Weekend Scrappy Half Log Cabin Quilt -Vintage Inspired

Hello Dear Friends and Readers and welcome to another scrappy episode! I have to confess to a feeling of accomplishment with this quilt top. It really does use the scrap strips up!! Not only, are they used up, but it is a very rewarding way to clean up the sewing space! With this project, I have incorporated every scrap without prejudice into it. Even things I didn’t like that much, they went in. I have learned from my previous Log Cabin Free Motion Quilting that the pieces of fabric that I thought were the most unsuitable, turned out to be the highlights in the quilt. The less they match, the better it is. This is a very achievable quilt top.

I believe it is turning scraps into art. The beauty is revealed when one stands back from the finished top. Here is a nice concise article about log cabin quilts and their design history.

https://www.womenfolk.com/quilt_pattern_history/logcabin.htm

With this Weekend Scrappy Half log Cabin Quilt – Vintage Inspired, not only is it a big top but all those bits have become something. It is also a good time to let go, and not overthink the placement of the blocks. Meaning, these blocks can also be made to create many of the patterns which are achievable with the traditional Log Cabin design, however, I am going to just let the scraps do their thing. There is so much going on. I am setting the blocks straight, all the same way, no border. There is just a mad and wonderful array of colours and prints and and variation of light and dark which keep the eyes moving over the quilt.

Preparing all the strips for the blocks Log Cabin Variation – Scrappy Half Log Cabin or Quarter Log Cabin Quilt Block Tutorial was a lot of fun and I set them up in nice little heaps, so I could just whizz them through on my faithful old treadle. Look at all those lovely strips and colours.

I also realised that the maths for this is just fantastic. I worked out that by making the 72 blocks, it is actually the equivalent of almost 8 yards or metres of fabric, which was already in pieces or small strips. anyway. That is a lot of fabric and no hauling out big yardage to cut.

Every block actually uses the equivalent of two width of fabric strips. (Apart from the centre square). Isn’t that great! Another advantage, is that it is easy to calculate how many of each strip length is required as it is the same for each block. For example, I am making 72 blocks, so I will need 72 of 10 1/2” dark strips and so on..…

So go ahead, make a cot quilt with 12 blocks, a lap quilt with 16 or 20 blocks or a medium bed quilt with 36 or 42 blocks, or a big queen one with the 72 blocks like this one.

Finished quilt size 80½” x 90½”

Requirements for the Weekend Scrappy Half Log Cabin Quilt – Vintage Inspired

72 of 3” x 3” Red Squares

All strips are cut from 2” widths in light and dark.

Light Strips 72 lengths each of 3”, 4½”, 6”, 7½, 9”

Dark strips – 72 lengths each of 4½”, 6”, 7½”, 9”, 10½”

Tutorial for making the 72 blocks Log Cabin Variation – Scrappy Half Log Cabin or Quarter Log Cabin Quilt Block Tutorial

Making the Weekend Scrappy Half Log Cabin Quilt – Vintage Inspired

Follow the instructions for making each of the blocks as posted here Log Cabin Variation – Scrappy Half Log Cabin or Quarter Log Cabin Quilt Block Tutorial

Here is some of the progress. laying out the Scrappy Log Cabin Blocks to see how they will look.

Now is the fun of putting them together. Here are 72 blocks all laid out on the floor ready to be put together. It will look better when they are sewn together.

Here we go. I am using my trusty Singer 15K from 1902. She makes a beautiful stitch. Treadle Tinkering I sewed all the vertical seams first. This is done by sewing nine sets of two together in a chain piecing manner. Do not cut the chains. Then go back to the start of that vertical row and sew another nine blocks to the sides of the second row. Again, do not cut the chains. Repeat for rows, four, five, six, seven and eight. Now all the 72 blocks are together.

TIP

Optional: Sew some seams of a block from another project between the rows to keep the chain chain going easily, then snip the seam end between the block and the quilt top. This saves having a lot of extra thread ends to tidy up and some progress can be made on some other project. See image below.

Now carefully lay out the top and check that all the blocks are facing the same way. Now turn the quilt top to begin sewing all the horizontal seams in the same manner. It will be easy as the chains are holding the whole piece together. Ensure that the seams are facing in the correct direction and pin for ease as the seams are quite long. sew the eight horizontal seams.

I should mention that this layout means there is minimal seam matching and consequently minimal seam bulk. Also all the seams are laying out in the same directions which will ensure success.

I am not adding a border to this quilt top.

Here is the Weekend Scrappy Half Log Cabin Quilt – Vintage Inspired all laid out. I have chosen a big bold bright print for the backing which I have prepared and it is now ready for pinning and quilting. I think I will bind it in red…..

While I was cutting the strips, any leftovers were trimmed into 2” squares to add to my scrap bag. I am pleased with how quickly this top came together and it has used a good amount of scraps. Maybe you see one of these coming up in your weekend soon?

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Happy Stitching,

Susie

© Susan Stuklis 2022