Love your quilt.I made a LC table runner a few yrs ago using the same colors.It covers the desk in DD's home.

Will save the instructions you sent.I do like strip piecing....all seems to go faster.Thanks

The first two log cabin blocks I made ended up different sizes so I knew I had to do something different. What worked for me was to cut the strips at least a sixteenth of an inch wider than the pattern said, and after sewing on each round of strips, I trimmed them to the correct size.

Any time I can make quilting blocks slightly larger and then trim them to the correct size, I do it. Evidently my sewing machine is defective in some way and does not allow me to sew a perfect 1/4 inch seam :).

Here's the one and only log cabin I've made.

Your LC is great. Believe me, no one wants to see a pic of mine. LOL Poor lonely quilt.Ahh well, it was a good learning experience & one I still love.

The first quilt I ever did was a king size log cabin quilt. The store where I bought material to make clothes offered the course and I took it. It is not perfect but, after 25+years I still have it on the bed. Made several more after that one for all three children, and a former friend.

I didn't ever have a problem with a Log Cabin. And believe me that is a problem could be found, I would be the one to find it. So sorry about your problem. I love Log Cabins. Have you paper pieced one?

I made a large log cabin as my second finished quilt. It really wasn't that hard. I think I started using the strip piecing but that confused me - so I finished each block at a time. My sister still has it on her bed.

I teach Log Cabin quilt at the beginning level. It's great because you learn to cut accurately (each log is cut to size - no short cuts for beginners) sew accurately (it has to meet or you cut/sewed wrong), press (not iron) accurately. You need to develop these 3 skills for any pattern to turn out. It also is a great pattern to have you start thinking about fabric value. The Log Cabin has a bizillion layouts so it's a great introduction to playing with your blocks and in a class you get to see how it works for others as well. I haven't had student failure yet and am always inspired by my students choices of colors and layout. I love this pattern, can you tell!!!

Several posters have asked if I did paper piecing? I actually learned to PP early on,but have never done a bed quilt with it.Back when I made mine, I really had no clue about quilts.Everything I learned came from quilting mags.Can't believe I didn't know blocks had to be squared.I was pretty hopeless.All I know came from mags & books.Never will be expert.,but love making quilt tops.

I can tell & sounds like you're a great teacher.Wish there were more of them.The basics are where we all need to start....makes building so much easier....when the base is sturdy.

OK...as a beginner, I will wait a while until I attempt one of those! But they sure look pretty! I'm still not sure what fabric grain is!

My first quilt was a log cabin. I made it by Eleanor Burns strip piece method. It turned out great. I also did a mini log cabin that was not perfectly seamed, but I loved it.

Lonestar...all those diamonds and then you have to set the pieces between the star points! As a longarm quilter, every one I have seen was either a tent in the middle or ballooning between the points! :shock: Maybe if it was appliqued to a the backing fabric it might work! IMHO

I did the Eleanor Burns log cabin and at the time was proud of myself. I also worked with Georgia Bonesteel where you quilt as you do each log. The overall effect was good, but it was a challenge to keep a block square and then combining the blocks from the back did not look as clean as I would like. Now I would like to try Gwen Marston liberated quilting of a log cabin. I really need LIBERATED.

I made one soooo long ago I actually forgot about the frustration.

LOL....that was a while ago.I didn't even know mine was wonky for a long time :-)

Log cabins are easy IF you first decide how many blocks you want. Then cut the center square for each (I always use red) then cut long strips for the first color range "A"
sew centers one after another onto the strip. Cut them apart and press. Now do the same with the same color "A" for the second side - if you proceed in this manner around you won't mess up colors or loose your place. My grandmother taught me this method back in the 1950's.

She also taught me to string quilt on old worn sheeting cut to size - needless to say nothing was ever thrown out in her home, but she sure made beautiful and lasting quilts.

I've used whatever I can find....old sheets,ugly fabric etc for string
piecing.Don't need batting,but like flannel backing.So warm & cuddly.

Sadiemae, I love the Quilt in your profile. Does it have a name? It doesn't look like a log cabin, but I am new to quilting and know log cabins have many variations.

ok i took that off my list of things to make !! thanks

Not to be a spoilsport but there is another topic thread about a super easy jelly roll quilt. Sounded like fun so I started one. Well, I couldn't chain piece, so that I didn't enjoy. Then I got all the strips (40) sewn in a long length and had a big twisted pile on the floor. It was a nightmare for me. I finally started whacking off lengths for the width of quilt I wanted and started sewing those lengths together. It sits half done, maybe I will make a small quilt instead!

I did a log cabin early on in my quilting (ok I have only been quilting 9 years) but then I tried one I found in a McCalls quilting magazine. It took a total of 1072 strips, and it scared the life outta me trying it. But it turned out so well that I did a second one and now I think I might like to do another!
One pattern that almost made me quit before I started was the first pieced quilt I ever made----a bargello heart! I nearly gave up a dozen or more times and oh how I cried! But as you can see from the photo, it turned out ok. A few years later I made my second bargello heart and couldn't imagine why I thought it was hard the first time!

