? About Log Cabin Blocks and Fabric Placement, Do You Use Same Fabric for Same Log?
 

I am planning my first log cabin quilt. I have a collection of cream print fabrics, green fabrics and pink fabrics. These are all from the Maywood Wild Rose line and most have a little of the other colors as well. I was going to do some blocks half cream and half green, some half cream and half pink and then some half green and half pink and lay them out with the colors flowing diagonally downward.

I was wondering if it looks better to use the same fabric for the same log in each similar block?

Does it look better to have your darker color (or busiest print) on the outside largest log?

I only have enough prints to do a 13 log block (will cut the fabric 1.5 inches) --would finish at 7 inches. I would like to do the next size up (so 17 logs for a finished 9 inch size) and was wondering if it would hurt the look to use the same fabric for a few of the logs -as long as they aren't side-by-side? Maybe if I did this, I could use the same fabric for the inside smallest log and the outside largest log??

Thanks.

I make my log cabins with a mix up of fabrics...different lights and different darks

before sewing them together- when you have your strips cut---lay a few out with different (combinations) and see what you like...some people make their log-cabin's totally scrappy-with every fabric different- some like things a bit more (controlled) and match their logs...as long as you have light on two sides & (darker) on the other two sides it will work --- i've seen great log-cabin's with all darks...& with all lights too....just (play around) with your strips a bit---when you have a block you like- stitch it together. :)

Good question. Sometimes I change my mind 1/2 way threw. If they are close enough in color then it should work.

All my log cabin quilts have been totally scrappy, but controlled scrappy is great as well. I would mix them up as far as placement goes, but it's your quilt, so do whatever makes you happiest. It will be lovely either way.

You might want to look thru the photos here and see how colors play in lots of LC quilts before making your own.
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...mg.fNr9arRGJRc

Also, use graph paper and colored pencils to draw out your quilt using the color placement you want and see how you like the way it looks. Or if you have a friend with EQ(Electric Quilt design program) perhaps they can help you draw it there and change up the colors as you wish til you find just the right one for you.

Jan in VA

Depends on how "scrappy" you want it. I chose fabrics that were similar but I mixed it up on my log cabin. See my avatar.

The first log cabin I did I wanted every fabric different, and it added a ton of stress and work to the project (I cut out each log in each fabric in each size so I'd have plenty to choose from). The next time, I winged it and it was much easier. In fact I strip pieced it – I added each block to a strip of one fabric and then trimmed up, so yes, it was the same fabric for each log in each block. It wasn't to control the scrappiness, it was to control the chaos, lol.