Tutorial: Scrappy log cabin quilt

I was browsing around the web this morning, pretending to be working but really just enjoying a cup of coffee, when I was arrested by these quilt images. Don’t get me wrong: I love traditional light-and-dark log cabin quilts. But these seemingly random combinations of bright colors and lively patterns are simply joyful. Come to find out, the blocks are tiny – 5″ x 5″ finished. And they’re the work of sisters Rosalie Quinlan (Rosalie Quinlan Designs) and Melanie Hurlston, who together are the design team Melly and me. The sisters challenged each other to make quilts from their piles of scraps in this March 2007 post. They also posted a tutorial so their readers could quilt along with them. Then in February 2008, they gave themselves an extension to complete their quilts. (We all understand! Really!) Now the first quilts are nearly finished. I say “first” because this idea is so brilliant, there have to be more scrappy cabins ahead. Go poke around the Melly and me blog for a while – in addition to the gorgeous scrappy-cabin series, there’s so much more to see. And don’t miss the challenge flickr pool, where the sisters’ fans show their own scrappy cabins.