Five Popular Log Cabin Quilt Settings
Traditional Quilt Patterns Made Entirely of Log Cabin Blocks
Feb 27, 2008
Simple, Traditional Log Cabin Quilts
One reason Log Cabin quilts appeal to so many quilters is that they don’t need borders, appliqué, or fancy quilting to dress them up – they look good just the way they are. There are many different ways to arrange a set of Log Cabin blocks into quilts. Each setting offers a unique look quite different from all the others. This article covers five of the most popular traditional Log Cabin quilt settings, also called quilt designs or quilt layouts, which use nothing but Log Cabin blocks. The names of these old favorites reach back to the late 1800s and the almost-vanished world of farming and communal life that produced the first Log Cabin quilts. To see a diagram of each setting, look for the pictures below.
Five Favorite Log Cabin Settings
- Straight Set. This is a simple layout, with all the blocks oriented in the same direction, but surprisingly elegant. The division of each block into darks and lights makes the squares appear to march in ordered rows from the top corner of the quilt to the bottom, something like a flock of geese in flight. You can strengthen this impression by using just one dark fabric and one light fabric, or make the quilt look less formal by choosing a scrappy assortment of fabrics.
- Fields and Furrows. The diagonal lines of darks and lights in this setting look like the rows in a freshly plowed field.
- Barn Raising. This setting’s square-in-a-square layout suggests a building and the cooperative effort that would raise a barn in a single day.
- Sunshine and Shadows. This layout consists of alternating diamonds of dark and light. The design doesn’t draw the eye across the quilt as some Log Cabin designs do, which gives the quilt a formal, dignified look.
- Chevron. A series of upside-down “V” shapes that imitate the chevron badge on a soldier’s sleeve. There are other Chevron layouts besides the one shown here, but this one is simple to create.
How to Lay Out Your Blocks
If you have a design wall, put your blocks up on the design wall before you sew to make sure you have them all aligned properly. It's easy to get a block or two turned around in the wrong direction if you don't lay them out and inspect your layout. If you don’t have a design wall, a large bed also makes a good place to lay out your blocks. Sew the blocks into rows first, then join the rows together into a complete quilt top.
- See four more traditional Log Cabin quilt settings.
- See four variations on Log Cabin blocks: regular, Couthouse Steps, Pineapple, and Chevron.
- Learn about the history of Log Cabin quilts.
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