Originally Posted by Prism99

I enjoy making log cabin blocks with strips a la the fast Eleanor Burns way, and these I cut the usual way (width of fabric). I never have a problem with these blocks; they come out fine for me. I make pretty straight-forward log cabin quilts, though.

Some quilters, such as Judy Martin (who has published a couple of books of fabulous-but-complex log cabin quilts), strive for complete accuracy. They cut strips length of fabric (parallel to selvedge) and then cut the logs to exact measurements before starting to sew. The lengthwise fabric grain is more stable than the crosswise fabric grain, so you get less stretching when sewing along the lengthwise grain. I tried this method exactly once, and discovered I do not have the patience to cut all those strips to size. Ended up going back to the fast method.

It's really a matter of personal choice. Since I have been happy with the accuracy I get from crosswise cuts, that is all I do. For a complex log cabin quilt, I might cut on the lengthwise grain but I would still never cut all the logs to size before sewing; I just don't have the patience for that!