Thread: Log Cabin Quilt
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Old January 4th 10, 02:54 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
Leslie& The Furbabies in MO.
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Default Log Cabin Quilt

I've made probably twenty log cabin tops. It's my 'go to' pattern when I
want to do a quickie top.

I use a 12 in. finished block with logs that finish at either 1 in. or 1.25
in. wide. I actually prefer the looks of a 1.25 in. finished log. I draw
out the block, figure the dimensions of each log and make a test block to
prove my measurements. Then I cut all the logs at once- cutting 8-12
thickness of fabric at a time... using a brand new rotary blade in my 45 mm
cutter, of course! First cut the strips then cut the lengths to size.
Cutting that many layers at once is not for the faint of heart and requires
concentration and lots of muscle- you do NOT want to make a mistake in
measurements nor let your rotary cutter run amok!

Some folks sew each round of the blocks to a long strip of fabric and then
cut the blocks off the strip- rather than cutting the strip of fabric into
sections for each round of logs. I don't like that long strip method
because if you get off size on something then you don't know until all the
blocks are done and they are all over the place in size. If you pre-cut the
logs and they don't fit together correctly you know some thing is wrong and
you can fix it before the error starts multiplying itself. Also, after the
first few rounds of adding logs to the block, you always add the next log on
the side where you stitch across two seams. Only ONE side of the block will
have two seams, so you cannot get confused on where to add the next log if
you keep that in mind.

I had making log cabin tops down to a science- years ago I could start with
pulling fabrics from my stash, cut, sew and assemble the queen sized top in
fourteen hours working straight thru! Polly refers to the time I was sewing
the last round of logs on 120 log cabin blocks. I finished the last log on
the last block at 4 a.m.- after working on them all day and night. I went
to fish the chained blocks out from behind the sewing machine and found out
I'd run out of bobbin thread on the second block and had 118 logs sewn to
the blocks with no bobbin thread.

I cried.....

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

"Mary in Rock Island IL" wrote in message
...
Here is a log cabin quilt I made several years ago:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/illini8...7602179862275/


IIRC, the blocks are 10 inches. That was a good size, big enough that
I did not need to make a million blocks but small enough that there
was some "play" in making a design.

OK, I just looked at the pattern

http://quilterscache.com/L/LogCabinBlock.html

and found that the blocks are 12 inches.

When I look at log cabin blocks, it seems that some are
disporoportionate--logs being too thick for the size of the block. It
is, of course, in the eye of the beholder. Probably also depends on
what kind of design you anticipate creating with those logs.

Have fun!

Mary
"Kate T." wrote:

I've never made this quilt and need some help.

I want to make a queen log cabin and don't know what size block to
make. I got a fella in mind that just built a log cabin and want to
give it to him.

any suggestions on block size and colors.

Any of you gentlemen quilters have any suggestions for me.

Kate T. South Mississippi


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