Log Cabin Strips
12-04-2013, 11:38 AM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 947
Log cabins are very forgiving, at least in how I do them. I like very scrappy, and I do not worry about precision. They end up looking fine to any but the most critical quilter's eye. I'm pretty sure I have at least one lc in my photos posted here, if you care to go look.
I don't use uniform widths of strips, and there is variation in width in the rounds-- To me it's more important to have even distribution of color/value. I leave my strips long and do assembly line piecing, then trim and press. I don't square up my blocks until the final round, which is where I use a wider log-- allows for more aggressive trimming if need be. I do prefer relatively narrow strips, as I feel that makes for a more pleasing design, and because, frankly, I tend to use my less lovely fabrics up in log cabins, and they do best when you don't see huge stretches of them. So to me, narrow strips means cut 1" up to 2.5", finished widths .5" to 2". Keep in mind that the narrower the logs, the more seams you are dealing with, which translates to a heavier quilt, and all the quilting challenges that go with heavy quilts and lots of seams.
Ok -- I guess photos from the past don't remain on this board. Links: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12590460@N06/8366545522/
and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12590460@N06/8365453237/
Both the above have randomized and non-uniform log widths. I just square up the final blocks before assembling.
I don't use uniform widths of strips, and there is variation in width in the rounds-- To me it's more important to have even distribution of color/value. I leave my strips long and do assembly line piecing, then trim and press. I don't square up my blocks until the final round, which is where I use a wider log-- allows for more aggressive trimming if need be. I do prefer relatively narrow strips, as I feel that makes for a more pleasing design, and because, frankly, I tend to use my less lovely fabrics up in log cabins, and they do best when you don't see huge stretches of them. So to me, narrow strips means cut 1" up to 2.5", finished widths .5" to 2". Keep in mind that the narrower the logs, the more seams you are dealing with, which translates to a heavier quilt, and all the quilting challenges that go with heavy quilts and lots of seams.
Ok -- I guess photos from the past don't remain on this board. Links: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12590460@N06/8366545522/
and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12590460@N06/8365453237/
Both the above have randomized and non-uniform log widths. I just square up the final blocks before assembling.
12-04-2013, 02:52 PM
#13
Power Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Front row
Posts: 14,646
I made a quick quilt, one huge log cabin block using 6" strips. Half dark half light. No pattern and no reason to make it other then to see how it would look. My young nephew took it with him on long a car trip.
12-04-2013, 08:28 PM
#14
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Southern Indiana
Posts: 5,052
Personally, I like logs that are 1-1.5" finished. I don't like them much wider or much narrower than that, but that's just my preference. I also like them all the same width, although varying the width within the block can do some interesting things to the block. Like this, as shown by the very talented QB member Barnbum:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...o-t137116.html
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...o-t137116.html
12-06-2013, 06:54 AM
#15
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 283
Many years ago, the quilt that pulled me into quilting was a log cabin pattern with logs on one side 1/2 the finished width of the opposite logs. It made a beautiful circular pattern when the blocks were stitched together. Some of the fabric is still in my stash. Experiment, you'll be happy you did. Joyce
12-06-2013, 07:20 AM
#17
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Central Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Posts: 7,695
Personally, I like logs that are 1-1.5" finished. I don't like them much wider or much narrower than that, but that's just my preference. I also like them all the same width, although varying the width within the block can do some interesting things to the block. Like this, as shown by the very talented QB member Barnbum:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...o-t137116.html
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...o-t137116.html
12-06-2013, 10:38 AM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 862
Cat, you can pick any width.There are several methods of assembly, but the fastest one is Eleanor Burns method. You sew, then trim. If you can sit and sew that long, you can finish a queen sized top in a long weekend.
To save even more time, you can use one of those June Taylor Short Cuts. Its very fast and perfect for a log cabin.
To save even more time, you can use one of those June Taylor Short Cuts. Its very fast and perfect for a log cabin.
Last edited by IAmCatOwned; 12-06-2013 at 10:42 AM.
12-06-2013, 10:59 AM
#19
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Lowell, MA
Posts: 14,083
I made a log cabin quilt for our family reunion to be raffled off and I used 2" strips, which finished to 1.5", which to me is a good size. I've made smaller log cabin items - like table runners using 1" strips and to me it was just too small. I just cut 2" strips, trimmed after each round to keep the block square.
12-06-2013, 03:28 PM
#20
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Owensboro, KY
Posts: 1,420
I would think the width of the logs would be affected by the size of the quilt being made. If you are making a king or queen size quilt, I believe the larger logs would look just fine. For a smaller wall-hanging or twin size, the smaller logs would be more attractive. The quilt I made was a king size floral log cabin and my logs were all 2 inches, which made them 1 1/2 when sew into place. I was very happy with the results. Thought it all looked good proportionately.
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