One quilt top done, and indecision as another begins.

I have finished the Modern Crosses Quilt top! It has 59 crosses - each is made of 4 log cabin blocks, so a total of 236 log cabin blocks - which makes it a twin size quilt. This pattern is from Modern Log Cabin Quilting by Susan Beal. I love the way she turned a group of 4 log cabin blocks into a cross.

I used a nice big pile of different bold and brightly coloured fabrics which seem to play well together because of the crazy brightness and all that white. I am using the same pile for the Farmer's Wife QAL, it is great fun to work with all this colour.



In the close up you can see how the juxtaposition of the 4 log cabins works and creates a sort of swirl of the fabric colours.  Linda, an internet friend, pointed out that for my next version of this quilt, I could save time, trimming and pressing if I used 1/2 log cabins (the coloured side) and then just sashed the remainder once the cross was formed. I am already planning another one of these quilts, so I am going to use this idea for sure.



Here is it pin basted in my living room. I have to push all the furniture to the walls and take care not to jab the hardwood, but it works.



Look at how lovely it looks all pressed and pinned. Now I am going start the quilting. I am planning straight lines through the centre of the crosses, on either side of the seam that runs both vertically and horizontally through the cross. I am thinking one or two lines on each side of the seams in each direction for each cross, assuming I do not run out of steam.

Here is another project, the start of the Kaleidoscope QAL. I am sewing the small triangles onto the large triangles of the aqua and chartreuse pieces, and that will get me caught up to the QAL. However I cannot decide on a layout.

Layout #1 has one colour for each of the "stars". This brings out the circle that the background makes for the stars.



Layout #2 seems to be more like what most people are doing, although most are also using a solid and I am, instead, using a third grouping of grey-black prints. This layout de-emphasizes the stars and emphasizes the larger circles around the 8 piece "fans".



Kaleidoscope quilts are so interesting - different uses of colour can make the overall look of the design appear so different.

I welcome any advice on the layout. I have also asked the QAL group on flickr for their thoughts. This quilt will end up being about 60 x 72 inches with 30 of the 8 piece fan blocks in total.

I will show you some other QAL and Quilting Bee progress later this week, I have some more nice blocks to share.

Best,

Leanne