Bonus ChapterLog Cabin Table Runner

In This Chapter

•PreparingtheLogCabintablerunner•SewingmachinedirectionsforchainpiecingtheLogCabinblock

•ChangingtheconfigurationoftheLogCabinblock

The Log Cabin is one of the most popular patchwork quilts, and although it looks complicated, it’s not. The combination of light and dark colors makes this block versatile in its ability to look either sophisticated, modern, or country.

This patch is formed by strips (logs) that are built around a center square and get longer as they spiral around the center. There are 36 pieces to the 12-inch square Log Cabin block. Five templates, a square for the middle (template A) and four rectangles (templates B, C, D, and the longest E), are used to make a 6-inch square unit.

Four of these units are put together as in a four-patch block. The choice of fabrics is extremely important so that the darks and lights will create dramatic diagonal contrast. This half-light and half-dark combination can be turned to make many variations in your quilt. The Log Cabin can be changed very easily, so I have included two separate versions of a table runner, one a 16 × 16 inch square, and another 24 × 24 inch square.

If you have a lot of scraps, each template for the Log Cabin block can be cut from a different fabric.

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Log Cabin block—do you see the hearth and logs?

This is the 24-inch layout for the Log Cabin table runner. You’ll need twice the amount of fabric.

Here is the 18-inch Log Cabin table runner. I chose the traditional red and green Christmas colors in my wall

hanging.

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Log Cabin templates.

A

Log Cabin4 darkest4 lightest

C

Log Cabin4 dark4 light

D

Log Cabin4 dark4 light

B

Log Cabin4 light4 dark

E

Log Cabin4 dark

This is a really quick and easy project. You can make the runner for the center of the table or build an addition for larger sizes. The rotary cutter and sewing machine make this almost a one-day project.

Finished size: 16 × 16 inches or 24 × 24 inches.

Color schemes:

First, you need to realize that the Log Cabin block is a 6-inch square that is cut in half diagonally. Traditionally, the center is red for the home hearth. This 6-inch unit can be turned different ways, so it is very conducive to color manipulation.

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A monochromatic color scheme can work in two ways. First two extremely dark shades of the color are on one side and two lighter shades on the other, with a bright in the center; or two fabric shades can be on one side and shades of ecru or white can be on the other with a solid in the center.

You can also work with two or three colors: the dominant on one side, contrasting on the other, and a third in the center. Whichever you choose, it will be dramatic.

Materials:

Fabrics

Batting

Backing

Rotary cutter

Lipped ruler

Cutting mat

Bias binding

Sewing machine

Fabric requirements:

16 × 16 inch table runner

•Four or five scraps or fat quarters of two light and three dark fabrics

• 1⁄2 yard for outside triangles

• 1⁄2 yard for backing

24 × 24 inch square table runner

•Four or five 1⁄2-yard pieces of two light and three dark fabrics

•1 yard of backing fabric

Look how you can turn the individual unit to change the design of the Log Cabin.

Take the following steps:

1. Choose colors so half of the square divided diagonally is composed of two light colors. The other diagonal half of the unit has three dark fabrics; the darkest one is the center square.

Study the position of the templates in the 6-inch square unit.

2. Make the templates and mark the fabric. Cut out the fabric pieces adding on 1⁄4-inch seam allowances.

3. Lay out the design on the table in front of you, or use the chain-piecing method (see Chapter 12 in the book).

D

ECA

B

B

D

C

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QuIlTIng Bee

Whenusingthechain-orstrip-piecingmethod,cutafabricstrip13⁄4inchfromselvagetoselvage.Thatamountalreadyhastheseamallowanceaddedonandyoujusthavetocutoffthecorrectlength,measuringtheunitasyousew.Don’tevenmark.

4. Pin the right sides together of both A templates (darkest and lightest color fabrics).

5. Pin the right side of the lightest color of template B to the combined As unit. Sew the seam down the left side. Sew the other three units in the block.

Don’T geT STuCk!

BeforeyousewtheLogCabinblock,makesureyouopenupthepiecestoseeiftheyfitintothelayout.ThedarkestAshouldbeonthetop,orthecolorswillspiralinthewrongdirection.

