Hand Pieced Log Cabins, Why Not?

It was a day or two before our long awaited trip to Newfoundland and I had no hand sewing project on the go. None!

Having just finished my first hand pieced quilt top - not EPP or applique, piecing - I still had hand piecing on the brain. Precision hand piecing is one thing, but you know I’m an improv girl. So I cut up some strips of solid fabric and threw them in a small bag with airplane safe scissors, a spool of 80W thread, a few needles, and absolutely no plan. On our flight, a red eye, I decided to keep it simple and make some log cabins. By the time we’d crossed the country I had two blocks done.

Over our days there I stitched here and there, usually over morning tea and gossip with my old friend. She pointed out the colours were reminiscent of the jellybean houses of St. John’s. She’s not wrong.

The rest of the blocks were stitched then stitched together over the rest of the summer and into September. I did appreciate going wonky and improv but still hand stitching. Unfortunately, I discovered a major flaw in this approach, You can’t square up blocks like you would normally. When you trim many improv blocks you cut right through the seams and do need to pay attention to seam pops, or the seams coming undone. It’s risky enough with machine stitched blocks (handle with care and make sure you do a victory lap on a finished top) but it is a recipe for disaster with hand piecing blocks. I figured out a mark, then stitch, then trim solution, even if it was a bit awkward. I will leave the edges of the quilt a mess until I get the binding on.

That being said, I loved the process and the end result. Heck, I’ve even got the quilt basted and am looking forward to hand quilting it. Maybe I can finish it before I go to Newfoundland again?