Monday, January 28, 2013

Tutorial for Log Cabin & Courthouse Step Quilt Block Design

I love the Log Cabin block!  It is an often-used and very versatile traditional quilt block.  The Courthouse Step block is a variation of the Log Cabin block.   Depending on color value placement, the Log Cabin block can be used as a 1/2 square triangle in quilt designs.  The Courthouse Step block can be used as a 1/4 square triangle in quilt designs.  Use darks & lights in fabric placement or your 1/4 or 1/2 square triangles will be lost.  Which ever value you start with in the center square will be the dominant value in the block.  Traditionally, these blocks were used in scrappy quilts and the center fabric was red, representing the hearth at the center of the home.

These instructions give you the option of making finished blocks from 2-1/2" to 12-1/4" in size.  Both Log Cabin & Courthouse Step blocks can be made in 9 or 13 pieces.  Choose the finished size block in either the 9 or 13 piece column.  Cut the strips the width found in the left hand column to make your finished size block.  Follow the instructions for the block assembly.  The instructions can be used for chain sewing (sewing multiple blocks at a time) which saves lots of time!  

(To make these instructions large enough to read in my limited computer knowledge - I had to stretch them - which made them a little blurry.  Hope you can still read them!)

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