Log cabin explanation......

On Nov. 26th I wrote this:
In a traditional log cabin block there is a red center which in this case is a dark fabric.  That means the first two strips that are added should be light, then 2 darks, 2 lights, etc. until you have the same number of logs on all sizes.  Having made about 30 log cabin quilts over the years and teaching it many times I know that you get the best layouts with the last 2 strips being dark.
Several people mentioned they wanted to know more about that and I felt I needed an example so I had to wait until I had more blocks sewn.   The main design is usually the dark fabrics.  In the layout on the left, I stopped with the last 2 strips being light.  The star is disjointed with 4 floating bow ties and a diamond in the center surrounded with a white border.  The path represented by the column on the left is also not joined at the center so it will be floating diagonals.  On the right, I ended with dark as the last 2 strips and the star is joined together and easier to read as a star.  There are other layouts in which this would be even more pronounced and I know this because when watching the students try different layouts, the ones that ended in 2 light strips had a limited number of layouts that worked.  Personal preference will prevail however so if you don't agree with me it's OK.

I made 2 batches of Chex mix and another batch of spritz cookies.  I intended to make the cookies pink or green but had already added the flour when I remember that.

A friend is scanning the negatives of my third and fourth grade teacher and he sent me this one.  I'm sitting down in the front row next to my little brother.  My other brother is standing at the left in the back row and my mother is the third from the left in the back row.  I don't remember the day this was taken.  There are younger siblings of some of the kids here so it must have been a party open to families of students.  Here is a post where I'm showing the only other photo I have from this one room school.