.50m by 2.65m.

 Na een bezoekje aan de gordijnenwinkel (!) begon ik hieraan, maar het was natuurlijk een enorme klus, waar ik van tevoren geen idee van had en van schrik liet ik hem 8 jaar in de kast liggen. In 1990 ontdekte ik in Hoofdorp een quiltwinkeltje, die nu alweer weg is, maar in die tijd ook cursussen gaf. Daar vroeg ik om raad toen de bovenkant in elkaar zat voor een vulling.  Ik denk dat er een polyestervulling in zit, maar dat weet ik niet zeker.

After visiting a store with fabric for curtains (!) I started it but iit was such a big job that it scared me a little and I did not touch it for 8 years. I started finishing the quilt in 1990.  When I saw a little quiltshop in my town I asked for advice what to use for the stuffing. I think I bought polyester, but I am not sure.

 Zoals je hierboven ziet paste niet alle rijen zo precies in elkaar, maar dat vond ik toen geen probleem geloof ik. Ik heb hem met de machine gemaakt en alleen in  het midden doorgestikt. In die tijd naaide ik sowieso alles met de machine, met de hand duurde me te lang. Zelfs alle teddyberen die na 1994 kwamen maakte ik met de machine, maar dat is weer een heel ander verhaal. De Log cabin quilt is in al die jaren wel gewoon gewassen en in de droger gedroogd en blijft wel mooi moet ik zeggen. Degelijke gordijnstoffen denk ik ;)

It doesn't fit as nice a it should be but I didn't mind at that time I think. I did all the sewing with the machine and only quilted the pink square in the middle as you can see above. I washed and dryed the quilt in the machine and it stayed quite good I must say. Very decent curtain fabric! 

Het is tot nu toe nog steeds de grootste ( en zwaarste) quilt die ik gemaakt heb. Aan de achterkant zit dezelfde donkerblauwe stof als die van de rand. Daarom heen zit dan geen afsluitbies meer, maar zijn de voor-, en achterkant ingeslagen op elkaar genaaid.

Until now this is the biggest (and heaviest) quilt I ever made. The backing fabric is made of the dark blue fabric, the same one as thje one form the edge.

Sinds kort werk ik in de quiltwinkel , de Sampler in Haarlem,  voor het nieuwe team kijk even op dit berichtje van het weblog van de Sampler .  Op 16 juni houden ze open dag en is er gelijk  het nieuwe cursusprogramma, altijd heel gezellig.

I recently started to work in a quiltshop in Haarlem, called the Sampler. There is a new team photo taken, you can see it in this post from the weblog of the Sampler. On the 16th of june we present the new courses for the next season and there is a lot to do in the shop, every one is welcome than.

Gezellige zondagavond nog,

Groetjes
Annemieke