You Gotta Love that Log Cabin Block

Things are coming along.  Slowly but surely they are coming together.  Enough of the pink and brown blocks have been sewn that I can lay out the center portion of the Raise the Roof design and actually get a preview of what it will look like when finished!  It seems so creative of the pattern designer to combine the use of the log cabin block with the scrappy star block to such a great resulting over all design.

I do love a log cabin block.  It is so reliable, is easily constructed, and comes out great as long as you pay attention to having some contrast.  The countless options for different designs in the quilt top layout is another feature that makes this a wonderful block choice.  Evelyn Sloppy has a super book called Log Cabin Fever that illustrates just how crazy you can go with the simple Log Cabin block.

The Log Cabin block has been a favorite choice for quilters for 150 years.  Narrow fabric strips ("logs") are sewn around a center square, which represents the heart of the home.  The blocks usually involve a strong contrast, with one side of the block being dark and the other light.

I made a log cabin quilt top years ago that I have never gotten around to having quilted.  The colors I used are so wild it makes my breath catch.  It was fun working with these fabrics for a change, but it is kind of hard to imagine the decor where they would fit in.  At any rate, the photo does allow you to see that the log cabin block is all about contrast.

One final word about cutting the individual logs to a specified  length prior to sewing versus just sewing on random strips and trimming as you go:  I always always cut my log cabin "logs" in advance to the exact size.  I know some people may disagree with me, but I think sewing strips that are not the exact size and then trimming to fit will result in a block that is "off" in size.  If you cut accurately and have an accurate seam allowance your log cabin blocks will come out right every time.