Half Log Cabin

This is a fun and fast way for using up fabric strips and producing a quilt top. I saw this on Simply Quilts presented by Sharyn Squier Craig... who has a book on half logs if you want more. This is a no thought required quilt, and great practice for consistent 1/4 inch seams.

WARNING. this can be addictive.


These quilts can all be made using one block called half log cabin. This is the block







and this the effect if all the strips used are the same width.










Basics -

Don't torture yourself about what colour goes where.... just reach into those bags and let fate take its course.... it'll be fine... honest!
Press the seam towards the fabric you added last.
When you line up your pieces to sew, Place them wrong side up with the light on top if you last added light, or with the dark at the bottom if you just added dark. Stack the units from largest to smallest.
Cut another 2 inch square every time you add a dark fabric to start another block.
Go through your fabric stash and cut 2 inch strips of dark and light fabrics. Length doesn't matter... if you run out just grab another strip. Contrast is the key. If your not sure if a fabric is light enough... try it wrong side up. If you're still not sure don't use it.

Put all the light strips in one bag, and all the dark strips in another.
This is the order for adding strips.


Reach in to the dark bag and grab a strip. Cut a 2" square from it and put the rest of the strip aside.

Reach into the light bag and grab a strip. Place the dark square on the strip and stitch a 1/4 inch seam. Trim the light piece to the same size as the dark square. Press.

Grab a dark strip and place it right side up at the sewing machine.Sew the 2 patch unit to the dark strip, right sides together. Cut the dark strip to the same size as the 2 patch unit. Press. While you've got the dark strip out, cut another 2 inch square.

Place another light strip, right side up at the sewing machine. Sew on the 2 inch dark square, sew on the 4 patch unit (dark fabric down). Trim and press. You've now got 2 squares going.

Place another dark strip at the sewing machine. Sew on the 2 units.. (light fabric up). Trim and press. Cut another 2 inch square.

Continue segmenting, pressing, stacking, and sewing units to alternating light and dark fabric strips until there are a total of 4 light fabrics and 5 dark fabrics in the largest unit. That block is now done, but you've got four more growing so keep going.
If you were perfect in sewing and cutting these guys... the blocks will be perfect 8 inch squares... to finish 7 1/2 inches. Okay ... in reality you'll probably have to trim a bit .... or make some seams a little narrow when you join the blocks... but the really nice thing about this kind of scrap quilt is that it looks best from a distance so no one should be getting close enough to see the 'misses'.


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