Not Your Grandmother's Log Cabin

by Sara Nephew, Marci Baker

Simply amazing quilts that are amazingly simple! Over 30 log cabin designs with a modern twist created by using a 60 degree ruler. Each lively quilt is unique and vibrantly illustrated in full color to inspire your own masterpiece. Shaded diagrams guide you through each step for fast and easy piecing. Projects vary from wall hallings to full size quilts.

Genres: Quilting

116 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2008

Reviews

[Msgadget · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book's cover is so enticing and, if you love log cabin as much as me, you probably read it before I finally found it.

The basis for the instructions and ensuing designs is the log cabin built around a 60 degree triangle or diamond. Sara and Marci go into detail using the Clearview ruler but they also have templates in the back of the book or for download with the ebook. I particularly appreciate their coverage of those pesky little ears you get when you join some shapes (and it is further covered in Marci's video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwRvz... ). There are no sample blocks just for practice but the patterns in the back are not only gorgeous, they're pretty ingenuous because - despite the appearance of intricacy - there are none of the dreaded Y seams. I think the hardest and most gratifying part of any one of them will be choosing the color schemes and fabric.

Sara and Marci detail how to use a specific ruler, their ruler, and state a preference for cutting all strips to shape and size before sitting down at the sewing machine. I point that out here because they say it's faster but I found it grueling and unrewarding. You can cut strips and snip to length as you sew just as you do with the regular vanilla log cabin. Also, sitting at the machine with all those little strips and worrying about whether or not my presser foot is precisely stitching a scant 1/4" is less and less my thrill. You can, as I happily did, hand-piece these units, starting with the diamond or triangle and then adding strips in order, snipping as you go. This is not a knock on the phenomenal instructions or cautions by the authors. Not at all. It is merely my preference, which may be shared by others.

Now, you can also use this as a starting point for designing alternate log cabins with different shapes. This book provides clear, detailed instructions on cutting, piecing, pressing and setting shapes to create quilts that will impress.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't think too much of the title; being close to grandmother age! However the book itself is wonderful. Love the pictures of all the various quilt patterns. I like the instructions that give you various options; you might like to try it this way and see which you like better. I am not sure I like how the patterns are laid out with the A - E blocks with the R and L leaning but I am reserving an opinion of that until after my first quilt from the book! I do wish the author had a first quilt in the beginning; a real simple small wall hanging with scraps as a first project to try it all out rather than all quilts being multi block twin size and up quilts. Overall though, an excellent inspiring book for those who want something new and different with their log cabin quilts! Try the owls or the eagles, the stars, the snowflakes etc!

[Aimee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh! You have to have a special triangle ruler for the patterns in this book. None of the thumbnails looked like quilts that are my style anyhow. Didn’t even bother flipping through the whole thing after that.