How to Make a Quick and Easy Log Cabin Quilt Without Sewing the Pieces Together

A Beginner’s Guide to Quilt as You Go Log Cabin Quilting

Have you ever seen a beautiful log cabin quilt and thought it looked too complicated to try? Well, thanks to the quilt as you go (QAYG) method, making a log cabin quilt is actually easier than it seems. In this article, I’ll break down the basics of QAYG log cabin quilting so you can give it a shot yourself, even if you’re a total newbie to quilting.

What is Quilt as You Go Log Cabin Quilting?

Quilt as you go log cabin quilting allows you to assemble your quilt top as you piece it together instead of quilting the whole thing at the end. Basically, you sandwich each block with batting and backing as you finish it so it doesn’t end up as a big mess of fabric strips and squares. From my experience, QAYG log cabins make the process much less intimidating since the quilt top looks halfway done after just a few blocks.

Choosing Fabrics

The first step is selecting your fabrics. For a traditional log cabin, you’ll want a light solid or tone-on-tone print for the background strips and darker prints or solids for the blocks. Aim to pick 6-12 fabrics that vary slightly in shade or pattern to keep things interesting visually. You can also kind of the blocks for a totally out-there, groovy vibe. When in doubt though, stick to basic colors like reds, blues, and greens that will never go out of style.

Cutting and Piecing

Once you’ve got your fabrics, it’s time to cut them into strips and squares for piecing. Cut the background strips about 2 inches wide by the width of fabric. For the blocks, cut 21⁄2 inch squares. Here’s where it gets tricky – you’ll have to cut more strips and squares than you think you need because the pattern grows exponentially as you add more rows. Kind of a mind bender, I know!

To start your first block, place a dark square right sides together with a light strip. Sew them together lengthwise with a 1⁄4 inch seam. Add another light strip to the other side and press the seams toward the strips. Now you’ve got your basic log cabin block shape going on. Keep adding light strips and pressing the seams to alternate sides until the block is your desired size. I like to aim for 6″ finished blocks, so I typically add 7-8 strips.

Once that first block is pieced, the rest will fall into place pretty easily. Just layer up fabrics, sew strips, and keep rotating that initial square to build more blocks. It’s basically just mass producing log cabins on a slightly smaller scale. Before you know it, you’ll have a whole stack of blocks ready to assemble!

Quilting and Finishing

Here’s where quilt as you go really shines. For each newly pieced block, layer it with backing fabric right side down, then place a piece of batting cut to size on top. Baste the layers together around the edges with straight pins or stitch in the ditch around the block perimeter for no-sew basting. Now you’re ready to add it to the growing quilt top!

Once all the blocks are complete, you’ll want to arrange them in rows and sew them together just like a puzzle. I like to create a design plan on graph paper first to avoid any mistakes. You can also opt to add sashing or cornerstones between blocks for more interest. After joining all the rows and assembling the quilt top, just bind the raw edges like a regular quilt and you’re done! No big quilt sandwiched to wrangle under the sewing machine.

Tips and Tricks

Here are a few tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the years of making log cabin quilts:

1. Use a walking foot when piecing strips to feed fabric evenly and prevent puckering.
2. Press seams to one side as you go for a neater appearance on the front.
3. Be strategic when squaring up blocks to minimize fabric waste. Every scrap counts!
4. Consider quilting designs like diagonal lines or echo quilting that show off the block construction.

I’ve also found machine quilting the blocks before assembly makes the whole process way less stressful. Just buzz around the block edges with thread in a matching or contrasting color for an instant quilt! Hand quilting each block is also an option if you really wanna take your time.

Whew, that about covers the basics of QAYG log cabining. Hopefully this guide has you feeling sorta confident to craft your first patchwork masterpiece. Feel free to experiment and make it your own – log cabins are super customizable after all. Lemme know if you have any other quilting questions! Now go get piecing.

Log Cabin Quilt as You Go Tips

FAQ

1. What is a log cabin quilt?

   Basically, a log cabin quilt is one where you start with a central block or “log” and build outward by adding strips of fabric around it, like logs stacked up to create a cabin wall. So each new row extends the design, if you get what I’m saying.

   

2. Does it matter what order you add the strips in?

   For the most part, nah – you can put the strips on in any order you want. But some folks say it looks neater if you alternate colors, kinda mixing it up stripe by stripe. I suppose it depends what kind of vibe you’re going for. On the flip side, concentrating one color might make the pattern stand out more in areas. The choice is yours!

3. Is the log cabin style difficult for beginners?

   Not really. Despite what some people claim, log cabin quilts are pretty easy to attempt – even for folks just starting out in quilting. The technique is basic, just adding strips, so no fancy points to deal with. Of course, practice makes perfect as with anything. But you shouldn’t get too frustrated giving this basic style a try. Go for it!

4. How can I add interest or complexity?

   There are lots of ways to liven up a simple log cabin design if you want more interest. For one thing, you could change the fabric strips to different widths to mix it up. Playing with colors and prints creatively can totally transform the look too. Another idea is to make one block then splice it to another at a point other than the center, if that makes sense. You could also try piecing the strips instead of using solids. The options are endless really!

Is this style worth the effort?

That’s a good question! While log cabin quilts are easy overall, they can be kind of time-consuming since you have to add so many strips. So is all that effort really worth it? I guess it depends on how much you enjoy the process. If you find the repetitive piecing relaxing or fun, then sure – it’s worth spending your time and energy on. For some folks though, all those tiny strips do get a little tedious after a while. So maybe try a smaller practice block before diving into a huge quilt to be sure you’ll see it through til the end. In the end, it’s up to you! What do you think – is a log cabin quilt worth the effort for you?