Scrap Cabin: Week 4
sewing that fancy-dancy border
Happy Monday! Did you spend some of the weekend in your sewing room? I got the chance to sew-sew-sew the Scrap Cabin border blocks. I can’t wait to show you how it’s coming along!
To find out how to join the Scrap Cabin sew-along, click over to the master sew-along post. It’s a digital pattern, so you can grab it in a flash and sew right along.
WEEK 3 GOAL
20 Border blocks
That lacy border is what makes Scrap Cabin quilt so special. It sets off the quilt center with a flourish! These border blocks take more time and precision than your log cabin blocks, but the result is so worthwhile. Go slowly and patiently and keep your head in the game, friends.
The border blocks have jagged stair-step patchwork with 45 degree angles. I highly recommend using same-fabrics for each set of three stairs so that the angles emerge sharply and clearly. Since my quilt is quite colorful, I had envisioned a border with a jumble of colors, like so.
Then I began to doubt myself. Maybe the border needs more color structure? Here I am testing a rainbow-order layout for my border blocks. The rainbow would keep repeating and repeating as your eye flows around the quilt. What do you think?
I think it would be really pretty, but somehow it felt too pretty for this quilt. My quilt has more of a playful vibe, so I’ll go for the random color order in the border after all.
I’m using all sorts of colors in my border. Solid fabrics and prints are both welcome, as are multicolor prints. I do avoid large scale prints because, when cut up small for this style of patchwork, a large scale doesn’t read as clearly as the stair step shape.
Remember, all fabrics should be right side up when you stack them together to subcut the angles.
Sewing the angles together will be tricky if you don’t have experience with angular patchwork. You’ll know that you got the angles right when the joined patchwork forms smooth-edged columns as above. Be sure to sew the sets of 3 columns together with a scant 1/4” seam! The border block elements will get too narrow quite easily, if you sew a true 1/4” seam.
After a few industrious sessions, my border blocks are now halfway done! There are 40 border blocks in total for a throw sized quilt (36 borders and 4 border corners). To sew half the border this week, your goal is 20 blocks. Next week we’ll finish the quilt!
SHARE TO WIN!
This week share a photo of your Scrap Cabin progress on Instagram or Substack chat!
Your photo enters you into a giveaway for the Red Sky at Night eBook by Tales of Cloth. Red Sky at Night is a sampler quilt designed for easy progress. The collection of 62 beautiful Machine pieced and EPP blocks focuses on easy, batched construction.
Winner will be announced next week and giveaway is open worldwide.
Two ways to enter!
On Instagram, share your photo with hashtag #ScrapCabinQuilt. Follow @TalesofCloth to be eligible to win.
Here on Substack, share your photo in the Week 4 Chat.
It has become increasingly difficult on Instagram to see your photos. That’s why we are now using Substack chat, where your photos won’t be lost to the Instagram algorithm. And it’s working great.
Good luck!
Congrats to Jojo Armenian, winner of the Week 3 giveaway.