log cabin - paper piece or not?
01-12-2011, 06:32 AM
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 957
I tried the paper piecing (which I love to do) but it was too slow for me. So I decided to cut all my strips to the correct size and just chain piece the blocks and that has worked for me. It's a good idea to try and press seams as you add the strips.
01-12-2011, 06:44 AM
#33
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Elsinore, CA
Posts: 15,145
sharkee and Juliea9967 - my avatar is the diamond log cabin star, i.e. a log cabin quilt that's built around a diamond shape. When I made the first one I was asked by so many members of the board to write a pattern that I did that, and I am selling it on the board. The pattern quilt has plain corners rather than the radiating design. All the information is here: http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-41448-1.htm
Pictures of this and the other diamond log cabin star quilts are in these posts:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-26643-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-41449-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-55682-1.htm
And no, it isn't paper pieced.
Lots of people have referred to having wonky blocks in their log cabins. There are ways to avoid that. When I started quilting, I read Judy Martin's log cabin book and employed her techniques for several log cabin quilts. Judy's book teaches you to use the length of grain when possible, use starch, cut the logs to size before sewing, press without distortion, sew carefully, and measure often. A log cabin is not a complicated block, but it does have a lot of pieces.
I use PP for snail's trail, square in square, and certainly for designs with really narrow angles. But I don't want to be limited to PP to get some kind of accuracy. For a block that has reasonable angles, I look at PP as a kind of crutch, sometimes necessary but if you use it all the time you will forget how to get along without it. A log cabin block is very achievable without PP if you use a good technique. (I haven't tried 1/4" logs yet, so you may be right about using PP for that.)
Oh - forgot to say that I did PP the border in my avatar.
Pictures of this and the other diamond log cabin star quilts are in these posts:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-26643-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-41449-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-55682-1.htm
And no, it isn't paper pieced.
Lots of people have referred to having wonky blocks in their log cabins. There are ways to avoid that. When I started quilting, I read Judy Martin's log cabin book and employed her techniques for several log cabin quilts. Judy's book teaches you to use the length of grain when possible, use starch, cut the logs to size before sewing, press without distortion, sew carefully, and measure often. A log cabin is not a complicated block, but it does have a lot of pieces.
I use PP for snail's trail, square in square, and certainly for designs with really narrow angles. But I don't want to be limited to PP to get some kind of accuracy. For a block that has reasonable angles, I look at PP as a kind of crutch, sometimes necessary but if you use it all the time you will forget how to get along without it. A log cabin block is very achievable without PP if you use a good technique. (I haven't tried 1/4" logs yet, so you may be right about using PP for that.)
Oh - forgot to say that I did PP the border in my avatar.
01-12-2011, 06:51 AM
#34
Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Hemingway, SC
Posts: 62
breath taking......simply beautiful.
Originally Posted by dunster
sharkee and Juliea9967 - my avatar is the diamond log cabin star, i.e. a log cabin quilt that's built around a diamond shape. When I made the first one I was asked by so many members of the board to write a pattern that I did that, and I am selling it on the board. The pattern quilt has plain corners rather than the radiating design. All the information is here: http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-41448-1.htm
Pictures of this and the other diamond log cabin star quilts are in these posts:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-26643-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-41449-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-55682-1.htm
And no, it isn't paper pieced.
Lots of people have referred to having wonky blocks in their log cabins. There are ways to avoid that. When I started quilting, I read Judy Martin's log cabin book and employed her techniques for several log cabin quilts. Judy's book teaches you to use the length of grain when possible, use starch, cut the logs to size before sewing, press without distortion, sew carefully, and measure often. A log cabin is not a complicated block, but it does have a lot of pieces.
I use PP for snail's trail, square in square, and certainly for designs with really narrow angles. But I don't want to be limited to PP to get some kind of accuracy. For a block that has reasonable angles, I look at PP as a kind of crutch, sometimes necessary but if you use it all the time you will forget how to get along without it. A log cabin block is very achievable without PP if you use a good technique. (I haven't tried 1/4" logs yet, so you may be right about using PP for that.)
Oh - forgot to say that I did PP the border in my avatar.
Pictures of this and the other diamond log cabin star quilts are in these posts:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-26643-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-41449-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-55682-1.htm
And no, it isn't paper pieced.
Lots of people have referred to having wonky blocks in their log cabins. There are ways to avoid that. When I started quilting, I read Judy Martin's log cabin book and employed her techniques for several log cabin quilts. Judy's book teaches you to use the length of grain when possible, use starch, cut the logs to size before sewing, press without distortion, sew carefully, and measure often. A log cabin is not a complicated block, but it does have a lot of pieces.
I use PP for snail's trail, square in square, and certainly for designs with really narrow angles. But I don't want to be limited to PP to get some kind of accuracy. For a block that has reasonable angles, I look at PP as a kind of crutch, sometimes necessary but if you use it all the time you will forget how to get along without it. A log cabin block is very achievable without PP if you use a good technique. (I haven't tried 1/4" logs yet, so you may be right about using PP for that.)
Oh - forgot to say that I did PP the border in my avatar.
01-12-2011, 07:01 AM
#36
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: state of confusion
Posts: 4,541
I've made log cabins both ways, and as long as you're precise with your cutting I've found that it really doesn't matter at all. The removal of the papers was a poop, and for me not really worth the extra effort, but it turned out nicely.
01-12-2011, 07:24 AM
#37
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Pittsburg, Kansas
Posts: 1,691
I have done 2 log cabins quilts and 1 wall hanging. On the 1st one, I thought it had to have a foundation or be paper pieced.
One of my friends who taught at the college here, showed me how to do it without either method above.
Cut your strips 1and 1/2" or 2"--I did mine 1 and 1/2". Have the center Yellow or Red--Yellow for the sunshine coming into the cabin; Red for the warmth of the fire in the cabin.
Start stitching about the 2" center square of Yellow or Red. 2 sides the dark side, the next 2 sides, the light. Keep going until you have your block the desired size.
Iron very thoroughly, then spray fabric sizing and iron again. Mine have always turned out very well with this method.
Good luck!
Mariah.
I used scraps on mine, and they all turned out beautiful!
One of my friends who taught at the college here, showed me how to do it without either method above.
Cut your strips 1and 1/2" or 2"--I did mine 1 and 1/2". Have the center Yellow or Red--Yellow for the sunshine coming into the cabin; Red for the warmth of the fire in the cabin.
Start stitching about the 2" center square of Yellow or Red. 2 sides the dark side, the next 2 sides, the light. Keep going until you have your block the desired size.
Iron very thoroughly, then spray fabric sizing and iron again. Mine have always turned out very well with this method.
Good luck!
Mariah.
I used scraps on mine, and they all turned out beautiful!
01-12-2011, 07:46 AM
#40
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Manhattan, Kansas
Posts: 2,160
Originally Posted by newbee3
I am making one now. First one. I did find out that it is better to have your pieces cut to length. I did try it with a strip and just add pieces than cut to length it did not work out for me.
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