Classic Log Cabin Quilt
Finished community quilt, shared by QuiltNTime, 31 October 2026
by QuiltNTime
Classic Log Cabin Quilt by QuiltNTime is a finished quilt in the Quiltler community: 52" × 52", 16 blocks, 212 pieces and 5 fabrics on a straight grid, shared 31 October 2026.
At a glance
- Finished size
- 52" × 52"
- Blocks
- 16 blocks
- Pieces
- 212
- Fabrics
- 5
Watch it being made
How it's made
One red square and twelve strips. Here's how a log cabin goes together, round by round.
Log cabin quilts took off in the eighteen sixties. The red centre is often said to be the hearth, with the logs built around it.
Start with a three and a half inch red square, and sew the first light strip to its right side.
Keep turning the same way: a light strip below, then darks on the left and the top. That's round one.
Round two works the same with longer strips. Lights stay on two sides, darks on the other two.
One more round, pressing each seam away from the centre, and your block measures twelve and a half inches.
Sixteen blocks make a cosy lap quilt. Turn them different ways and you'll find barn raising, zigzags and more.
Save this for the strip lengths. Design your own quilt like this at quiltler.com.
About this quilt
The log cabin, the most searched quilt block there is, built round by round from one red square and twelve strips. 12″ finished (12½″ unfinished).
CUT (all strips 2″ wide) • Red: one 3½″ square • Cream: 3½″, 5″, 9½″ and 11″ strips • Wheat: 6½″ and 8″ strips • Walnut: 8″ and 9½″ strips • Navy: 5″, 6½″, 11″ and 12½″ strips
MAKE • Sew the cream 3½″ strip to the right of the red square • Keep turning the same way: cream 5″ below, navy 5″ on the left, navy 6½″ on top • Round two: wheat 6½″ right, wheat 8″ below, walnut 8″ left, walnut 9½″ top • Round three: cream 9½″ right, cream 11″ below, navy 11″ left, navy 12½″ top
TIP: press every seam away from the centre, and square up after each round.
OTHER SIZES: each round adds 3″ to the block. Stop at round two for a 9½″ unfinished block.
How would you lay yours out: barn raising, straight furrows or zigzag?
Make this quilt your own
Open the Classic Log Cabin Quilt quilt in the Quiltler studio — in your browser, or on iPhone and iPad — to recolour it and swap in your own fabrics. Saving a copy to edit, and downloading the pattern pack with the fabric list and cutting sizes, comes with a subscription.
Open Classic Log Cabin Quilt in the studio · Browse more community quilts