I'm with Bearisgray on this one. I have always had a hard time keeping them from going wonky.

Rob

My first quilt had six log cabins in it with 2 inch strips and it was very difficult. After that one, I’ve made others with smaller strips and they all turned out great, I love them.

One of my "official" first quilts was the LC from Eleanor Burns- QIAD book....it was easy because her books have such great instructions and pictures, you just can't go wrong. Anyway, altho it came out as it should have, I was not in love with the pattern and have not done another...mine too seems like 100 yrs ago.....but it is still being used on a bed.....
And I have been watching on YouTube Eleanor burns videos on her new venture 40 fabulous years, and I am almost tempted to try another one.

My first pieced-block quilt, was a log cabin -- which I presented to the son of a very good friend of mine -- he served in the U.S. Army and was seriously injured in Afghanistan. I used 2.5" strips -- my biggest problem was assembling the blocks and it was far from perfect, but then so am I far from perfect. Since then, I have pieced three more log cabin quilts, one for myself which is very large (approx. 130" X 130"), and one for each of my two sisters which are king size plus!. Accurate cutting and stitching are extremely important for keeping the blocks square -- I think I was just lucky!

The only way I mastered the log cabin was by paper piecing...(is that cheating?)

I started a LC by hand, using quilt as you go. The strips were relatively narrow. I finished eight on my lunch breaks at school (staff). Eight was enough. I sewed them into two wallhangings and sold them for a nice amount at the church bazaar. I would like to make a LC, but it's not at the top of my list.

I guess it depends on the LC pattern that you use or the method, maybe. Surprising there can be so many different ways to approach an essentially simple looking block. A LC block was one that we made in my first basic quilting class. It was one of what you would call a sampler quilt. I am just completing one now, it is my second LC quilt. I don't think that it is any more difficult than other basic blocks. Sometimes I wonder if people get into problems when trying to use a short cut method or just looking at a picture. (Not directed at you, Bear, or anyone in particular:) ) Just random thoughts, you know.

The third quilt I ever made was a log cabin from Elenore Burns book, "Quilt in a Day". It was such a blast to tear those strips! What a difference it made in the time it took, compared to the other (previous) quilts I had made. Templets, hand scissors and hand piecing are a lot of bother now. LOL! Really fun to rotary cut too. I have made a few other log cabins since during all of these years and I never get tired of them or not love the way they turn out. They all turn out so differently.

I made a log cabin from two inch strips, no problem. But I have made several scrappy log cabins with uneven strips just with darks on one side and lights on the other and oh what fun I had! I wish I knew how to post pictures but it takes me some many tries, I end of giving up! I love scrappies and the log cabin with uneven strips sizes came out great but I like that kind of quilts.

I have not yet done a log cabin quilt...I purchased a Creative Grids ruler which I think is supposed to eliminate having to be so precise and accurate. I plan to do one in 2019.