Log Cabin tutorial

Hello again!
I guess many of you will have made traditional Log Cabin blocks before.  I am posting this tutorial really just to remind you not to overlook the pleasures of this old design.  It is a real scrap buster and I was impelled to make it as I looked at the many overflowing boxes of fabric in my sewing room.



Surely this counts as Spring cleaning?  My husband remained unconvinced as he watched me bent over my sewing machine several days in a row and many other tasks untouched.... Sewing is so much more enjoyable than house cleaning.



For me, a block like Log Cabin has all the benefit of a simple design which doesn't require too much thought once the cutting has been done: soothing repetitive chain piecing at the machine and mass production of small blocks, with regular forays to the ironing board to press.  You don't need a design wall or space to lay out at this stage, another advantage if your house is fuller than usual, as mine is.



If you are stuck at home and unable to visit your local quilt shop, maybe you could look in your stash and see what treasured leftovers are tucked away, waiting to be made into just this quilt?

The fruits of my labours are 250 small (5 1/4" finished) blocks which I will be able to sew into a quilt in due course.  And lots of scraps no longer jumbled together without a future plan.  My brain feels clearer and I had such a great sewing workout.  Now I can turn my attention to other things, including posting this tutorial.

Here goes:

Fabric selection

OK, so the starting point for this project was a box of red and gold fabrics which had been sitting in my sewing room for quite a while.  You can choose any colours, even a mixture, provided that you differentiate between the light side of the block and the medium/dark side. Contrast is important in this block: remember the value of value! 

You will see how important towards the end of this post when I show you possible layouts for the blocks - or search on Pinterest for Log Cabin quilts: then are lots of examples out there, in traditional colours and layouts, and modern interpretations.  I hope you will be inspired!

Cutting

In my box there were quite a few 2 1/2 inch red strips and 2 1/2 inch gold/cream strips left over from another quilt plus odds and ends of fat quarters from other projects.  Wanting to make use of these 2 1/2" strips and minimise waste determined the width of the strips I would use for the block: I cut all the 2 1/2" strips in half lengthwise to give long 1 1/4" strips.  I then cross cut the resulting 1 1/4" strips into the required lengths, which are as follows: 

Red centre square:    1 1/4" square  (I used the same fabric for all the centres for consistency)

Gold strips:               1 1/4" x 1 1/4"

                                 1 1/4" x 2"  

                                 1 1/4" x 2 3/4" 

                                 1 1/4" x 3 1/2"  

                                 1 1/4" x 4 1/4" 

                                 1 1/4" x 5"

Red strips                  1 1/4" x 2"

                                 1 1/4" x 2 3/4"

                                 1 1/4" x 3 1/2"

                                 1 1/4" x 4 1/4"

                                 1 1/4" x 5"

                                 1 1/4" x 5 3/4"

When I had finished cutting a selection of strips from several fabrics in all the sizes, I found it helped to lay these out on a tray (or the box lid, in my case).  The red centre square is in the bottom right corner of the photo.  See Note below if you want to make your blocks a different size.

Just a small point about cutting:  I like to cut a lot of strips at once so that when I am sitting at the sewing machine I have lots of choice about what to put where in each block.  This keeps me from becoming bored and helps to ensure plenty of variety in each block (which is an advantage later on, so you don't get the same fabrics appearing next to each other).  

If you are using my measurements, you will find that you can cut all six sizes of gold pieces from a folded width of fabric strip, but you cannot quite do this with the red strips (you can get all sizes except the smallest, 2" strip).  If you layer up your 1 1/4" long strips (assuming you are working with yardage/WOF strips) you will be able to cut a selection of strips quite quickly.  I always keep a note of the strop sizes beside my cutting mat - it is really easy to get muddled with so many sizes.

If you have odd scraps to be chopped up (and I hope you will raid your scraps basket) it may take slightly longer to cut enough strips to start using, but it will introduce variety and clear your scraps in a way that is so satisfying.

Don't feel you have to cut up all your fabric in one go, however: if you come back every so often and cut another batch of strips from a different selection of fabrics, and mix these in with what you have left after making some blocks, it helps to keep the variety of fabrics between the various blocks, so not every block has the same combination of six light and six dark fabrics. 

Note:

You can of course make a Log Cabin block with whatever width strips you like.  If you choose a different width strip to me this will affect the length of the strips because you will be building a bigger (or smaller) block.  Remember, the width of the strip will dictate the size of the centre square and the overall size of the block.

If, for example, you want to work with 2 1/2" strips, you will start with a 2 1/2" centre square (which will finish 2" square) and all your logs will be 2" wide finished, but cut from 2 1/2" strips and the lengths will vary.  The finished size of a block using these measurements will be 14 inches square.  There is a whole range of possible sizes in between for you to choose from.