6. Pin the dark piece B to the top of the AB unit. Then sew and open the piece flat.

7. Pin the dark piece C to the side of the AB unit and sew.

8. Pin the light piece C to the bottom of the ABC unit. Sew and open.

9. Pin the light piece D to the left side of the unit and sew.

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10. Sew the dark piece D to the top of the unit.

11. Finally, pin and sew the dark piece E to the right side of the unit.

12. Open the last log and press the seams to the outside of the unit.

13. Make the other three units, and decide on their position.

14. Sew two units together to form the top row. Then sew the bottom two units together.

15. Pin the ends and the center seam together. Then stitch from the inside seam line out.

16. Now that your 6-inch blocks are com-pleted, press them.

The Log Cabin is assembled as a four-patch, sewing the top to the bottom row.

17. Cut four outer triangles using template F.

18. Pin the long side of the triangle to one side of the block, making sure not to stretch the edge because it is bias. Sew.

SCrapS anD pIeCeS

ItisbelievedthattheLogCabindesignstartedinthe1860sasatributetoAbrahamLincoln,whowasborninalogcabin.Traditionally,thecentersquarewasaredsquarethatrepresentedthehomefireorthehearthofthecabin.ItisnotsurprisingthatthispatchwasunpopularintheSouthduringtheperiodoftheCivilWar.

19. Pin and sew the opposite triangle on and then sew the other sides.

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You can easily change the configuration of the runner by making 12-inch-square blocks and combining them to make the size and shape runner you desire.

Put four blocks together to form a square table runner, or six for a rectangular one. Look at the way the Log Cabin blocks, when put together, can form different designs. Some examples are Barn Raising and Straight Furrows. The Barn Raising has the diagonal lines of the block forming a square on point.

Don’T geT STuCk!

Youmustplancarefullytogetthelightanddarkcolorstogoonthediagonal.MyfirstattemptattheLogCabinwasadisaster.Ididn’tfollowthecuttingdirectionsforthecolors.ThedarkestandlightestcolorsarecutfromtemplateA.Theneachspiraling-outtemplateiscutfrombothalightandadarkcolor.Carefulplacementofthelightanddarkcolorsisessentialtogetthediagonaleffect.

Pin the triangles on the top and the bottom, right sides together. You can sew from the center to the outside to

prevent stretching.

20. Press open.

21. Pin the batting and backing to the run-ner. Baste.

22. Quilt the logs in the ditch and a design on the triangles.

23. Finish the edges with bias binding.

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Outer triangle template F. The pattern is for half of the triangle. Check where the fold line is, and be sure to add the seam allowance around the outside edge.

FAdd 1/4-inch seam

allowance

Log Cabin Outer Triangle

Cut 4

Place onfold

My quilt runner is in Christmas colors, so I chose

to quilt holly leaves and berries in the triangles. But here are some other options

for a runner for other seasons.

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In this detail of a Log Cabin quilt purchased in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the blocks are positioned in the Barn Raising design. The Straight Furrow pattern has all the colors of the log cabins lining up

diagonally. It almost looks like the farmer has just plowed his field. From the collection of Bud and Nita Munson.

See how the colors line up diagonally in the Straight Furrows design. Keep your home fires burning on your Log Cabins.

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With a different assembly, the same 6-inch blocks used for the Log Cabin table runner can be made to look like a Christmas tree, as in this 25 × 30-inch wall hanging I made and bring out for the holidays.

Robin Bogert made this 24 × 24-inch Log Cabin wall hanging when one of her friends gave her these fabrics as a gift. Notice, on the close-up, how Robin designed the robin printed on the fabric to take center stage in each Log Cabin block.

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Maureen Fetcho started a block-of-the-month club for this foundation-pieced Pineapple quilt (a variation of the Log Cabin). More than six years later she came to my class with more than 60 completed blocks.

So far she has assembled five of these lap quilts for family members.

The Least You Need to Know•TheLogCabinblockcaneasilybeassembledintoavarietyofquiltconfigurations.

•Carefulplacementoffabricsisimportanttoformthediagonalappearanceoftheblock.

•WhenchainpiecingaquiltwiththeLogCabin,youcansewallthepatchestogetheratthesametimeinaproduc-tionline.

•Theblockscanberotatedinthequilttoformmanydifferentdesigns.