My first quilting class was for a log cabin quilt and learned the "old fashioned" method of cutting piles and piles of different length strips to sew together.

Then I bought Eleanor Burns' book on Log Cabins, and her method accomplished the same (better!) results with a lot less cutting and stacking heartburn. I strongly recommend buying one of her log cabin quilt books because you not only learn the simpler method, BUT Eleanor generously shows different layouts for different sized log cabin quilts just to show you how versatile this easy block is and how to achieve different looks just from layout choice alone. As far as quilting books go - and face it, they're expensive! starting out - you get a tremendous bang for your buck with this book.

I'd also a very vocal advocate for beginner's to check out book on Amazon.com and THEN - before ordering anything - go to their local library and request those books through interlibrary loan. It costs nothing, you can really examine and test the book BEFORE laying out any purchase money.

Lots of good advice here already. I also like Marti Mitchell's book "Log Cabin ABC's"

I am a beginner and for my first quilt where I actually cut and piece I am doing a beginners rail fence. It only has three different fabrics and is done in strips. Got the strips cut and am not putting them together. wish me luck. smile

I mean I am now putting them together. smile senior moment there....

I hand quilt and everything is hand done, my choice. My first quilt was a log cabin simple and beautiful. I will be doing more because I love the way they go together.
Mia

I would recommend it also. I have the book and love it. There are so many variables of the log cabin in her book. I have made several log cabins using her book and love doing them. She makes them so easy. Hobby Lobby usually carries this book.

I've made 3 log cabins back to back, they get better each time, I square up every time around, and make sure you get a 1/4 inch foot it really helps. I couoldn't wrap my mind around the light and dark when I did my 1st one, but I did all of mine scrappy. Huge difference when not repeating colors.

My first quilt was a log cabin quilt with a flannel backing. I have it on my chair and love to snuggle in it when it is cold.

It was my very first one I made. I had to tie it though.

Dear Karate lady, is this a beggining quilt?

I love rail fences!
Here is a hint - get a picture of one to use as a guide.
To keep the rows from going wonky - or getting mixed up
try this:
Strip sew the fabric and cut it into the blocks.
Try to plan the top to have an even number of blocks across and down.
Square them all with a square ruler cutting only slivers off.
Put four blocks together in a square using the picture as a guide.
Put all the rest of the blocks together in squares of fours and put them in a stack. All the SAME way!
For uneven numbers of rows across or down, make stacks of fours until you have about two thirds done, and add the rest onto the sewn center.
For even numbers of rows sew them ALL into fours, and stack them all.
Now sew the blocks of fours into bigger blocks of fours,
and those into the quilt top.
This method of keeping the orientation of the blocks, saves your head from going wierd trying to make the zig-zag come out right!
Of course by using the picture as a guide you can sew rows too...but it is harder to get perfect corners.