Not Your Grandmother's Log Cabin: 40 Projects - New Quilts, Design-Your-Own Options & More
By Sara Nephew and Marci Baker
4/5
()
About this ebook
Read more from Sara Nephew
Log Cabin Star Quilt Pattern Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWonderful One-Patch Quilts: 20 Projects from Triangles, Half-Hexagons, Diamonds & More Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsQuilts of Praise: 9 Projects Featuring 3D Cross & Church Blocks Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Not Your Grandmother's Log Cabin
Related ebooks
Strip Quilt Secrets: 5 Techniques, 15 Projects Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Contemporary Paper-Pieced Quilts Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Storyteller’s Sampler Quilt: Stitch 359 Blocks to Tell Your Tale Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsColor, Thread & Free-Motion Quilting: Learn to Stitch with Reckless Abandon Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Weekend Quilter: 25+ Fabulous Quilts to Make in a Weekend Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Folded Log Cabin Quilts: Create Depth in a Classic Block From Traditional to Contemporary Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quilt As-You-Go Made Clever: Add Dimension in 9 New Projects; Ideas for Home Decor Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simple Quilts for the Modern Home Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNew York Beauties & Flying Geese: 10 Dramatic Quilts, 27 Pillows, 31 Block Patterns Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5One-Block Wonder Panel Quilts: New Ideas; One-of-a-Kind Hexagon Blocks Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGet Addicted to Free-Motion Quilting: Go from Simple to Sensational with Sheila Sinclair Snyder Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Quilts for Scrap Lovers: 16 Projects • Start with Simple Squares Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5One-Block Wonders of the World: New Ideas, Design Advice, A Stunning Collection of Quilts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFree-motion Framework: 10 Wholecloth Quilt Designs - 8 Skill-Building Lessons Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStrip Your Stash: Dynamic Quilts Made from Strips - 12 Projects in Multiple Sizes from GE Designs Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Scrap Quilt Secrets: 6 Design Techniques for Knockout Results Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYou Inspire Me to Quilt: Projects from Top Modern Designers Inspired by Everyday Life Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Go Big, Go Bold—Large-Scale Modern Quilts: 10 Projects - Quick to Cut - Fast to Sew Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Animal Quilts: 12 Paper Piecing Patterns for Stunning Animal Quilt Designs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsImprov Patchwork: Dynamic Quilts Made with Line & Shape Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Just One Charm Pack Quilts: Bust Your Precut Stash with 18 Projects in 2 Colorways Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Appliqué Book: Traditional Techniques, Modern Style - 16 Quilt Projects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStep-by-Step Texture Quilting: 65 New Free-Motion & Walking-Foot Designs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Squares and Triangles: 13 Fun Patterns For Innovating And Renovating Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI Love Precut Quilts!: 16 Fast, Fun Projects - Use Jelly Rolls, Charm Squares, Layer Cakes, Fat Quarters & More Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDreamy Quilts: 14 Timeless Projects to Welcome You Home Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Fat Quarter Workshop: 12 Skill-Building Quilt Patterns Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Crafts & Hobbies For You
My Crocheted Closet: 22 Styles for Every Day of the Week Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Morpho: Anatomy for Artists Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Kawaii Crochet: 40 Super Cute Crochet Patterns for Adorable Amigurumi Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Big Book of Maker Skills: Tools & Techniques for Building Great Tech Projects Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Modern Crochet Bible: Over 100 Contemporary Crochet Techniques and Stitches Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crochet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crochet in a Day: 42 Fast & Fun Projects Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sharpie Art Workshop: Techniques & Ideas for Transforming Your World Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Knitting Stitches VISUAL Encyclopedia Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Simply Stunning Crocheted Bags Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rockhounding for Beginners: Your Comprehensive Guide to Finding and Collecting Precious Minerals, Gems, Geodes, & More Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCrocheting in Plain English: The Only Book any Crocheter Will Ever Need Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Modern Amigurumi for the Home Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary: 125 Essential Stitches to Crochet in Three Ways Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/550 Knitted Wraps & Shawls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Complete Bag Making Masterclass: The Comprehensive Guide to Modern Bag Making Techniques Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Macramé for Beginners and Beyond: 24 Easy Macramé Projects for Home and Garden Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Make Your Own Body Butter: 32 Easy, Inexpensive, Luxurious Body Butter Recipes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/540+ Stash-Busting Projects to Crochet! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beginner's Guide to Crochet: 20 Crochet Projects for Beginners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Year of Dishcloths Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHooked on Crochet! Afghans Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hoop Dreams: Modern Hand Embroidery Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lit Stitch: 25 Cross-Stitch Patterns for Book Lovers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crochet Home: 20 Vintage Modern Crochet Projects for the Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Not Your Grandmother's Log Cabin
3 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I just love the effect of the 60 degree diamonds and 60 degree triangles and how simply things go together once the logs have been created.
Book preview
Not Your Grandmother's Log Cabin - Sara Nephew
Preface
For many years, when I have given my lecture Quilts from the Clearview Triangle,
which shows the many designs from all my books based on the equilateral triangle, I generally repeat to my audience that whatever you can do with squares, you can do with triangles. My husband has been listening to my lectures and he said, Then you need to do 60° Log Cabin quilts.
