Quilt #9: AWARE 2016

I originally titled this quilt “Quilting to End Alzheimer’s.”

Then I named a Longest Day event “Quilt 2 End ALZ.”

Then I named a 501(c)(3) nonprofit “Quilt 2 End ALZ, Inc.”

So, I am officially renaming this quilt “AWARE 2016” which is only right since this quilt was my crowning achievement as the AWARE Tulsa Ladies’ Luncheon Chair in 2016.

I made the Sofa Snuggler – which is the perfect size for snuggling on the couch with a book, a movie, or a bowl of popcorn – while taking a Quilting 101 beginner’s class.

Once it was finished, I was so pleased with how it turned out that I ended up donating it to the AWARE 2016 Luncheon as a door prize.

When I first started the class, though, I wasn’t sure what I would do with the quilt, so I pulled fabrics that simply called my name. I ended up with a fun mix of florals and geometrics in a variety of colors:

The class used a traditional log cabin to sew, or piece, the pattern together.

I love the log cabin block!

It is the perfect block for teaching fabric and color selection, safe rotary cutting, and accurate 1/4″ seam allowance. The block design uses anywhere from three fabrics (dark, light, and center) to 13 different fabrics for a full, scrappy effect. And once the blocks are pieced, they can be arranged in many different ways to create unique patterns for the quilt topper. Log cabin quilts sew together pretty quickly, and they are good projects for all sewing levels.

This quilt uses 12 of the exact same log cabin block which has a purple center, 3 “light” fabrics, and 3 “dark” fabrics. All 6 log prints share a jazzy, radiant tone, so even though the “Fields and Furrows” layout of the topper is rather traditional, the fabric prints and colors give the quilt a fresh, modern feel.

The inner border is a leaf print on a dark, wine background, and the outer border is a glamorous, pale peach, shiny polka dot. I used a sweet, white-on-cream, small polka dot for the backing.

I selected a scalloped stitching motif for the quilting process which sandwiches the topper, the batting, and the backing layers together.

Lastly, I finished the quilt by binding it with the same golden yellow, floral print used as one of the dark logs.

Quilt with Me

It is easy to see why the log cabin block is my “go to” pattern. I have made dozens of them, and each one is unique and reflective of the reason, season, or person that inspired it.

Try as I might to switch gears and adopt a new favorite pattern, I am continually drawn back to it.

In fact, I’ve thought of teaching a log cabin quilt class online, particularly for my many friends who ask how to get started quilting.

If that is something that sounds fun, you can click here to sign up for a waitlist, and when we have enough people for a class, I’ll contact everyone with details and a Zoom link.

We will use my Storytelling Tees signature style of incorporating traditional quilt blocks and your own t-shirts to create a unique project that tells your own tale.

The book I teach from is Eleanor Burns’ Make a Quilt in a Day® Log Cabin Pattern (6th Edition); it is available to purchase on the Quilt 2 End ALZ website where 80% of all proceeds support our mission of connecting quilters with the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease.

AWARE 2020

I hope you’ve enjoyed the story of Quilt #9: AWARE 2016.

In case you missed my announcement yesterday, AWARE 2020 is structured a bit differently due to COVID.

As a table host, I am organizing a “mini event” on Tuesday, November 10th – a Zoom luncheon to gather together, receive an update on Alzheimer’s education, and listen to a phenomenal guest speaker: Miss Caroline McMurry.

Please sign up here to receive a participant-specific Zoom link prior to the luncheon. I will also email out a few reminders, including lunch ideas and recipes, leading up to November 10th.

As always, thank you for sharing in this journey!

With love and hugs,

Ashli