Customer Reviews

Log Cabin Quilts Unlimited: The Ultimate Creative Guide to the Most Popular and Versatile Pattern

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Not being much of a fan of Log Cabin quilting, I purchased this book, hoping to become inspired, or at least appreciative of the classic block pattern. Boy was I blown away!
I purchased this at a quilting store, and immediately decided to purchase it, so don't be put off by the preview they offer on Amazon, there is MUCH MUCH more to this book than they show.
Patricia and Maggi far excedeed my expectations. Not only are there many, many pictures of antique quilts, but of modern ones as well, in numerous settings and patterns.
They explain how to create the blocks in multiple techniques as well: folded strips (which I had never heard of), chain piecing, quilt-as-you-go, grid foundation piecing, and all the block variations. Those include: courthouse steps, pineapple, cabin in the cotton, rectangles, triangles, diamonds, half log, hexagons, and more. The only drawback is they don't show you the step by step on how to make each block variation, but any experienced quilter could EASILY look at the picture and decifer how to create the block, so this would probably not work well for beginners.
There is also a lengthy section (almost 1/2 the book) on all the unique and interesting ways to set the blocks, some in color and some in black, white, and grey. There is even a "workbook" section to design your own settings.
Needless to say, I now understand the complexity and wonderment of the Log Cabin, and will treasure this book for years to come. A fantastic reference book.

this is one of the best books on log cabin quilts i've seen--no, it doesn't have basic quilting instruction, but the subtitle says it all "the ultimate creative guide to the most popular and versatile pattern.'

every variation of the log cabin structure is explored (at least i can't think of any other shapes). from the familiar square and pineapple forms to hexagon and triangle and more, there are enough examples to inspire any quilter for years.

the photographed quilts are both authentic antiques and contemporary quilts. many of the 19th and early 20th century quilts look utterly modern.

there's a short but thorough section on the history of the log cabin quilt. then there are sections devoted to the various block shapes.
each of these sections has line drawings of the blocks, some tinted to show pattern. the final section has page on page of graphed alternate settings for the blocks. these are in shades of black and grey. any of these could be photocopied and colored.

i skipped the section dealing with sewing a block. i'm happy with paper piecing, and i don't mind dealing with a large quilt on my domestic machine (well, not enough to send it out to be quilted, anyway!), so i wasn't interested in the authors' suggestions. this book was originally published in great britain, and using fabric as a foundation for piecing is still popular there. the authors also included instructions for quilting as you go.

the reasons for four and not five stars: 1) no paper piecing templates. i know i can draw my own, but i'd rather spend the time and energy sewing. for the basic log cabin and pineapple variations, i can always search my other books or my magazines; for the trapazuid and pentagon and others, i'm on my own. and 2) not much attention is given to uneven log cabin/pineapple.

aside from those two minor drawbacks, this is a wonderful book, with years' worth of potential quilts.

More pictures than instructions. As a new quilter, I need more instruction than this book provides.

No disappointment from this purchaser. I had heard about the book from a fellow quilter, and knew I had to have it for myself.