Ladies, buy the Eleanor Burns "log Cabin in a Day" and follow the directions precisely and you will find it turns out just fine. She has lots of "In a Day" books and I have found them all to be great. I do lots of complex quilts too and I still love Eleanor Burns, she is the greatest!

Lynne Plotner-Pierce
Surprise AZ

Ladies, buy the Eleanor Burns "log Cabin in a Day" and follow the directions precisely and you will find it turns out just fine. She has lots of "In a Day" books and I have found them all to be great. I do lots of complex quilts too and I still love Eleanor Burns, she is the greatest!

Lynne Plotner-Pierce
Surprise AZ

One of the first quilts I made was a log cabin, it turned out terrible(I was seven), I made it for my Gram, the blocks weren't square, the rows weren't even, it was very scrappy, and at the time I thought it was great, so did gram. Later on after I had learned more, I tried another one, I never finished it and I didn't even keep it for a ufo, I think I have kept every other ufo, so you know it had to be terrible. I never liked the log cabin after that, but actually I did just figured I wasn't good enough to do one. Well three years ago I got a challenge to use up some Halloween fabric with ghouls and ghosts and witches in grays blacks and oranges, so I made a log cabin out of it. now it's my favorite quilt to sleep with. I guess I've gotten better at precision, because it went together like a dream.

I am going to do one of these one of these days, thank you for the heads up, and God bless.

Have never made a jelly roll quilt.After buying jelly rolls,I wondered what I was going to do with them & ended up just using a strip here & there.Hate, hate it when a planned project goes belly up!

Beautiful wreath !

I love log cabins, but I had the same experience as you with a Pam Bono pattern. After cutting out 4,578,000 :mrgreen: pieces, I found out that they wouldn't go together like the pattern called for. I threw the whole thing in a bag and threw it in the back of the closet, and as god is my witness, I will never do a Pam Bono again! LOL So I can totally understand your pain!!

Will add PM to MY list :-)
I love log cabins, but I had the same experience as you with a Pam Bono pattern. After cutting out 4,578,000 :mrgreen: pieces, I found out that they wouldn't go together like the pattern called for. I threw the whole thing in a bag and threw it in the back of the closet, and as god is my witness, I will never do a Pam Bono again! LOL So I can totally understand your pain!![/quote]

Yep, count me in as someone who tried the "easy quilt pattern" the log cabin and had a horrible time with it. I don't thing I would have quilted one other quilt had that been my very first try.

Where do I find the pattern for printing out the paper piecing block for the Log cabin? Love that pattern but am scared to try it. Thanks
Fran

did a log cabin hidden star pattern for first log cabin. i discovered i am NOT organized enough for that type of quilt. BUT, I WILL try again some time!!

My 12-member guild did a log cabin block challenge, red center with black and white fabrics. I won the blocks. No two were the same size. There were no newcomers in the group so you'd think we'd all come out right. I couldn't put them together in any traditional way so I appliqued them randomly to a cheery red fabric and it looks really good. You don't notice the difference in size. We recently did a garden maze block, much more complicated, and I can't wait to see the results. That block has a lot of matching points so the winner has her work cut out for her (bad pun, I know).

I am sure tht you can find a free internet webside printout pattern for LC for foundation piecing. I used almost a read of old tissue copy paper (remember when we made carbon copies to get more than one copy of a document, on electric typewriters) and traced that then numbered the sequence for each. Gradually make more copies ahead of yourself, if you do not have access to a copy machine--although I believe that extra cost to do this is well worth it.

I learned to quilt at Quilt in a Day. Their log cabin is so easy and very forgiving. If you want to give it a try again I would highly recommend getting thier Log Cabin book. You use 44" wide strips instead of little pieces and the book explains everything.

I saw neebies at Quilt In A Day make this quilt and some of their blocks were so off that I dreaded being there when it was time to put the top together. When that time came though I was amazed to see these odd shaped blocks all come together into a wonderful quilt. It must be one of the most forgiving patterns and methods.

I don't think log cabin is an "easy" quilt pattern. To keep all those logs straight as a beginner is almost impossible. I waited years before I tried to make one and was pleased with the results because I could finally sew a straight line and 1/4 inch seam correctly (at least for me).

:hunf: Most of the ones that say easy, especially the "make it in two days over the weekend" obviously have a lot more experience, time and patience than I do. Not only are they 48 hour weekend job, but the pieces rarely come out the way I expect and I don't think they count how long it takes to cut it all out. LOL

Hi Grandma Pat if you go to ABOUT.COM you will find a printout of the log cabin it also explains all about paper piecing and seems to have other patterns also--I never did it but am going to give it a try. all I did was in search put paper piecing came up with sits and picked on. Have fun as I am hoping to do.
Fran

TRUDEY your log cabin wreath is georgeous what a beautiful wall hanging at christmas. do you remember what issue of Macalls mag. had the pattern? That is worth giveing the log cabin a try.
Fran

OK, thanks. I'm going to give it a try and see what I come up with.

Pat