Cloud9 Block Design Blog Hop – Abstract Cabin

Posted on September 14, 2016Ann PetersenCategories Block Design, New Bloggers Group

Welcome to my stop on the Cloud9 Block Design Blog Hop.  This is day 3 of the hop, but in case you haven’t been following the action so far let me tell you all about it!

As a continuation of our New Bloggers Group, we were offered the opportunity to participate in this block design blog hop.  Cloud9 Fabrics generously gave each participant a bundle of their lovely fabric, and in exchange we agreed to design a block and write a tutorial on how to make it.  Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs will then take all of our blocks and put them together into a quilt for charity.  What a great opportunity!  There is a long list of bloggers involved in the hop – you can see the whole schedule and list of participants at the end of this post.  Thanks so much to Cloud9 for sponsoring this hop, and to Yvonne (Quilting Jet Girl), Cheryl (Meadow Mist Designs) and Stephanie (Late Night Quilter) for hosting it!

I was pretty excited when my bundle arrived:

tied bundle

Here is the fabric – it is really pretty, and really nice to work with.

open bundle

This is my block – I’m calling it Abstract Cabin.  It is a take on a Log Cabin block, but with more of a non-traditional, abstract feel.  All of the colors are so rich and beautiful that I really wanted to be able to off all of them.

Finished Block

So let’s get started!  Let’s cut into this stack.

Some General Notes:

  • The block finishes at 12″, or 12.5″ unfinished
  • I am assuming 1/4″ seam allowances throughout
  • For fabric quantity, I used the bundle of fat quarters that were sent to us.  However you don’t need the full fat quarter of any of the colors.  If you cut carefully, you could probably do this with some larger scraps.

First the blue:

The photo shows the size to cut, and the number of pieces to cut of that size in ().  For example, the first section below says to cut two (2) 1″ x 3 1/2″ and two (2) 1″ x 4″ rectangles from the light blue fabric.

Blue Cutting

Next the Purple:

Purple Cutting

and the Grey:

Grey cutting

Next let’s start on the Purple blocks.

Step 1 Purple:

Sew one dark purple 2″ x 3″ rectangle to the left of the light purple 3″ square.  Press the seam – open or to the side – whatever you prefer.  Sew a dark purple 2″ x 4 1/2″ rectangle to the top of the first unit and press the seam.  Make two of these units.

Step 1 purple block

Step 2 Purple:

Sew one light purple 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ rectangle to the left of the block – see block orientation of the block below.  Press the seam.  Sew a light purple 2 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ rectangle to the top of the first unit and press the seam.  Repeat both steps on the second block unit.

Step 2 purple

Step 3 Purple:

That’s it for the purple sub-blocks – aren’t they cute!?!?

Finished Purple blocks

The Blue blocks are a bit more involved than the Purple blocks – not harder, but there are more logs to add to the block to get it built up.

Step 1 Blue:

Sew one grey 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ rectangle to the left of the light blue  2 1/2″ square.  Press the seam.  Sew a grey 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ rectangle to the bottom of the first unit and press the seam.  Make two of these units.

Step 1 blue block

Step 2 Blue:

Sew one light blue 1″ x 3 1/2″ rectangle to the left of the block (see block orientation below in the photo).  Press the seam.  Sew a light blue 1″ x 4″ rectangle to the bottom of the first unit and press the seam. Repeat both steps on the second block unit.

Step 2 blue

Step 3 Blue:

Sew one grey 2″ x 4″ rectangle to the left of the block (see block orientation below in the photo).  Press the seam.  Sew a grey 2″ x 5 1/2″ rectangle to the bottom of the first unit and press the seam. Repeat both steps on the second block unit.

step 3 blue

Step 4 Blue:

Sew one dark blue 1 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ rectangle to the left of the block (see block orientation below in the photo).  Press the seam.  Sew a dark blue 1 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ rectangle to the bottom of the first unit and press the seam. Repeat both steps on the second block unit.

Step 4 blue

Step 5 Blue:

That’s it for the blue sub-blocks – aren’t they even cuter!?!?

final blue blocks

Join the purple and blue sub-blocks as shown – make two of these units.

Join purple and blue

Join the two halves of the block together.

Join Halves

And that’s it!  Cool Abstract finished block. I hope you like it!

Finished Block

I had a good time designing the block, so I actually designed another one.  I also had enough of my bundle left to both send in this block to Cheryl for the group quilt and make more blocks for this mini quilt:

quilt flowers

I’ll share a tutorial tomorrow on making the second block, which I’m calling ‘Strippy Squares’.  Come on back tomorrow to learn about it!

Here is the list for the blog hop stops – lots of really cool blocks to go check out.

