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:

Edited to add:  More posts featuring these log cabin blocks can be found here, here, here, here, and here.

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!

 

Edited to add:  More posts featuring these log cabin blocks can be found here, here, here, here, and here.

Comments

[Yolanda]

What does the finished product look like?

[Mimi]

Well, well, well... this simplifies things nicely! Would like to see the finished blocks too!!

[Virginia June]

Thank you so much. This looks so easy and makes me want to get started on a quilt.

[amber]

wow I love this. thank you so much.

[elvira]

Great tutorial. Thanks for sharing it :-D

[Dorothy]

Need the finish project.

[Donna]

So glad I stumbled across this on Pinterest! I have a log cabin cut out in strips. This should make it super easy to assemble. Thank you!

[Maria]

Amazing!!! Thanks so much for the tutorial

[Sunnie]

Did you ever finish the quilt? I'm glad I stumbled upon this tutorial, but I'd love to see how you finished it! Thanks so much :) I know you mentioned the piecing is hard to explain, but your pictures really help!

[Paula Lemos]

What a smart idea, thank you so much for sharing!

[Sharon Hill]

I would love to follow this tutorial to the end if I may.

[Beatrice Sykes]

love to see the end result log cabin is my favourite

[Bobbi]

Terrific tutorial. But I'd start with a strip of the white centers, not squares, and just cut to size once that first strip is sewn.

[Sue Lindsay]

Thanks for posting the tutorial. I have been saving pics of log cabin quilts for years, seriously, but haven't tried one yet due to all the little piecing required. Now I will start one at last!

[Emily]

Inofarmtion is power and now I'm a !@#$ing dictator.

[Karen Larsgard]

Thank you, thank you!

[Pamela Hartgerink]

Love this as I love log cabin blocks . Can you show the rest?

[Alittlebirdmademe.wordpress.com]

I used this tutorial to make a quilt for myself late last year - my first log cabin. I cheated a bit and used jelly rolls - and it turned out so well that I will do it again soon!
Now I have linked to you on my blog so that others can use it too!
http://alittlebirdmademe.wordpress.com/tutorials/

[Betty Gardner]

This is by far the easiest way to do a log cabin quilt. Thanks for your help. Is your quilt finished, would like to see finished quilt.

[Jayne J]

This is great! I'm going to try this. Many thanks for posting.

[Jadelmina]

Why do you start by cutting the white fabric to squares. Can't it be cut after the first seam? So use two strips and cut after the first seam. No waste fabric!

[Lisa]

Very cute, I'd have to agree with the comments- I would cut a 2" strip of both fabrics & sew them together, then go thru & rotary cut them down to 2" squares after pressing the seam open ^_^

[Catherine]

Genius! Thank you:-)

[Theresa Probe]

Just finished 12, 20 inch blocks with a jelly roll in just an afternoon using this technique. Not sure if I'm going to sash it or just it piece it together.

[Robin shufelt]

i am looking for the rest of the tutorial??
thanks!!