Little Cabins, Autumn Slips into Fall

I had leftover coral/salmon/peach/melon fabrics from the churn dash blocks I've been making.  Most were small pieces and many were narrow strips.  When I first thought of the churn dash blocks I deliberated about whether to use grey fabrics or a light fabric as the background.  I chose the nearly-white and I love it, but still, the grey and coral were in the back of my mind.  And then the leftover strips seemed perfect to try out those two colors together.  Here are 20 3" (finished) blocks.

Log Cabin blocks are fun to play with. They're akin to HSTs but with more interest.

The layout possibilities are almost endless, but with only 20 blocks, also limiting (and out of balance for some layouts).. 

With a 4 x 5 layout, this quiltlet will measure 12" x 15".   I believe those 1" centers are the smallest pieces of fabric I've ever sewn.   Even with short strips I think log cabin blocks are labor-intensive unless they're sewn as leaders/enders.  (Just playing around in the layout below.)

I'll sew the blocks together after I choose a layout.  I don't really want to make more--I don't have many small scraps left--but at this point, the only layout that really makes sense to me is the second one.  Is it called Fields and Furrows?  One thing I noticed with such small blocks is that there are equal amounts of fabric in the seams and in the top, which means the top is a double layer.  Maybe this one will become a tied quilt because I have no good ideas how to quilt through two layers of fabric plus batting/flannel plus backing fabric.  Big stitches on such a small quilt?

I have no intended purpose for this quiltlet other than to see the colors together.  Had the fabric scraps been large enough I may have made grey and coral churn dash blocks.

I found the first leaves of autumn on the ground this past week. 

Along about the middle of August, even if we have hot, humid weather, there's a day when I suddenly realize that summer's slipping into fall.  The quality of the air changes, the angle of the sunlight changes, and it just feels like fall will be here soon.  I love this time of year!

In my August 6 post I commented that I love rain- and thunderstorms, and I do, except when there's a leak in the roof.   We had a wonderful storm this past Saturday--wonderful until I walked into the bathroom and discovered that the counter was covered with water, then noticed the floor was wet, and then realized water was dripping along the side of the doorway.  It got worse and rain poured from the attic to the first floor and down to the basement.  What a mess.  The roof is still under warranty but because the damage was done by (likely) a raccoon, it's not covered.  There's a long section of valley that's been chewed or scratched away.  This is the third time we've had problems with raccoons.  Why do they love our house?  Why not one of the neighbors' houses?!  (Not that I'm wishing bad things for our neighbors!)  You know that saying, "When it rains it pours?"  Challenges have been pouring in and around our house and home all year.

On a happy note, we had chocolate croissants for breakfast this morning.  My daughter finished four 12-hour days last evening, has today off, and works two days in a row, tomorrow and Wednesday.  She suggested croissants for breakfast today and I readily agreed.  Yum!

I'm linking this post to
> Monday Marking at Love Laugh Quilt and
> Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Thank you for hosting, ladies.

I hope you have a good week this week--no illness, no house/home problems, no car problems, good progress on whatever you're working on, etc.

--Nancy.