Log Cabin Quilts: Simple and Traditional
One reason Log Cabin quilts appeal to so many quilters is that they don’t need borders, appliqué, or fancy quilting to dress them up – they look good just the way they are. There are many different ways to arrange a set of Log Cabin blocks into quilts. Each setting offers a unique look quite different from all the others. This article covers five of the most popular traditional Log Cabin quilt settings, also called quilt designs or quilt layouts, which use nothing but Log Cabin blocks. The names of these old favorites reach back to the late 1800s and the almost-vanished world of farming and communal life that produced the first Log Cabin quilts. To see a diagram of each setting, look for the pictures below.
Five Favorite Log Cabin Patterns
See the photos at the bottom of the page for an illustration of each Log Cabin pattern. Click on any photo to enlarge it.
- Straight Set. This is a simple layout, with all the blocks oriented in the same direction, but surprisingly elegant. The division of each block into darks and lights makes the squares appear to march in ordered rows from the top corner of the quilt to the bottom, something like a flock of geese in flight. You can strengthen this impression by using just one dark fabric and one light fabric, or make the quilt look less formal by choosing a scrappy assortment of fabrics.
- Fields and Furrows pattern. The diagonal lines of darks and lights in this setting look like the rows in a freshly plowed field.
- Barn Raising pattern. This setting’s square-in-a-square layout suggests a building and the cooperative effort that would raise a barn in a single day.
- Sunshine and Shadows pattern. This layout consists of alternating diamonds of dark and light. The design doesn’t draw the eye across the quilt as some Log Cabin designs do, which gives the quilt a formal, dignified look.
- Chevron pattern. A series of upside-down “V” shapes that imitate the chevron badge on a soldier’s sleeve. There are other Chevron layouts besides the one shown here, but this one is simple to create.
How to Lay Out Log Cabin Blocks into a Quilt Pattern
If you have a design wall, put your blocks up on the design wall before you sew to make sure you have them all aligned properly. Learn nine ways to make an inexpensive quilt design wall. It's easy to get a block or two turned around in the wrong direction if you don't lay them out and inspect your layout. If you don’t have a design wall, a large bed also makes a good place to lay out your blocks. Sew the blocks into rows first, then join the rows together into a complete quilt top.
- See four more traditional Log Cabin quilt settings.
- See four variations on Log Cabin blocks: regular, Courthouse Steps, Pineapple, and Chevron.
- Learn about the history of Log Cabin quilts.
- Learn how to strip piece Log Cabin Around the Hearth quilt blocks. Another easy-to-make variation on the Log Cabin block, this block looks like a square-within-a-square. Learn how to make it with fast strip piecing methods.
Christine Mann - Christine Mann writes about quilting, home decor sewing, and creativity in daily life.
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