easy-peasy log cabin tutorial

I absolutely love the katie jump rope fabric line by denyse schmidt and I have slowly been collecting prints, several yards at a time.  I will be making a scrappy log cabin quilt and posting my progress with tutorials as I go along.  Follow along with me and use your favorite fabrics to make your own log cabin quilt.   Here's how:

I will be making approximately 42  - 10 inch blocks for a large lap/twin quilt size.  This tutorial uses the chain piecing method so there will be no need for measuring fabric fabric pieces, making precise cuts, or perfect seam allowances.  Because there are no points to match this is perfect for a first quilt.  In fact, you can make the squares a little big larger and then use a ruler to cut them to the 10 inch size.

First, cut 8 - 12 of your favorite coordinating fabrics into 2 inch strips, selvage to selvage.  The number of strips of each fabric will depend on how many squares you will be making, but 4 - 6 strips of each fabric is a good place to start.

Press the fabric strips well.

Cut 2 x 2 inch squares for the center of the log cabin blocks. 

I chose to cut 42 white squares for the centers to unify all of the various fabric patterns.  You can use a coordinating color or pattern or make the centers in different colors.

Next, choose a 2 inch strip and place it under the presser foot of your sewing machine.  Lay the 2 inch center squares - ONE AT A TIME - on the strip and sew it down.  When you get to the end of the 2 inch square stop sewing, lift the presser foot, and place down the next square, lower the presser foot.  Sew it down, stop sewing, lift the presser foot, and place down the next square, lower the presser foot, and sew.  Do this until you have ten center squares in the strip.  Do not pin.

This is what the strip looks like when it comes through the machine.  There are no points or fabric edges to get caught in the machine, no cutting of thread, and no matching of two small squares - it is much easier to place the small squares on a long strip of fabric.

Here is what the strips will look like.  Notice that there is room left on the strip but I chose to only sew 9-10 center squares on each strip in order to vary the patterns of the blocks.

Note: leave as little room as possible between squares so as not to waste fabric.

These strips are lots of fun to piece - and super easy!

Using a ruler and rotary cutter, cut the squares apart.  Cut out and discard the little bit between the squares.

You will have 42 pieces.

Open them up and PRESS with the seam allowance away from the white center square.

Now select another long strip (cut selvage to selvage), place it under the presser foot and begin sewing the pieced rectangles to it.  Lay them down ONE AT A TIME and sew.  Stop when you get to the end, lift up the presser foot, place down another pieced rectangle, lower the presser foot, sew.  Repeat until you get to the end of the strip.  Do not pin.

Here's the strip right after it comes out the machine.

Cut the blocks apart and PRESS them open with the seam allowances away from the center white square.  This is as far as I got, but for those of you who want to work ahead...

Choose another strip, lay down the pieced blocks as pictured above and sew.  Lay and sew the blocks ONE AT A TIME - the picture above is for demo only to show the orientation of the blocks.

More tutorials coming us as I progress with the quilt.  Please ask any questions in the comments - this piecing is so simple to do but kinda hard to describe. 

Enjoy your weekend  - and remember to play some!

Comments

[Carrie]

I've never seen log cabins pieced this way, and it's so clever. Interested to see your quilt as it progresses!

[Elinor]

This blows my mind! I had no idea log cabin blocks could be strip pieced like this! Thanks for the tutorial! Bookmarked!

[Heather]

Another amazing tutorial. Thank you Larissa!

[Sewmarm]

Very clever! Thanks for the tutorial.

[Lisa Q]

oh my goodness. this is so amazingly cool! I can not wait to get my fabric and get started on this!!! THANK YOU Larissa. You have so many amazing techniques! Thanks for sharing.

[Cristin]

Dang no way! That seems easy enough! I will SO have to try this! Thanks so much~

[stephanie]

What a great idea! I have made SO many log cabins and never thought to do it like this! Thanks. :)

[Sue Alley]

I am a beginning quilter and your tutorial is just great and easy to follow. I absolutely love your quilts and fabric choices. Very inspirational. I can't wait to try my first log cabin quilt.

[Diane in England]

BRILLIANT - I too am only a beginner quilter - photos are so big and clear - lovely choice of colours for the photos - I like the idea of cutting up the fabric then sitting and stitching - this is next on my list "TO DO"

thank you