How to Make a Log Cabin Quilt, Step by Step (Free 12-Inch Block Pattern)

How much fabric do you need for a log cabin quilt?

One 12" log cabin block needs about two 1½" strips of light fabric and two of dark. It also needs a 2½" square for the center. A 48" × 60" throw of 20 blocks needs about 1⅞ yards of light and 2⅛ yards of dark, using one fabric for each side.

For a single block, you can fit several logs on each strip. The builder plans each log length from its own strips, so it budgets ½ yard of each for one block.

Most log cabins are scrappy, with several lights and several darks. If yours is, divide the totals between your fabrics. Fat quarters work well. A fat quarter is an 18" × 21" piece of fabric, and it gives you about twelve 1½" × 21" strips.

The amounts below come from the Patchwork Quilt Builder. It plans on 42" of usable fabric width and adds 10% for mistakes. Then it rounds up to the next ⅛ yard. Backing is the fabric for the back of the quilt, and it is cut 4" larger than the quilt on every side. Batting is the soft middle layer. Binding is the strip that covers the edges.

What are the cutting instructions for a 12-inch log cabin block?

For a 12" finished log cabin block, cut one 2½" center square. Then cut twenty 1½"-wide logs, ten light and ten dark, from 2½" to 12½" long. The block measures 12½" before it is sewn into the quilt. Each log is 1" longer than the one before it on the same side. Label each pile with its log number before you start sewing.

All sizes below include a ¼" seam allowance. The center finishes at 2", each log finishes 1" wide, and five rounds of four logs bring the block to 12".

How do you make a log cabin block step by step?

You make a log cabin block by sewing logs around the center one at a time, always turning the block the same way. After each log, press and measure. The unit should grow by 1" in one direction each time. The steps below build one 12" block.

1. Sew log 1 (light, 1½" × 2½") to the right side of the center square, right sides together, with a ¼" seam. Press the seam toward the log. The unit measures 2½" × 3½".
2. Turn the unit a quarter turn counterclockwise so log 1 is at the top. Sew log 2 (light, 1½" × 3½") to the new right side. Press. The unit is 3½" × 3½".
3. Turn again. Sew log 3 (dark, 1½" × 3½") to the right side. Press. The unit is 3½" × 4½".
4. Turn again. Sew log 4 (dark, 1½" × 4½") to the right side. Press. Round 1 is done and the unit is 4½" square. Two sides next to each other are light, and the other two are dark.
5. Repeat the same order for round 2 with logs 5 to 8: two lights, then two darks. The unit is 6½" square.
6. Sew round 3 (logs 9 to 12). The unit is 8½" square.
7. Sew round 4 (logs 13 to 16). The unit is 10½" square.
8. Sew round 5 (logs 17 to 20). The block is 12½" square.
9. If needed, trim the block to 12½" square, taking a little off each side.

How do you keep log cabin blocks square?

Press every seam away from the center, toward the log you just added, and check the size after each round. Log cabin blocks drift out of square because twenty seams each add a tiny error. Catching it at each round is much easier than fixing a finished block.

Press, do not iron. Set the iron down on the seam and lift it. Sliding it back and forth stretches the strips. Set the seam first by pressing it flat as sewn, then open the log and press from the front.

If a round comes out too large, trim the long edge of the last log back to size before adding the next one. If it is too small, your seam is probably wider than ¼". Sew a test seam on scraps and measure it.

Cut a few extra logs of each length. A strip that frays or a log sewn on the wrong side is easier to replace than to unpick.

What are the different log cabin quilt layouts?

The classic log cabin layouts are barn raising, straight furrows, sunshine and shadows, streak of lightning and pinwheel. Every one uses the same block. The only difference is which way you turn each block. You can try them all on a design wall before you sew a single row.

In the Patchwork Quilt Builder, draw one block and save it with Save block. Stamp it across the grid, then press R to rotate any block. That makes it quick to compare layouts.

How do you choose colors for a log cabin quilt?

Log cabin colors work by value, meaning how light or dark each fabric is. One half of every block must be clearly lighter than the other. The layouts only appear when the light and dark sides are easy to tell apart from across the room. Pick your darks and lights first, then worry about color.

The center square is traditionally red, said to stand for the hearth, or yellow, for a light in the window. A bright center gives the eye a resting point in every block. The lights and darks can be scrappy as long as every light is lighter than every dark.

