Butterfly Wings - Day 2

It took me awhile to collect and cut all the centers and logs for the blocks. I am chain piecing this project. The challenge in doing a scrap log cabin with 30 blocks is to have some structure to the randomness. 

With the early additions of the logs, I tried to do more matching, but that proved to be more difficult than I realized. Quilting scrappy requires that the quilter get into a state of mind that there are no rules and that anything is possible.

I decided to square them up when they reached this stage with the center (placed in the lower left corner) and 7 logs. They measured 9.5" square at this point and needed very little trimming, which is quite pleasing. This quilt is still challenging me to get a sort of coordination to each block and every 'system' I try to use stops working with the next addition of logs. So I gave into the randomness concept and now am only attempting to have each block be a charm (meaning that no fabric is repeated in it).

After each block is finished with a specific log, I put like colors together for the previous log and then can make sure that the next one I add is not identical. Its so contrary to the concept of fitting in. And its unsettling to go against the convention to have things match.

Yet, in the past, when I have posted photos of my finished quilts on Facebook, the ones that get the most comments are the ones that are made using random squares, reminding people of a quilt their grandmother made them when they were children.

So why is it that as humans we struggle so much to fit in? Why isn't that randomness in who we are more acceptable?

At best, with this one, all the light colors will show up on one side and dark brights on the other side. How they line up is the random factor and I have surrendered to it all. I think that there is more of a challenge coming as the final 3 logs are laid, and then another challenge will be the block layout for the 30 pieces, both tasks might take up the better part of today.

I don't know this child nor the circumstances why my Son wanted to make a gift of one of my hand-made quilts to her. He sees the need and that is all that matters to me. His sensitivity & generosity make me even more proud of him.

In exchange for the quilt, he paid for and is having 5 packages of queen-size batting shipped to me by Monday. Usually the quilts I make take on a life of their own. My guess is that this child will find comfort under this quilt's energy. Butterfly Wings is the symbol for transformation and for being free to express one's self and find beauty wherever one goes.