Poppy Cottons 12 Days of Valentines and An Update to The Scrappy Log Cabin Heart Block

 On today's Poppie Cotton's 12 Days of Valentines I have two sweet quick and easy projects for you using my Scrappy Log Cabin Heart Block.  

First using the original 12-inch block, I made a decorative pillow sham.  I had a 16 inch pillow insert therefore, I made the original block using various pieces of red and pink Poppie Cotton fabrics. 

As a refresher here's the instructions for the original blocks: 

Start out by picking a background fabric or two.  I am making my quilt with three different grey & white low volumes.

Next, gather up some 2 1/2 inch strips of reds and pinks (and any other scraps you would like to include).  Hint:  This is a great way to use a jellyroll!

For one block, you need to cut the following:

Background Fabric:

                A - (1)  - 4 1/2 inch square

                B - (4) - 2 1/2 inch squares - (draw a diagonal line on each)  

Scrappy Reds and Pinks:

                C - (4) - 2 1/2 inch squares

                D -(4) - 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch strips

                E -(2) - 2 1/2 x 6 1/2 inch strips

                F -(2) - 2 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch strips

                G - (1) - 2 1/2 x 12 1/2 inch strip

Ready to start sewing?  All seams are 1/4 inch. Press as desired.  I tend to press to the darker fabric.

• Sew 2 piece 2 - 2 1/2 inch squares together and press the seams.  This is the center of your heart or the beginning of your heart's ventricles for all of you with medical backgrounds.
• Sew 1 - 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch strip to the bottom of the your first two pieces and press.
• Sew 1 - 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch strip to the left side of your heart's ventricles and press.
• Sew 1 - 2 1/2 x 6 1/2 inch strip to the top of your heart's ventricles and press.
• Sew 1 - 2 1/2 x 6 1/2 inch strip to the right of your heart's ventricles and press
• Sew 1 - 2 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch strip to the bottom of your heart's ventricles and press
• Sew 1 - 2 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch strip to the left of your heart's ventricles and press

Your hearts ventricles should now measure 8 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches.

Now we are going to sew together your hearts atriums.

• Sew 2 piece 2 - 2 1/2 inch squares together and press the seams. 
• Sew 1 - 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch strip to the top of the your first two pieces and press.
• Sew 1 - 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch strip to the left side of your heart's atriums and press.
• Easy peasy thus far right?  Next, we are going to get a tad tricky... 
• Take 1 - 2 1/2 inch square of your background fabric and place it right sides together on the top left corner of the atrium as shown.  Sew on the diagonal line. Trim to 1/4 inch and press up.
• Take another 2 1/2 inch square of your background fabric and repeat on the top left corner of your heart's ventricles.
• Take another 2 1/2 inch square of your background fabric and repeat for the bottom left corner of your heart's ventricles.
• Take the 4 1/2 inch square of background fabric and sew it to the left side of your heart's atriums.
• Sew right sides together the atrium to the ventricles.
• Sew the 2 1/2 x 12 1/2 inch strip to the right side of your heart and press
• Take the last 2 1/2 inch square of background fabric on the top right of the heart and sew on the diagonal line, trim to 1/4 inch and press open.

Tad- da! You have one 12 1/2 inch Scrappy Log Cabin Block completed!

To make a pillow:

Since I was using a 16-inch insert, I added a 2.5 x 12.5-inch strips to each side of the block.  I then added a 2.5 x 16.5-inch strip to the top and bottom.  Press open.

I used a scrap piece of batting and did a very simple quilting following the out lines of the block pieces.  

If you's like to make a 6-inch version of the block for a mug rug  cut the pieces as follows:

Background Fabric:

                A - (1)  - 2 1/2 inch square

                B - (4) - 1 1/2 inch squares - (draw a diagonal line on each)  

Scrappy Reds and Pinks:

                C - (4) - 1 1/2 inch squares

                D -(4) - 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch strips

                E -(2) - 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch strips

                F -(2) - 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch strips

                G - (1) - 1 1/2 x 6 1/2 inch strip

Follow the directions above to assemble the block.

A couple of other ideas are to make four of the 6-inch blocks to create the log cabin heart flower block to make a pillow, to incorporate into a sampler quilt, or to mix and match the two sizes to make an entire quilt. 

A quilt mixing the two sizes would look like this: 

This would be the approximate yardage to make a quilt as shown above you would need one yard of back ground fabric and five yards of red and pink scraps. 

Below is an example of a version that I made a number of a number of years ago using various red and pink scraps and low volume scraps. I mixed log cabin blocks and scrappy log cabin heart blocks together. 

For more inspiration, follow me on instagram @neverlandstitches or on Pinterest.

Until next time…I hope you always find something around you that inspires your creativity…

Lisa Jo