To check, take a photo of your fabric pull and turn it black and white. If any light and dark turn the same gray, swap one of them. More on this in quilt color palettes.

• Harvest Moon Log Cabin#0B111A · #0F2340 · #0F3A66 · #F5BE1A · #FFD73BTry it on a quilt
• Ember Log Cabin#040822 · #3A0717 · #6C0313 · #A00012 · #D40000 · #E0330A · #EB6008 · #F59C0ATry it on a quilt
• Campfire Cabins#8A5F1A · #F7B88F · #F0806A · #BC5A1D · #9FC3CB · #2F4565 · #D9A11A · #F5D33DTry it on a quilt

How do you put a log cabin quilt top together?

Make all the blocks first. Then lay them out and choose the layout before sewing any rows. Most traditional log cabins sew the blocks edge to edge, with no sashing (strips between the blocks). That lets the light and dark halves join into bigger shapes. Log Cabin Spin, in Quilt Explorer, adds brown sashing, which frames each block and calms the quilt down.

Sew the blocks into rows, pressing the seams in each row the opposite way from the row above. Then sew the rows together. Every block edge is the end of a log, so the seams do not need to nest, or lock together. Just match the block corners.

For a border, a narrow strip of the darkest fabric followed by a wider strip of a medium works well. Or skip the border and bind with a dark fabric, so the edge blocks finish cleanly.

What are common log cabin mistakes?

The most common mistake is turning the block the wrong way, which puts a dark log on the light side. Always add the next log to the same side, usually the right, and turn the block the same direction each time. Keep the last log you added at the top.

The second is blocks that come out different sizes. That comes from seam width drifting over twenty seams. Measure after each round and trim if needed. It also helps to cut all the logs before sewing and sort them by number. Then you can see at a glance if a pile is short.

The third is lights and darks that are too close in value. The blocks look fine one at a time, but the layout never appears. Lay a few finished blocks out together before making the rest.

How do I design a log cabin quilt online?

You can design a log cabin quilt online in the Patchwork Quilt Builder. Set a 1" grid and draw the center as a 2 × 2 square. Merge grid squares into long rectangles for the logs. Then save the block and stamp it across the quilt. Press R to rotate blocks and try each layout.

Or start from Log Cabin Spin in Quilt Explorer. Its blocks are turned every which way in warm and cool colors, with brown sashing between them. Pick a palette like Harvest Moon Log Cabin or Ember Log Cabin and the builder opens with it colored. The yardage step then gives you a cut list with seam allowance included.

Is there a free printable log cabin pattern?

Yes. Open Log Cabin Spin in Patchwork, choose your size and palette, and go to the last step, Print. The pattern sheet shows the quilt, the fabric list and the cut list for your size. To save it as a PDF, choose "Save as PDF" in your browser’s print dialog.

The cutting chart above is the one to keep beside the machine for single blocks. Write the log numbers on sticky notes and put one on each pile of strips.

Once you have made one, try other strip blocks from the quilt block library. The quilt patterns guide has more traditional patterns to try next.

Questions

How many log cabin blocks do I need for a queen quilt?

You need 63 twelve-inch log cabin blocks (7 across and 9 down) for an 84" × 108" queen. Add a 3" border for 90" × 114", or make 72 blocks (8 × 9) for 96" × 108".

What size strips do you use for a log cabin block?

Most log cabin blocks use 1½" strips, which finish at 1" wide. For a 12" finished block, use a 2½" center square and five rounds of 1½" logs. Wider 2½" strips make a bolder block in fewer rounds.

What is the difference between courthouse steps and log cabin?

In a log cabin, logs are added one side at a time, going around the center. In courthouse steps, logs are added to opposite sides in pairs. The light logs sit across from each other, and so do the darks. The result is a block with an hourglass of light and dark instead of a diagonal split.

Can I use jelly roll strips for a log cabin quilt?

Yes. Jelly roll strips are 2½" wide and finish at 2". With a 2½" center square, three rounds make a 14" finished block (14½" unfinished). The logs run 2½", 4½", 4½", 6½" in round one, then grow by 2" on each side every round.

Which way do you press log cabin seams?

Press every seam toward the newest log, away from the center. That keeps the seams lying flat and makes each log easy to line up for the next one.