The design of my pattern, Sanctuary, coincided with the time of the terrible tsunami in Japan, in March, 2011. At that time I dedicated this design to always be a pattern that is free to anyone making a donation of any size to help victims of such disasters. In light of what so many are experiencing in our northeastern states, I'd like to post it again.

Inspired by a line from an Isaac Watts hymn, #74

"...A little spot enclosed by grace,
Out of the world's wide wilderness.."

The design symbolizes a family gathered together by its hearth, encompassed by a harsher world outside.

If you would like a copy of the pattern, just contact me through this contact form or at bungard.gracewood@gmail.com and let me know you've made a donation to a charity supporting relief efforts for Sandy victims. If you would like to easily make a donation through the Salvation Army Click here

Our prayers are with all those affected by this storm.

Log Cabin~Spring Model Finished

Log Cabin~Spring

Another one done in the four seasons series! The pdf charts are on sale for $8.00 here

I hope to get it framed and on the wall with the first two soon, though it might look strange until the Summer model can complete them.

Today I hope to get the fabric on the frame to begin Log Cabin~Summer, I can't stand not having a working piece on it. It just doesn't seem right to sit down for a bit and not have something to be stitching :)

Though it will be strange doing something with summer themes as winter is nearing. We've had our first 'winter storm' warnings and the snow on the mountains is working its way lower and lower with each storm. It won't be too much longer till it is white here as well. All the fruit trees are harvested, fertilized and are giving us some lovely fall colors.

Every weekend in the month of October the local Lions Club sponsors train rides through the area and people come from many miles to take the rides and see all the fall colors. Here is one lady's description of her visit to take the train.

You tube also has some videos of the rides

The Challenge of Designing the Log Cabin Series

Log Cabin~Spring

I have made some progress on the model for Log Cabin~Spring. It isn't nearly as far along as I thought it would be by now, but I under estimated this last foot surgery and am still having to take pain meds which definitely don't lend themselves to doing anything too precise! lol

I thought this might be a good time to share the challenges this series of designs presented. Two things came together to give me the inspiration for this series. I was looking at a cross stitch pattern I had stitched a few years ago before I started designing my own, and it was a four seasons pattern made up of four sections each with a word - "Autumn", "Winter" - broadly declaring each season it represented. And like most people probably feel, I found the concept of something for each season appealing. Though I wondered why each season would have to be labeled? The colors and motifs should make me feel the seasons they portrayed.

Playing with the idea of using the shapes found in quilt patterns, I thought about how a quilter takes a piece of fabric and cuts it into strips, squares, circles or triangles and then combines them into something new and if it is a good design it will feature contrasts in scale, color, intensity, texture, and most importantly it will have motion.

So I drew in a motif pattern on the software and since I'd decided to start with the iconic log cabin pattern, 'cut' the design into strips and then put the strips together to create the 'quilt block'. Since these would be four individual patterns that could be framed and hung in a group, they had to come close to a standard size which affected the scale of the motifs that could be used. I wanted the outer strips of each block to have an open background that would look somewhat like a toile fabric had been used and I wanted the inner strips to be more densely detailed. It was important to use similarly sized and styled squares for each block's center.

Choosing the right colors for their seasonal tonality was essential and yet they had to compliment each other to make the four patterns work as a group.

Overall I'm happy with how they came out.

Two Log Cabin Patterns Framed

Log Cabin~Autumn & Winter

I'm a little behind on my usually fast stitching on my patterns, because I had rather extensive surgery on my foot this week and having to take some pain meds I don't trust myself to follow even my own pattern, lol.

It will be a great time to do some work on a Tunisian crochet scarf, but crossing stitches will have to wait a few days :)

My DH, Terry, is not only taking good care of my 'honey, please could you get me this' needs, but also framed the first two Log Cabin patterns and got them up on the wall. I think they look awfully good and I'm just looking forward to finishing Spring and Summer to see all four of them hanging up there.