Would the Log Cabin quilt be a quilt for a beginner? I've never quilted but they look so pretty. And when someone says they hand quilted does that mean they didn't use a sewing machine at all?

Any of the log cabin patterns would be suitable for a beginner and why I haven't made one yet is baffling me. Hand quilting usually refers to the actual quilting of the quilt (done by hand with needle/thread). You can either use a sewing machine to sew all the pieces together or hand sew them (if you have tons of time). Hope I have this right as there are so many variables in this wonderful hobby of ours!

i would consider a traditional log cabin block a beginner block.

typically when some one says i hand quilted - they mean the quilting stitches that hold the 3 layers together (top, batting, back) but they might have done the piecing of the top with the sewing machine.

No - hand quilting means that after your top is compleated, that you take the top, the batting (filling) and the backing and sandwich it together. It can be hand quilted or it can be machine quilted. Hand pieced is when you hand sew all of the pieces for the top together by hand. Very time consuming - I imagine.

This was the first quilt I made. Hand-piecing refers to sew the blocks by hand.

My first quilt was a log cabin quilt...I thought it was a good pattern to start with.

My second quilt was a log cabin. I found out that I was better off to finish one block at a time rather than strip piece each side. The quilt turned out fine and my sister still uses it.

All of my sewing and quilting is done by machine or I would never finish anything.

check out all the pictures under log cabin in the gallery
http://www.quiltingboard.com/user_page.jsp?upnum=2181

One of the first classes I took at my LQS was Intro to Piecing I and we made a rail fence and a Log Cabin. We machine pieced everything but I hand quilted the Log Cabin which is the picture in my Avatar.

The are so easy to make and the go together very quickly. Eleanor Burns has a great book with Log Cabin quilts and there are so many designs that you can make just depending on how many blocks you make to get the different sizes

Eleanor Burns has a great "Quilt in a Day" book on Log Cabins.
I'd definitely recommend it for anyone!

Eleanor Burns' book Log Cabin in a Day is a must! Blocks use 2.5" strips, and make up 14" (finished) blocks. Highly recommended! :)