The one thing that I have never heard anyone say about log cabins is that the first two fabrics you start with will determine whether the outer edges will touch or stay separate. So look carefully at a pattern to see which look you want to end up with. On my mini's I start with the lights and end up with the longest being darks so the pattern touches. If you start with a light and a dark, then one edge can touch and if you start with two darks the lights will be at the edges and they won't touch. I know it sounds nutty but, it really made a difference in the minis. Any half square pattern can be a log cabin pattern. Since visually the light and dark contrast makes a half square block. It opens up all sorts of pattern ideas.