Quilting pattern for log cabin quilt (so many seams!)
 

Hullo dear fellow quilters,

may I ask for your ideas? I've just started a log cabin quilt and unlike the one I made years ago, just knotted, this one will be hand quilted.

Now, there are a lot of seams in that pattern and I`ve chosen rather narrow strips. Some 2000 pieces, so lots and lots of seams.

I usually quilt my quills in a wavy pattern, you'll know the one, like quarters of a circle. But here, even with a thin wadding, this seems a bit of a nightmare.

Has anyone used a pattern that makes sense in a log cabin? Maybe just follow the contours, little rectangles? I just cannot think of anything else and checking old quilts on Ebay did not get me much further.

I`d be really grateful for a tip or two; maybe somebody even has a photo of a quilted log cabin for me?

Oh, and by the way, are there quilting needles that you really would recommend?

Thanks for your interest in reading this. And, seeing as I'm German, hello from across the big pond ;)


Christina

Welcome, Christina! You'll love it here. If I were handquilting your quilt, I'd quilt somewhere within the strips to avoid the seams, like a quarter inch away from the seam, etc. You could travel the thread within the quilt at the seam locations.

If I were handquilting a log cabin, I would probably go directly down the middle of the logs, in a spiral if possible.

Welcome from New Jersey. When I hand quilted the log cabin I made, I used stars of varying sizes placed randomly throughout the quilt. I was using Warm & Natural batting - which is also a thin batting and it was not horrible.

For needles, I prefer Roxanne Betweens in usually a size 11. Enjoy your journey.

I like seeing the fabric patterns. I always press out, away from the center square, so i’d Quilt on the low side either in the ditch or next to the ditch. Depending on the width of your logs, i’d Do every other or third one. That being said, I recall saving a picture where they quilted in the center of the logs and it looked very nice. I’ll try to find it.

Guten Tag! I have made two Log Cabins, and did both with just lines following the logs. Someone else mentioned stars in different sizes. I made a Boxed Squares doing that and it came out great. I do not think you will have the problem that you think if the needle is nice and small.

These are two I saved in Pinterest.
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Hi Christina and welcome to the board. I love the big stitch quilting that Maurine posted in the 2nd picture and you will avoid the seams that way for sure. But the beauty of big stitch is you can still go with the Baptist fan design (at least that is what I believe you are describing when you mention the quarters of a circle) and manage to avoid most of them or power through them when you take the occasional stitch that catches a lot of seam allowance. Baptist fan is such a timeless design and I have never seen a quilt that didn't look great when done with it. If you do big stitch you can also avoid many seams with the stitches.

Oh down the middle of the logs looks great. I never thought of that!!

Lovely fabric and nicely done.

Hello Christina & welcome from Texas. I happen to be working on a log cabin & star quilt right now. The blocks will alternate....one log cabin, one star, etc. I was thinking of quilting my log cabin like the picture I drew up here. I would start at the longest outside log & move to the center & then maybe just quilt around the center square & perhaps quilt a little motif in the center. Either way I would have an almost continuous line of quilting without having to cut threads at each log.

The prettiest hand quilted log cabin I have seen was quilted on the bias. Stunning. The quilting added an extra dimension.

Welcome to the QB Christina. And, like always, you have received some great suggestions. We look forward to seeing your quilt.

Thanks for the lovely welcome! And yes, avoiding the seams seems like a very good idea

Love log cabin designs. Stitching in the middle as shone would be much easier than other ways imho. Welcome you'll be happy you stopped by. It's very habit forming. :)

I meant, of course, thanks to all the help and input, cannot believe how many sweet people took the time to answer. Will post a photo once I start quilting but that will be one or two months away. Just spent an hour cutting fabric in preparation. Isn't it great when you`re starting a new quilt? Almost as good as finishing one ;)

I`ll check the Baptist fan, not sure what exactly that is! Nor what it means to quilt on the bias. But I will find out

The log cabin I saw with quilting on the bias was made and quilted by Virginia Siciliano, wife of George Siciliano, award winning paper piecer. She is an award winning handquilter. http://www.georgesiciliano.com/ Wonderful couple use to travel and do quilt programs workshops. Their works are in National Quilt Museum. Some his, some hers.

I quilted one with circles one time and loved it.

Welcome from British Columbia. I have made a log cabin also but not yet quilted. As a new quilter I am afraid I had only thought of SiTD. My logs are 1" finished so I thought about doing the centre square then jumping to the third row and perhaps the fifth. Perhaps I can learn from what you decide to do. Please do let us know.

Welcome to the board Christina. You will find this group the most helpful I have ever come across and so generous in so many ways. What part of Germany are you located in? I visited there in '93 and would love to come back again, but doubt that it will ever happen due to my age at this point and time and things being so expensive now as well. Loved the three weeks I spent there, did some genealogy and some sightseeing and met so many wonderful people. I visited with my elderly mom, former sister-in-law, her mom and her two kids. It sounds funny to say, but my Mom was younger than I am now when we visited and she did better than any of us. >grin<. Happy quilting, sorry I don't have any suggestions to offer you on your quilt but think the others have given you great suggestions. Be sure to post a picture when you get it started.

Lee R. aka themachinelady

Hullo dear machine lady,

we live close to Frankfurt, in a city called Wiesbaden. Originally, though, I'm from the South, born and raised in Freiburg, the most beautiful town ever. Should you ever return to Germany, see it if you have the chance, it´s absolutely lovely!
Same here, by the way, not quite 50 yet, but I just don't make that kind of money anymore. Just the flight alone would really cost a lot. As a student, however, I loved to go the States and I visited all the time ;))

Will post a photo once I get started. Have the first 5 pieces (blocks?) ready but suddenly, I'm not sure whether to use 20 or only 16 pieces per block. And whether to mix any other colors into the dark section but the indigos. Hmm...

Maybe I should post a photo of a block and you could help with that too. Its a novel thing, for me, getting help with the quilting. Never thought to ask :)

Dear Kelsie, what's SiTD? My logs are about 2cm, that's a bit less than inch, I think (1 inch=2,5cm, if I remember right). I love close quilting (well, not to actually do it, but the look I get - so mostly, I compromise)

Hi Christina! Welcome to the board!
I really like that idea of quilting it in the middle of the logs so you don't have to deal with the seams. Never thought of that- great idea!

SITD means stitch in the ditch but that's for machine quilting. I don't think you'd want to do it by hand.

Good suggestions from all. I, for one do not SITD because I always good up on that technique. I usually choose some other technique.

While we're here ... colours?
 

Hope this works and you all can see a photo of a finished block. Too much blue, what do you think? But what else to mix in?? Dark green? Blacks - but that color I really don't like too much. What colors would look 1880s? Thanks again! It`s great to talk to people with the same interest

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For a quilting needle, I can’t recommend Hiroshima Tulip betweens enough. They are a little more expensive, but are almost bendproof, important if you have to quilt through seams. They are also very sharp and needle through the layers effortlessly.