Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

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Peter, Peter, Fabric Eater

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I am having so much fun experimenting with making Courthouse Steps blocks!  I wanted five fabrics total in each block, and wanted the blocks to be between 6 1/2 and 8 inches finished.  After a  bit of trial and error, my best effort was a block with a two inch unfinished center square, and strips cut 1 1/2 inches to surround it.  After each round I trimmed the strips down to 1 inch, so they finish at 3/4".  The finished block is 7 1/2".

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My stash of Civil War fabrics is considerable, and I am looking forward to diminishing it somewhat with this project.  This project is going to be a major fabric eater, so that should not be a problem.   I think I will stay in the rust, brown, black, tan and crimson color way.

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I first heard about the project on Instagram.  If you search for #logcabinquiltalong, you will see some beautiful examples of blocks.  My friend Thelma at Cupcakes 'n' Daisies is playing around with making blocks as well, using her stash of Bonnie and Camille fabrics.

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Thelma suggests cutting fabric strips lengthwise for more stability, and also pressing the seams open.  I started cutting widthwise, out of habit, but am going to try it lengthwise with my next batch of strips.  I totally agree with her about pressing the seams open.  They lay so flat and it is just neater somehow.

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I am not using any particular specialty ruler for this.  My Creative Grids 8 1/2" by 12" is working fine.  If you have the Creative Grids 6" Log Cabin ruler you could use it, but if you want to use five fabrics as I did, you will be adding one additional round that will need to be trimmed with a larger ruler.

This is definitely a block that calls for assembly line piecing.  I plan to work on six at a time, sewing each round (half round actually), then pressing and trimming, sewing the next round, pressing, trimming etc.   You are hopping up and down to iron every two minutes otherwise.

No progress on Penny Pincher, I am just frittering my time away with this distraction!  Have a great weekend everyone!  I hear that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday, and you all know what that means….

48 responses to “Peter, Peter, Fabric Eater”

  1. Way to go, girl!! Love the fabrics, too.
    Our weatherman says Phil the groundhog was wrong for this area.
    Hugs!

  2. Way to go, girl!! Love the fabrics, too.
    Our weatherman says Phil the groundhog was wrong for this area.
    Hugs!

  3. Way to go, girl!! Love the fabrics, too.
    Our weatherman says Phil the groundhog was wrong for this area.
    Hugs!

  4. Love today’s quilt block,kind of classic, kind of a tropical look but in keeping with your colors. Love log cabins, have made many. My favorite variation is Monterrey Medallion by Teri Atkinson. It’s hard to get the pattern, the quilt looks complicated but practically makes itself. I have made several as gifts for very special friends. Nothing boring or repetitive about it. Keep up with the great ideas Nicole, you’re smok’n.

  5. Love today’s quilt block,kind of classic, kind of a tropical look but in keeping with your colors. Love log cabins, have made many. My favorite variation is Monterrey Medallion by Teri Atkinson. It’s hard to get the pattern, the quilt looks complicated but practically makes itself. I have made several as gifts for very special friends. Nothing boring or repetitive about it. Keep up with the great ideas Nicole, you’re smok’n.

  6. Love today’s quilt block,kind of classic, kind of a tropical look but in keeping with your colors. Love log cabins, have made many. My favorite variation is Monterrey Medallion by Teri Atkinson. It’s hard to get the pattern, the quilt looks complicated but practically makes itself. I have made several as gifts for very special friends. Nothing boring or repetitive about it. Keep up with the great ideas Nicole, you’re smok’n.

  7. I love your blocks but Thelma’s are great too. Mmmh, perhaps a mixutre of both for me? Enjoy your weekend!

  8. I love your blocks but Thelma’s are great too. Mmmh, perhaps a mixutre of both for me? Enjoy your weekend!

  9. I love your blocks but Thelma’s are great too. Mmmh, perhaps a mixutre of both for me? Enjoy your weekend!

  13. Your blocks are gorgeous, Nicole. Two thumbs up!! If you don’t want those tubs of fabric anymore, feel free to send them my way. 🙂 Have a great weekend.

  14. Your blocks are gorgeous, Nicole. Two thumbs up!! If you don’t want those tubs of fabric anymore, feel free to send them my way. 🙂 Have a great weekend.

  15. Your blocks are gorgeous, Nicole. Two thumbs up!! If you don’t want those tubs of fabric anymore, feel free to send them my way. 🙂 Have a great weekend.

  19. Your blocks are really pretty with the colors you’ve chosen so far! I saw Thelma’s & like those, too. Lots to think about. I agree that pressing seams open makes everything look so nice & neat.
    And, yeah…about Punxsutawney Phil…it was -17 (minus!!!!!) here in NW Wyoming overnight & we’ve had 18″ of snow this week. Enough!!

  20. Your blocks are really pretty with the colors you’ve chosen so far! I saw Thelma’s & like those, too. Lots to think about. I agree that pressing seams open makes everything look so nice & neat.
    And, yeah…about Punxsutawney Phil…it was -17 (minus!!!!!) here in NW Wyoming overnight & we’ve had 18″ of snow this week. Enough!!

  21. Your blocks are really pretty with the colors you’ve chosen so far! I saw Thelma’s & like those, too. Lots to think about. I agree that pressing seams open makes everything look so nice & neat.
    And, yeah…about Punxsutawney Phil…it was -17 (minus!!!!!) here in NW Wyoming overnight & we’ve had 18″ of snow this week. Enough!!

  25. I like what you are doing with your fabrics and civil war reproductions are my very favorite, along with RED. Soooo, if you get tired of those fabrics, just send them my way.

  26. I like what you are doing with your fabrics and civil war reproductions are my very favorite, along with RED. Soooo, if you get tired of those fabrics, just send them my way.

  27. I like what you are doing with your fabrics and civil war reproductions are my very favorite, along with RED. Soooo, if you get tired of those fabrics, just send them my way.

  28. This is your hobby not your job, you get to decide how to spend your time in your sewing room, doing what makes you most happy. Those penny pincher blocks are going to blow away, really sew a few more courthouse steps blocks, guilt free!

  29. This is your hobby not your job, you get to decide how to spend your time in your sewing room, doing what makes you most happy. Those penny pincher blocks are going to blow away, really sew a few more courthouse steps blocks, guilt free!

  30. This is your hobby not your job, you get to decide how to spend your time in your sewing room, doing what makes you most happy. Those penny pincher blocks are going to blow away, really sew a few more courthouse steps blocks, guilt free!

  31. Absolutely love your fabric choices and how your blocks are turning out! I’m all for eating up some stash so will have to decide which stash to bust first 😉

  32. Absolutely love your fabric choices and how your blocks are turning out! I’m all for eating up some stash so will have to decide which stash to bust first 😉

  33. Absolutely love your fabric choices and how your blocks are turning out! I’m all for eating up some stash so will have to decide which stash to bust first 😉

  37. These blocks are really coming along and looking good. I think that using one fabric style is a great choice and a good scrappy control that I like! Love them!!!!

  38. These blocks are really coming along and looking good. I think that using one fabric style is a great choice and a good scrappy control that I like! Love them!!!!

  39. These blocks are really coming along and looking good. I think that using one fabric style is a great choice and a good scrappy control that I like! Love them!!!!

  40. Love your color palette and fabric style. It makes a very classy block especially with the larger prints included.

  41. Love your color palette and fabric style. It makes a very classy block especially with the larger prints included.

  42. Love your color palette and fabric style. It makes a very classy block especially with the larger prints included.