log cabin quilt in orange and purple

detail of log cabin quilt top

This is my first log cabin quilt finish. It began as a mix of oranges, purples and neutral grays and whites in an attempt to create a "Modern Quilt" design after listening to a webinar from the Modern Quilt Guild. The speaker extolled the use of graphics and lots of open neutral space as modern. I found it's a great idea but I began with too many colors and neutrals to bring it off in this project. For today and for the first time this year I finished a quilt!

39"X 59" Log Cabin Quilt in orange and purple 

It is composed in orange and purple secondary dominate color theme with a full range of red to blue primaries mixed into the blocks to give it the look I like of many colors together. These blocks are 5 inches square with a center that is always orange laid out in the field and furrow diagonal that resembles the rows in a freshly plowed garden. There are two larger ten inch blocks to add a scale jump, my nod to the modern esthetic of playing with the traditional repeats. At least bright color is a hallmark of modern quilt design and they don't get much brighter than this palette. I imagine this is a modern traditional design but what ever it is labeled, it is done and finally ready to show. Having completed 12 or 13 quilts last year I feel like this year the first finished quilt is long over due.

red pearl cotton #8 hand quilted 

It has diagonal lines of fire red pearl cotton #8 hand quilting to hold the all wool batting and backing together. The binding is a collection of fabrics found in the quilt top alternating orange with purple. The backing is a print of black arrows and lavender circles on blueish purple background called "Homestead" ©2013 designed by Juliana Horner which I fell in love with some time ago and only rediscovered during the hunt for complementary backing.  

Juliana Horner "Homestead" arrow and circle printed backing

Finally the label is a block of purple surrounding orange with red pearl cotton #8  embroidered by hand and blanket stitched to the back corner. Finished and ready to hang vertically with a matching sleeve on the back it measures 39 x 59 inches. 

log cabin label hand embroidered in red on purple log cabin block