The Log Cabin is a very old, very distinctive quilt pattern. Strips of fabric - “logs” - are sewn around a centre square - “the hearth.” Depending on how the logs are pieced and blocks are arranged, a Log Cabin quilt can take many forms, such as Straight Furrow, Sunshine and Shadow, and Barn Raising.

My Log Cabin quilt takes its inspiration from Molega Lake, Queen’s County, NS, where we were blessed to have a cottage for many years. In my version, the furrows are more like waves, with small pieces of bright yellow signifying the sparkle of sunshine on a summer’s day. The water theme is picked up by the wavy lines of hand quilting.

Marilyn Smulders, Sunshine on the Water, 2021, 59” x 61”, thread-dyed cotton fabrics (Alison Glass Fabrics), cotton batting.

Photo by Nicola Davison, Snickerdoodle Photography.