You will need to work out the length of strips to cut and I find that the easiest way to do this is to draw the block out on graph paper the actual finished size, colour the sketch light/dark then write out the finished size of the strips, remembering to  add half an inch to the width and length of each strip and also the centre square to allow for the seam allowances.

Sewing the block

Start by laying out your pieces for the first block.  Where you place your pieces determines whether  the logs are added clockwise or anti-clockwise.  Mine spin anti-clockwise but either direction is fine - you just need to be careful that you stay constant to your initial choice.  This is why it is a good idea to make a single block from start to finish, to check your stitching and to use as a pattern/reminder for all following blocks.

You will see that the Logs are added in order of size and in colour pairs.  First the two smallest gold pieces, then the two smallest red pieces.  This makes one complete round of the centre.  There are three sets of rounds for this size block.  You can choose a different number of rounds if you prefer for your design.

Stitch the centre square to the smallest gold piece - also a square, with a 1/4" seam allowance, and press the seam allowance towards the gold square.  

This will be the process throughout: the seam allowances are always pressed towards the log and away from the centre square to distribute bulk evenly.

Continue to add logs to the centre: next is the second smallest gold log which measures 2".

Because the logs are cut the exact length required, it is easy to see if the seam allowance is deviating from an accurate 1/4".  It also helps to keep the unit square and true.

Now the smallest of the red logs, also 2" in length, is added.

And the first round is completed with the addition of the next size red log, which is 2 3/4" long.  The unit now measures 2 3/4" square.

The next log to add is the gold log which is 2 3/4" long,

followed by the gold log, 3 1/2" long:

Now the next pair of red logs, first the red piece measuring 3 1/2" long (apologies, I noticed the piece shown in the photo above in fact was slightly too long and I trimmed it to size before adding it),

then the log measuring 4 1/4" long, thus completing the second round.  The unit measures 4 1/4" square at this stage.

On to the final round:

Add the gold piece measuring 4 1/4",

then the last gold log, measuring 5" long. 

 The penultimate red log, also measuring 5",

and then the last red log, which is 5 3/4" long, completes the third and final round.

Here is the finished block, measuring 5 3/4" unfinished (it will be 5 1/4" when stitched together in the quilt).  It has stayed fairly square and true throughout the piecing process, because the logs were cut to size at the outset.  Any sewing wobbles/inconsistent seam allowances can then easily be corrected as one goes along.  This accuracy will pay off when all the blocks come to be sewn together.

Now, taking that first block as your pattern for all the others, make a whole heap more of the same!!!  Set yourself up for mass production, embrace your inner chain piecer, find something good to listen to, and away you go!  You will be cursing the need to refill your bobbin before you know it (is there ever a good time for the bobbin to run out?).

Possible block layouts

There are a wide variety of layouts for blocks which are essentially divided diagonally into light/dark.  You may have seen many of these made with HSTs, but any HST layout could be made with Log Cabin blocks or other diagonally divided traditional block.

Here I have laid out just a few blocks to give you an idea of some of the most common layouts for Log Cabin.  Many of the older layouts have traditional names: the top layout is called Straight Furrows and the bottom two pictures are Streak of Lightning.

I am not sure at this stage which layout I will go with.  For now, it is enough to have had the fun of making the blocks.  Do let me know if you decide to make a Lockdown Log Cabin too.

Arlington Square - slow and steady sewing

Hi all,

I haven't forgotten that I promised a Log Cabin tutorial.  Apologies for not posting yet, but I have been diverted by the glorious Spring sunshine and have spent most of my time in the garden.  As I couldn't garden for most of last year, it has been good to catch up a bit during the enforced isolation. 

So sewing has been restricted to the evenings, and with limited space on the dining room table (family members WFH) I turned to hand piecing.

I started this quilt in a class last August, and made centres for most of the blocks whilst on holiday last September.  Since then, not much progress.... 

However for the past ten days, after a compulsory couple of games of Scrabble with the kids after supper, I have hand pieced for a few hours each evening while bingeing on TV box sets.

Amazing how doing a small amount of stitching regularly chips away at what initially seems an impossibly huge task.  I have now finished 32 of the 41 main blocks and am working on the half blocks for the edges of the quilt.

The fabrics make me happy and the rhythm of hand stitching is almost meditative.  I am really looking forward to getting the layout finalised, but that can't happen till all the blocks have been completed.  

However I have laid out a few blocks so you can see the secondary star element of the design which appears when the blocks touch.  Great pattern from Emma Mary Designs (Queen of Fabrics) and the shop looks wonderful - wish Australia was nearer...!

All for now - keep on sewing!

April achievements: Ohio Star and Log Cabin Squares

Hi again.  Happy to show you today the two quilts I have finished in the past couple of weeks.  The quilting was mostly done in March but it took me a while to handstitch the binding on.

