Barb in Louisiana

I am not a good scrappy quilter. I make a single block of any new pattern, making sure it works and comes out the right size before I cut all my fabric. If I were doing a scrappy, I would probably print a log cabin guide sheet, and then write in what is supposed to be in each block. I would sort as dark, dark medium - then light only or light, then light medium. Write in each section of the log cabin printed guide block which bag or box or pile to pull from, and start sewing.

This is an interesting webpage with some good Log Cabin info and several different pattern sheets in the lower porting of the page. http://www.quilt.com/Blocks/LogCabin/LogCabin.html Use Yahoo or Google to look for ones you want to do.

Since you aren't very experienced, I would think about 2 1/2 inch strips for the logs. That way you can make a fairly large block pretty quickly. Results were and still are very important to me. Too many little pieces and I can get bored with a project pretty quickly. The 2 1/2 inch strips work in a lot of other strip projects so if you cut too many, not a problem, plenty of free patterns out there to use them in.

Quilting is such fun, very aspirating and beautiful, all at the same time. Welcome to our world.

Edited to add: I have seen log cabin blocks made with all brights or all darks, but the log cabin pattern doesn't show up very good. To me, it becomes too jumbled, but then I think the same thing with most scrappy projects I try to do. Quilting is all about what you like and want to do.

ArtsyOne

I never plan my quilts - they seem to have a mind of their own. When I buy fabric, I usually buy at least a yard. When I get it home, I wash, iron, and then cut a couple of 2.5" strips off the end to add to my stash of jelly roll strips.

Geri B

Since you are new to this...don't worry about what you " might" make down the road.....if you want to make a log cabin it is usually divided light/ dark strips...., so just start " gathering" a variety of both values......and of course traditionally red was the center...as the hearth/heart of the home..........I suggest getting an Eleanor burns book on log cabin quilts....her directions, illustrations are great.....just relax and enjoy...don't try to do everything absolutely perfect/correct the first time..it is a learning experience...have you looked into your LQS offering any beginner classes...working with others who are " new" can be fun!!!!!!

Jan in VA

The answer to this question will change for you the longer you are quilting.
You will have a larger stash. Work toward that end now as you run into fabrics you can add to the stash "just because" you might use it some day, especially blenders and those that read as solids. Over 30+ years I have built a 2-3000 print stash this way, buying 1/2 - 1 yard at a time.

You will have more and more "leftovers" as you complete projects. For example I have stored strips from 1" to 3.5" in separate totes, as well as squares of specific sizes, and "usuable pieces" from odd rectangles to partial fat quarters.

I wait to cut specific strips until the specific project requires them; then again, if I've cut too many, that's cool - they just go into the correct tote for the future.

I have made many quilts, some with up to 30+ fabrics, from just my stash using folded 'whole' yardage and some strips from the totes. If you sort and save 'leftovers' to their most usable sizes, you'll soon be able to do this too.

Jan in VA

MaggieLou

Just an FYI and someone may have already mentioned this but I wouldn't use my email address as my user name here. It's a public forum and anyone can see it. You will probably start getting a lot of junk and unwanted email.

carolynjo

I agree: cut as you go.

dcamarote

If I am making a "pattern quilt" that I have seen, I cut out all my pieces first. If it is a scrappy quilt, with leftovers, here is what I was taught to do. Cut up all your extra pieces in various sizes, for instance, squares that are 2" or 3" or 4", whatever you decide. Or you might cut up strips in various widths and lengths. I put them into shoe boxes that are marked with the correct size. When I go to put all these pieces into a quilt, I throw them all into a large basket (keeping in mind that they should be the same size) and just grab whatever my hand hits. Then I sew. I used to be very structured and had to have everything lined up. But, a scrappy quilt needs to be just that - Scrappy! Don't worry about the colors matching. Somehow they always look good when I am finished.

oldtnquiltinglady

This post brings to mind a gigantic mistake I made recently. I have had a pre-cut roll of fabric that I bought at a recent quilt show that my sister and I attended--I forgot what it was called, but a whole roll that was supposed to be used to make a quilt something like 60x76. Anyhow, I would occasionally pick it up and think to myself that it was not a good sized quilt, so I'd put it back down and go on to something else. Also, it was in the new "this year's colors and combinations" and most of the time I am not into that train of thought when I am constructing a quilt In my mind.

Well, one day, the GD said to me "why don't you do something with this Grannie, it is pretty"--so got me thinking, I can cut some 2-l/12 strips and we can make her something out of it. And cut that ENTIRE roll into 2-1/2 strips.

They are now in a small plastic box waiting for me to do something with them.....WHAT?

Normally, I am one to cut, lay out, and sew one strip of the quilt that I am currently working on. Keeps me motivbated, and it isn't too hard to sit still long enough to do one strip of a quilt at a time, 4-1/2 square, surrounded by 2-1/2 x 4-1/2 strip, with 2-1/2x2-1/2 square at each corner of the 4-1/2' square. Get the picture. Turns out great and I can also get lots of laundry, dishes, cooking, reading, napping in between.

Snooze2978

Whenever I'm planning my quilt/block, I find out how many of each piece/section I need to make, figure out how many pieces per section/block, pull out the fabrics I plan to use and divide the number of pieces needed by the number of fabrics I'm using. Most times it works for me using this method. The quilt I'm working on right now needed 18 blocks of the 2 blocks within the quilt body. I counted how many darks and lights, pulled from my scraps from the last quilt which I had planned to use anyway, then added more fabrics to fill the need plus a few extras. Since I was making this a controlled scrappy quilt, I laid out each block on my cutting table arranging each piece accordingly so no two blocks looked alike. Then I piled them into separate piles per block in the order they would be stitched on. I put an alphabet pin on the block and a matching pin on the pile so I wouldn't get them mixed up (I'm good at getting confused).

As I stated this method seems to work for me plus I'm using up my scraps too. Next quilt will use the brown scraps from the prior quilt I finished so I was able to use up most all the brown, blue and beige scraps from Quilt #1 on Quilt #2 and #3. The scraps from the Bricks & Stones quilt will be put into another quilt on the chopping block called Imperial Diamonds. Using the CT Mirage collection with some batiks I have.

MargeD

When I first started quilting, I was a very OCD person about colors and fabrics. Then I started making family reunion quilts where fabrics were sent to me, which I had to use in the quilt. I would cut just a few strips, then cut more as they are needed. It was once suggested that I put the strips/pieces into a brown paper bag and unless it matched the previous fabric, you had to use it; but I've never progressed that far.