Today’s Stops:  Wednesday, September 14th

Host: Stephanie @Late Night Quilter

Kathy @Kathys Kwilts and More
Paige @Quilted Blooms
Mary @Strip Quilts Pass it On
Allison @Woodberry Way
Seven @The Concerned Craft
Olusola @Alice Samuel’s Quilt Co.
Ann @Brown Paws Quilting – THAT’S ME!!!
Jodie @Persimmon + Pear
Vicki @Orchid Owl Quilts
Kitty @Night Quilter
Francine @Mochawildchild
Shelley @The Carpenter’s Daughter who Quilts
Jayne @Twiggy and Opal
Geraldine @Living Water Quilter
Shannon @Shannon Fraser Designs
Lisa @Sunlight In Winter Quilts
Jessica @Quilty Habit
Cassandra @The (not so) Dramatic Life
Deanna @Stitches Quilting
Denise @Craft Traditions

Monday, September 12th

Host: Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl

Abigail @Cut & Alter
Janice @Color, Creating, and Quilting!
Lorinda @Laurel, Poppy, and Pine
Melva @Melva Loves Scraps
Renee @Quilts of a Feather
Kathryn @Upitis Quilts
Kim @Leland Ave Studios
Amanda @this mom quilts
Holly @Lighthouse Lane Designs
Irene @Patchwork and Pastry
Jennifer @Dizzy Quilter
Karen @Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats
Anne @Said With Love
Suzy @Adventurous Applique and Quilting
Sharla @Thistle Thicket Studio
Kathleen @Smiles From Kate
Amanda @Gypsy Moon Quilt Co.
Sarah @Sarah Goer Quilts
Chelsea @Patch the Giraffe
Jinger @Trials of a Newbie Quilter
Anja @Anja Quilts
Daisy @Ants to Sugar

Tuesday, September 13th

Host: Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs

Miranda @I Have Purple Hair
Jennifer @The Inquiring Quilter
Sarah @123 Quilt
Leanne @Devoted Quilter
Jen @Patterns By Jen
Jennifer @RV Quilting
Amanda @Quiltologie
Sharon @Yellow Cat Quilt Designs
Jen @A Dream and A Stitch
Jen @Faith and Fabric
Carole @Carole Lyles Shaw
Stephanie @Quilt’n Party
Susan @Sevenoaks Street Quilts
Katrin @Now What Puppilalla
Amista @Hilltop Custom Designs
Nicole @Handwrought Quilts
Marla @Penny Lane Quilts
Silvia @A Stranger View
Sarah @Smiles Too Loudly
Carrie @the zen quilter
Mary @Quilting is in My Blood
Velda @GRANNYcanQUILT

 

68 thoughts on “Cloud9 Block Design Blog Hop – Abstract Cabin”

  1. Great modern take on a traditional log cabin block. Alternated with your second block it’s lovely combination for a very interesting modern log cabin.
    Smiles
    Kate

    Reply

    1. Hi Paige, thanks so much! Yes, I wrote the instructions on a whiteboard and took pictures between each step. It was a pretty easy way to go, and fun to do. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
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    1. Thanks Yvonne! I couldn’t decide which block to go with so I made them both, then I had some much fabric left over I just made a few more blocks. It was fun, but it was especially fun playing with the machine quilting. I finally worked out a swirl motif I had been trying to nail down for a few months.

      Thank you guys so much for all you’ve done, both for the new bloggers group and hop and then this hop. They have been lots of fun and I have really learned so much. Thank you!

      Reply

  15. What a fun block. i love it. The more modern the better as far as I’m concerned. it’s really nice with the different stripe sizes.

    Reply

  19. this is really lovely. i just love how the color placement makes this such a fun block. and the completed quilt is just gorgeous.

    Reply

  22. Yep, I love your quilt and the way that you gave your directions. Tell us, did you use a white board or software – curious minds need to know (especially those of us who want to duplicate). Wonderful work (teacher talking).

    Reply

    1. Thanks Mary! It is a whiteboard – I bought it at Target for ~$10. I was working so hard to design the block and get it made that figuring out how to get the pattern and tutorial written up on the computer was just beyond me. I just put the pieces on the whiteboard as I constructed the block and wrote notes on the side. I did have some problems however – if you make a mistake, figure it out later and don’t have any more fabric you can’t retake a photo (hence some sloppish editing on a photo tomorrow), and I’m not good enough with photo taking and editing to make the background really crisp and white consistently in all photos. But it was fun, and I learned a lot. I know there is software to do a whiteboard-like effect too – maybe I’ll look that up for next time!

      Reply

  24. I really like your block, Ann! It’s such a wonderful new take on the log cabin. I will definitely be back tomorrow to see the next block–thanks for the invite 🙂

    Reply

  27. Love this block Ann – really striking design and great tutorial. What a great mini you’ve produced – I have another block in my head to go with my block on a certain layout. Hasn’t it been so much fun designing and taking part?

    Reply

  30. Love the title of your blog! I also peeked at your Chemistry Quilt-the title intrigued me. These blocks are so amazingly different. These Cloud 9 colors are gorgeous together and the individual blocks are awesome. Can’t wait to see the finished quilt!

    Reply

    1. Thanks Rosemary. My furry kids are the best! Thanks for taking a peak around my blog. Chemistry was fun to do and came together pretty quickly. Yep, I really enjoyed the colors of the Cloud9 fabrics – this was a fun project to do.

      Reply

    1. Thanks so much Janice! I did really like all of the colors so I was trying very hard to use all of it. I really didn’t design the blocks to necessarily go together, so it is cool they turned out fitting together so well. Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
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