Log Cabin

The Log Cabin block is built by sewing strips of increasing length around a small center square, traditionally red (representing the hearth). Logs are typically added in a light-dark sequence, dividing the block diagonally into a light half and a dark half. This light-dark split creates dramatic secondary patterns when blocks are arranged: Barn Raising places dark halves pointing to the center, while Straight Furrows creates diagonal stripes across the quilt. Log Cabin is one of the most versatile and widely made blocks in quilting history, with variations including Courthouse Steps, Pineapple, and Chimneys and Cornerstones.