The Tilda Apple Bloom Quilt - Stage 2 - Sewing Log Cabin Blocks!

So after all the preparation carried out in stage 1 it's finally time to get out the sewing machine! yay! Again this stage also needs to be quite methodical I'm finding as again when it comes to the next stages further down the line I'm pretty certain I'll be rewarded for careful and as precise sewing as I am able to do now. 

One step at a time - BLOCK 1 - First I've taken 1 piece of each strip for the log cabin from my carefully pre- labelled sections (I am  now feeling quite smug that I'm a virgo and therefore my prep & organisation is coming in to its own!). Next following the guide from the pattern starting with pieces A & B I have sewn these together making sure the fabrics are the right way up to follow the fabric designs. Making sure I open the seams at the back each time I sew another piece of fabric in to place I have continued alphabetically (see pic) adding sections C & D.

Each time as the Log Cabin BLOCK gets bigger I have opened the seams at the back to make sure when they are pressed and ironed at the end they will sit perfectly flat ready for quilting later. 

Although the Log Cabin design looks fiddly and a little complicated to look at, I've found it's actually a fairly straight forward pattern to follow as long as you line each piece up as you go along and make sure the seams are open at the back when adding the next piece. I was constantly checking back with the pattern and making sure the fabrics were all facing the right direction etc. Once all the pieces are sewn together it's time to get the iron out (that's if you're naughty like me and not been doing them as you go along!). I started by ironing the back opening all the seams and ironing them completely flat before turning the complete BLOCK over to iron the front ... and here it is my first LOG CABIN BLOCK completed. It's a great sense of achievement to know I've been able to master this having cut SO much fabric out for this quilt! 

I have to say I'm loving how all the fabrics work together but then when working with Tilda especially from one of their ranges you always know everything is going to tone in so well! Here's a quick peep at the boring bit - the back with all the seams sitting nice and flat.

So the quilt pattern I've chosen to use has 2 different BLOCKS repeated 8 times, so on to BLOCK 2 and the same process again starting from the centre.

Each BLOCK has 13 pieces so it's a bit of a repetitive process adding one piece at a time, making sure the fabric design is the right way round and ensuring the seams have all been opened at the back each time before adding another piece. The end result is worth it though! Here's BLOCK 2 completed.

In total there are 16 BLOCKS to sew to make up the quilt pattern I have chosen ... and I've now managed to make 5, three of BLOCK 1 and two of BLOCK 2. By adding the blocks in to a photo collage you can see how my quilt is starting to take shape ........ only 11 more of these to go!!

Obviously mine will be straight!! LOL these pics look all wonky it's just the angle they were taken at I promise they are nice and straight! I'll keep updating this Stage until all 16 are complete so you can see where I am up to. But so far so good, all is well in my new world of quilting and I'm still smiling .......... for now! 

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It's the 24th June and feeling pretty accomplished today as I have finished all the 'log cabin' Blocks for my quilt! eeek !! The quilt effectively now looks like this (obviously not joined together or quilted yet! but all blocks in place ready the the next stage!)

The next step will be getting ready for Stage 3 - the SASHING - so I think I have something like 33 off white pieces to cut out and a similar amount of the little squares to make the corners of each block! 

Will try and get some cut out at the weekend and one block done so you can see if time permits!

Hope you're enjoying progress I know things are going to start getting trickier from hereon in! 

Sarah X