Giant Log Cabin Quilt Block: Printable PDF Pattern and Tutorial

This block is super simple. You make it just like a normal log cabin block, but you keep adding fabric strips until it is 21 1/2" square. The finished block measures 21" x 21". I used 4 different blue fabrics with a white floral fabric for my table topper, so the pattern is written for using 5 different fabrics. You could easily adapt the pattern to use varying amounts of different fabrics. This pattern is great for using up fabric scraps, like in my Log Cabin Scrap Block, as it only uses 1 1/2" fabric strips. Simply quilt and bind this big quilt block to make it into a table topper!

This is a photo of the back of the table topper. See all of the seams pressed back?

I included a lot of diagrams for this tutorial since dealing with all of those fabric strips makes it easy to sew on the wrong piece. The printable PDF pattern also includes all of these diagrams. Just like last weeks French Braid Table Runner, the only truly difficult part about making this table topper is maintaining straight seams when sewing and pressing those long fabric strips. It is very easy for the long seams to become wobbly and/or warped. To help prevent this, make sure you don't pull or stretch the fabric as you sew and press.

No need to worry about nesting seams in this quilting project! Simply press back each fabric strip after you sew it on so that the new seam lays under it.

To quilt my table topper, I just did simple cross hatching. I felt that the simple quilting went with the log cabin quilt block. You can change the look of this table topper just by doing different quilting. A flowing free motion quilting design would look much different compared to simple straight line quilting.

Big Log Cabin Quilt Block

Finsihed size:

21 1/2" x 21 1/2" (inclusive of binding)

Difficulty:

Confident Beginner

Recommended skills:

Fabric cutting, fabric piecing, quilting, and quilt binding.

Width of fabric (WOF) assumed to be 41".

All seam allowances 1/4".

Print Pattern

Required Tools

• Rotary Cutter
• Cutting Mat
• Fabric Scissors
• Acrylic Ruler

Fabric Requirements

• Blue #1: 1/8 yard
• Blue #2: 1/8 yard
• Blue #3: 1/8 yard
• Blue #4: 1/8 yard
• White fabric: 1/3 yard
• Binding: 1/8 yard OR you can piece together the leftover fabric

Notes

1. As this table topper contains some long fabric strips, it is easy for some of the seams to become wobbly. Be careful when you sew and press; make sure you don't accidently pull or stretch the fabric.

2. There are no nesting seams in this pattern, and pressing to the dark fabric is not always possible. After sewing each new fabric strip onto the quilt top, press it back so that the new seam is under it.

Cutting Instructions  

Assembly

Step 1: Referring to the diagrams, sew together all of the fabric strips, beginning with the 1 1/2” squares. The size of each new fabric strip is noted in the diagram. Press the strips back after they are sewn so each new seam lays under each new fabric strip.

Step 2 (optional): To make into a table topper, layer, baste, then quilt as desired. Bind to finish. My Quilt Binding Tutorial can be found here.

Thanks for reading!