I also cut the strips to size. I tried the other way first and became very frustrated with the way some of the fabrics seemed to stretch. Ii hate having to resize the blocks again and again and again. With the strips, I get a much more precise block.

I made a flannel scrap log cabin. The directions were to cut all the fabric into 2 inch strips and place them in a paper bag. Next draw out strips randomly and start sewing onto a 3 inch square, cut, put used strip into a different bag, rotate, sew another strip, cut, rotate, etc. It was a fun quilt to make and went fast. I thought it was really pretty and easy. That is the only log cabin I have made so far.

I don't cut my strips to specific lengths - I trim as I go. With 7 cats it would become quite a battle to keep the strips in the correct order. Also that is the type of project that I pick up and put down so I don't have to worry about putting it away in a certain order.

I cut width of fabric and then sub cut to size of length of logs needed. I like to have a little give when sewing the pieces.

I always cut WOF. I just follow the pattern or any pattern for scrappy regular log cabins. I have made several quilts that do log cabins differently.

I try to use the length wise grain, but with scrappy log cabins that is not always possible. Having tried both ways of cutting to length prior to sewing and using strips... I much prefer cutting to length prior to sewing. It keeps in incheck for how acqurate I am sewing the seams. It did not seem to save much time sewing the strip method as I had to cut them once sewn.

I do starch all my fabrics quite heavily prior to any cutting.

This is how I build log cabin blocks, though I had no idea the method has been 'credited' to Judy Martin. I've been doing it this way since the early-70's, years before Martin published her first book. Since accuracy and precision are very high on my prority list, this way just makes sense for me.

I always cut WOF and never seem to have a problem. Good luck.

Question:
I have never used starch on the pieces but would like to start, since using a lot of batik fabrics I like the crisp feel when handling pcs to sew. Question is...is it ever a problem for stretching when you iron them?