Way back on July 20, I started a new 100 Day Project. I knew that with everything I had going the scope of my project would need to be lightweight and flexible. I also wanted a more focused scope than the last 100 Day Project (which morphed over time and I stopped after day 49).
I chose for this new project to be 15 minutes of sewing daily to work on expanding my series of Improv Log Cabin mini quilts that I started at the beginning of the year. 15 minutes a day meant some days I would be piecing. Some would be quilting, or making binding, or even just choosing fabrics. Forward momentum daily. For consistency, I would continue making 16 1/2" x 16 1/2" mini quilts. Why these dimensions? Because I have a ruler that size and a fat quarter can easily be used for backing fabric. Win win!
The first two in the series were created in response to Project QUILTING prompts in January and February. In each of these quilts I had limited myself to a palette of black, white, and one color. My bindings were solid black.
Generally speaking, I gravitate to the design and piecing steps of the quilting process. A finished quilt top can hang around for a long time in my life. The flexibility of this project allowed me to just piece quilt tops for the first many days. On day 30, I finished my 4th quilt top and decided it was time to switch gears so I'd have some finishes before day 100. On day 56, I finished my second mini quilt, the one I'm sharing with you today.
I chose a variety of values of green Kona and white in order to maintain my "black (the binding), white, and one color" rule. This is the first quilt in the series to be entirely solids (on the front). The logs of my 3/4 log cabin are 1 inch wide (finished). I chose nested Cs for the quilting, alternating direction for each color. The center was filled in with pebbles. (This is infinitely easier now that I own an open toe free motion quilting foot for my machine.)
The white background was filled in with wavy triangles. These were created by first making the large wavy zig-zag (see below) and then filling in on each side with echo quilting.
It just takes a little bit of free-motion quilting for me to remember that I really do enjoy it. I favor motifs like the wavy zig-zag that are more organic, and therefore forgiving. But I just can't resist the siren call of more precise and picky designs. Even if my work isn't perfect, the resulting texture is so rewarding.
I chose to match my thread to each fabric. My lightest green fabric was lighter than my lightest green thread, so I used white thread on both the lightest green and white fabrics. Left to Right these are 50wt Aurifil Forest Green (#4026), Very Dark Grass (#2890), Grass Green (#1114), Spring Green (#1231), Light Avocado (#2886), and White (#2024).
I'm backing my mini quilts with fat quarters from my stash in coordinating colors. I chose Mini Pearl Bracelets for this one. (I look forward to using the scraps of this fabric in a future project.)
The quilt is machine bound in solid black.
I would really love to work with this design again either on a larger scale or making a block-based quilt with a bunch of these blocks.
I have two more quilt tops to quilt up and bind. Then maybe I can squeeze a 5th mini quilt into these 100 days.
Have you done a 100 Day Project? What was the scope of your project? Did you enjoy it? Where there parts of the project that you found challenging?
You can read all about the other quilts in the series here:
Lea
Hi Sarah, wow! What a beautiful quilt. The design is gorgeous and your quilting is amazing. I never tire of anything log cabin, and this is a beautiful version. I'd love to make this into a quilt of many different blocks, in the future.
I've never made a 100 day project. I've had dates to finish by, but never chose 100 days.
sarah
Post authorThank you, Lea. Log cabins are so versatile. Happy quilting!
Elana Goldberg
Sarah, that looks lovely. I think it's hard to take on big projects right now or plan for 100 days. Right now I feel better managing smaller projects. Kudos to those who can sustain the attention through bigger endeavors. Whatever works to bring joy and creativity...as long as it reduces stress rather than elevating it!!
sarah
Post authorI absolutely agree that reducing stress should be the goal. I used to sew for hours most days and now I'm mostly only managing my 15 minutes a day for this project. I'm happy to be getting into the studio daily. Thanks for visiting, Elana.
Kathleen Scargle McCormick
I love this and think you did a fabulous job. We all do what we can in this strange new world. I have not felt that much in control to do a 100 day project, although sometimes I think this may have been the best time to do it!
sarah
Post authorThank you, Kathleen. My goal was minimal for these hundred days. I used to sew for hours most days. Now my goal is 15 minutes a day, and sometimes that is hard. I'm glad I pushed myself, because I'm happy to be making progress on this series, albeit slow progress.
Ellyn Zinsmeister
I've really enjoyed watching your 100 day project evolve. this was the first year I did one (my bojagi project) and I really enjoyed it. loved using it as an opportunity to perfect a new skill.
sarah
Post authorThank you, Ellyn. Your bojagi project was great to watch, too. I love how it really focused on one skill.
Andrée G Faubert
Hi Sarah, your one hundred day projects sound great - I love the FMQ on this one. I did try a couple of years ago to do the 100 day project but I'm not a fan of routine - so except for brushing my teeth and eating, the rest is just up for grabs :-) I'm looking forward to seeing your other finished quilts.
Take care.
sarah
Post authorI must admit that the freedom of "15 minutes a day" has allowed me to feel good about *averaging* 15 minutes a day, so if I don't make it in to sew one day, I sew longer the next time I get into the studio. I've just started one final improv log cabin to squeeze into the last week of my 100 days. I realized I'd made a rainbow of mini quilts but was missing purple, so I'm filling that gap. Thanks for visiting, Andrée.