Both quilts were pieced some time last year (though I have continued to make Log Cabin squares since January (see latter part of this post), for my second version of this quilt).

The little Ohio Star was inspired by a quilt in  book by Jo Morton, but I wanted to do a different border.  It took a while before I settled on sawtooth-set HSTs which I made from all the scraps using Triangles on a Roll paper foundation for accuracy.  I love the paper method if I have a lot of HSTs to make, as it saves all that tedious trimming.

I have included these pictures of the unquilted top as the warmth of the afternoon sun today has given a slightly yellowish cast to my photos of the completed quilt.  The neutrals are really a whitish cream.   The blue fabrics in the stars were left overs from my Indigo Dreams quilt, being mostly from a line of reproduction indigoes by Harriet Harman bought and stashed many years ago (the fabric was dated 2002!) and I finished my indigo quilt in 2014...been hoarding the scraps ever since.

The quilt measures 55" x 64".  There are thirty blocks, set in 6 rows of 5 blocks.  The blocks measure 6" finished, with the hourglass units finishing at 2".  The sawtooth border is made up of one hundred and twenty eight 1 1/2" finished size HSTs and there is a final indigo border which I cut at 5"from the fabric left over from backing my North Wind quilt.  The binding is a solid navy from my stash.

On the back of the quilt I used a navy and white large floral which I had in my stash, bought for another project, never realised.  I decided to take the plunge and use a light backing to link to the light stars on the front of the quilt.  I would usually have gone dark and played safe, but I am very glad I didn't as I feel the large light floral was the right choice on this occasion.

The mustard for the alternate blocks was also a 'brave' choice, outside my comfort zone but inspired by Jo Morton's use of that colour in her traditional quilts.  I had the fabric in my stash so I must have liked it all those years ago - but hadn't dared use it, until now!  The alternate block made the star blocks go further, but also avoided lumpy seams and brought another dimension to the quilt which would have been missing if I had stuck to all-blue.

Because of the mustard I quilted with gold thread.  Cream would have sat better on the stars but was too bright for the indigo.  My quilting is straight lines with a walking foot for simplicity and across the blocks to avoid ditch stitching.  In the borders I quilted hourglass shapes to echo the block design.

The hourglass blocks which make the Ohio Star points were trimmed to be as accurate as possible, which in turn meant that the blocks went together really precisely.  I love Ohio Star set on point (less keen when it is straight set - I prefer the proportions of Sawtooth Star in that orientation).

I hope to teach this little quilt when my LQS returns to normal service in due course.  At the moment, who knows the time frame, so I am getting up to date by completing WIPs and writing class instructions.  I have also had a fun time chain piecing and will post a tutorial tomorrow for simple Log Cabin blocks of the conventional light/dark type.

Which brings me to the Log Cabin variation which for me is such a happy quilt.  Which is probably why I have gone a bit mad with pictures....

I made this first bright version last year and got the blocks together after our holiday in September (see latter part of this post).  I had previously (gosh, in 2017!) made a version in country colours which I also enjoyed, and I think it is safe to say that I am addicted to making these little blocks.

Each one gives you a chance to play around with colour and print on a small scale: the centres are cut at 2 1/2" square and the strips are cut at 1" (yes, one inch!) so each round finishes at only 1/2".  The blocks finish at 5".

The quilt measures 65" x 80" which is a good size for a double bed.  There are 208 blocks set 13 x 16.  This may sound like an impossibly large number of blocks to make, but believe me when I say I already have almost as many again, so expect another iteration of this quilt before too long!  

They are fairly quick to assemble if you make yourself a production line, by cutting strips to size then chain piecing and pressing in batches.  And this quilt is all made from scraps - so satisfying, and economical when you consider the price of fabric.  You have paid for all these scraps, so use them!

 

So why not trawl through your scraps and leftovers from other projects, and have a go at making some little Log Cabin variation blocks?  If you are stuck at home without easy access to a quilt shop, you could make a virtue of necessity and use what you already have to produce something gorgeous and comforting.

For backing I used a soft yellow floral which I had in my stash, having bought it in a sale.  Again, yellow isn't really one of my colours, but I was drawn to it for this sunny quilt.  

The quilting is very simple - diagonal lines though the blocks using a walking foot.  There is so much going on in this quilt that elaborate quilting would be wasted.  I used my favourite light cream quilting thread from Mettler.  It goes with almost anything and doesn't draw attention to itself.

I used up lots of leftover pieces of bright binding from other projects.  With strips joined on the bias, I think an intentionally scrappy binding becomes something rather special.

Whatever is happening with you and your family at this worrying time for the whole world, I hope you will stay safe and well, and allow yourself some comfort and distraction by sewing.

With all good wishes, 

Alison