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| Stained Glass Log Cabin Quilt |
Discover the Magic of the Stained Glass Log Cabin Quilt by Laurie Biethan
We quilters are continually searching for patterns that seem so complicated, but are quite simple and cleverly done. I've always been in awe of stained glass windows and how they are so bright and colorful, and I think you'll love this project, if you want to bring that same sparkle to your fabric.
Featuring the ingenious pattern design by Caritasquilts' own Laurie Biethan, the Stained Glass Log Cabin Quilt is a classic in the art of color and fabric placement. This style is the classic and popular log cabin block, and it's transformed into a stunning piece of art. I just can't wait to show you the behind-the-scenes of this gorgeous design, and explain the reasons why it will be a fun-to-put-together piece!
Selecting Fabrics – The Secret to the Glow!
The most crucial lesson to be learned from this pattern is the type of cloth. Batiks are the perfect ingredients to achieve a true refracted light through a glass pane. The hand-dyed mottled textures that they have reflect the natural swirls of stained glass.
As you will be doing in the traditional log cabin way, you will divide your fabrics into different lights and darks. The light, glowing batiks are concentrated on one side of the block and create the "window" effect, with the darker values offering fantastic depth and contrast on the other side of the block.
Using the technique and the math to break it down.
The black "lead" lines of the stained glass are incorporated into Laurie Biethan's design making it very approachable. This pattern uses a very efficient strip piecing technique, rather than tedious appliqué or complicated bias tape techniques.
This is the information that is crucial to the pattern that makes it all work seamlessly:
- Cut the dark and light batik clothes into strips 3 inches wide (Colored Strips).
- The "Lead" Lines: Cut 1" wide strips of solid black fabric.
- The Assembly: With a normal ¼-inch seam allowance, strip off 1-inch black strips from your colored lights and darks.
The genius of Laurie is the brilliantly simple idea of adding 1 inch of black fabric and subtracting exactly 1 inch in seam allowance (the ¼ inch seams on either side of the black fabric and adjacent colored fabric), maintaining the width of your finished piece mathematically perfectly aligned. This will allow for you to add the black sashing at ease, and the end width will always be the same width as your two fabrics were initially. It is a great combination – keeps your blocks square and true without any frustration!
The reason This Pattern is a must for your Cutting Table
This pattern is extremely forgiving and is perfect for the experienced quilter who wants to use up their batik stash or the adventurous quilter who wants to push her limits. The blocks use simple log cabin construction so you can easily increase or decrease the size of your quilt by adding more rounds to your blocks or adding more blocks to your final layout.
Final Thought
This is a quilt by Laurie Biethan titled Stained Glass Log Cabin Quilt that proves that you don't have to have overly complicated techniques to make a show stopping quilt. Some colorful batiks, black sashing and a bit of creative strip-piecing magic will create a work that almost emits light. Grab your brightest fabrics and dust off your rotary cutter and let the creativity flow!
Full Pattern: Stained Glass Log Cabin Quilt Free PDF Pattern 🎁