Actually, I had done Log Cabin quilts many years ago. It is how I got into these quilt designs in the first place. I was a beginning quilter, with a small stash of fabric, having fun trying designs and making quilts for my family and friends out of corduroy and clothing scraps. I was also taking classes and reading books.
Two of our three children were approaching high school age, and looking ahead to college we could see that we would have two students in college at the same time. Where would the money come from? Well, what if I made quilts to sell? Making and selling is what I had done as a jeweler and cloisonné artist, so it seemed natural to me to consider it in my new interest—quilting.
I was playing with miniature (4˝) Log Cabin blocks, having lots of fun, and many people were offering to buy the resulting wallhangings. So that’s what I started to make to sell. I cut 1˝ strips of cotton or wool, sewed them to a foundation of old sheeting to make the blocks, and arranged the blocks into the layout they looked best in. Eventually I made more than 60 of these wallhangings and sold most of them. By then I had baskets of 1˝ strips sitting around and was getting bored trying to think of what else I could do with those strips that would be fun. In my library was a book by Jeffrey Gutcheon called Diamond Patchwork, in which he showed how any quilt block could be drafted at a 60° angle, and the beautiful quilts his students made using this approach. So I decided to try a miniature Log Cabin 60° design, as shown here. I had some Plexiglas from a garage sale, and I used my husband’s band saw to make a template for the foundation pieces of old sheet. When I had to set the Log Cabin diamonds together, it was difficult to deal with the bulk of fabric, doing a set-in. I thought, This would be so much easier if this were a triangle!
The proverbial lightbulb came on in my head and the excitement began. I bought two 60° triangles from an office supply store, taped them together with clear packaging tape, and drew lines 1˝ apart from the base to the tip. The first Clearview Triangle ruler was born. I sewed strips together and used my ruler to cut triangles out and arrange them to make designs. It was so much fun!
I began learning how to work with fabric cut at a different angle and experimenting with all the designs flowing from this new approach. Stars, floral looks, even isometric 3-D designs took shape on my graph paper. Soon I began to write pattern books full of those designs. Moving on from the Log Cabin quilts was easy.
Thanks to those first Log Cabin quilts I became an author and began to travel and teach. I even started a business manufacturing my own isometric rulers so everyone could easily try the techniques I was having fun with. Then Clearview Triangle became a publishing company too. Who could have imagined all this would happen?
Nineteen books and 23 years later, I am back at the beginning, working with Log Cabin quilts again. After years of designing isometric quilts and teaching classes, my skills have grown. Now I can design 60° Log Cabin quilts without set-ins and without so much bulk. Here is a book filled with dozens of new quilts. I hope you like them as much as I do!
One of Sara’s first quilting projects, a wallhanging with 60° Log Cabin blocks
Photo by Sara Nephew
Introduction
Log Cabin is a traditional pattern that most quilters have tried at one time or another. The idea is simple. Start in the middle of the block with a square (usually red—this piece is the chimney in the center of the cabin and the red is the fire). Then add concentric strips to the square until you have the size you want your block to be. The design of the block changes depending on the order in which you sew the strips. Popular variations of the Log Cabin block are Courthouse Steps and Pineapple. The design of the quilt changes depending how you arrange the blocks. Many different arrangements are possible.
If you change to a 60°-design Log Cabin, you can make both diamond and triangle blocks. And you can vary the strips within the blocks. And many beautiful quilts are the result. Page through the projects section or look at the visual index to find your favorites. This book is organized with general directions for making and assembling the blocks first. You will want to check out this section before you start your chosen quilt. Learn how to cut the shapes you need and pick up the tips that will make the process more enjoyable, such as how to use the charts and diagrams. You will find the designs arranged alphabetically. A few borders are at the back of the book. All these have been included to help you build your own Log Cabin easily.
Enjoy!
Throughout the book, Sara has written her favorite method for creating these quilts. Where Marci has a different favorite method, we have given this as an option. Try them to see which one fits you best. In our years of teaching, we have both found that some students are more successful with different techniques, so we hope you find one of these to be your very own frustration-free method. –Sara and Marci
Basic Beginnings
I made some decisions about how to put these blocks together. For the sake of simplicity, the book is limited to one size of triangle and one size of diamond. So all the blocks presented in this book are the same size and interchangeable. Rather than sewing each strip on and then trimming it to the correct size and angle (a technique often used to make Log Cabin blocks), it turns out to be quicker and more enjoyable to cut the strips to the correct size and shape and then sew them onto the block.
Both Sara and I have found cutting shapes and then sewing to be easiest. However, if your seam allowance is not removing exactly ¼˝ of fabric, you may find the technique of trimming after sewing to work best. See the description of seams for more details. –Marci
Fabric Selection
Though most quilts are best made from blouse-weight 100% cotton, Log Cabin quilters have a tradition of using whatever fabric is available. During the 1930s, being hard up meant your quilt might include all kinds of stuff. Wool, silk, rayon, and thin and ravelly cotton were all used. But when they were sewn onto a foundation it made the whole range of fabrics possible. So a couple of the quilts in this