There's something about a log cabin quilt that just oozes comfort and warmth. Maybe it is that little red square in the middle that folklore says represents a fireplace. Maybe it's because we are all so familiar with the pattern. It just feels right for these frigid days of February.
And speaking of that little red square in the center, it wasn't until I was watching an hgtv show, Houses with History, that I had a lightbulb moment about that center fireplace. It was wonderful to actually see the huge fireplace and easier to understand how the fire warmed the entire house. I think the name of the houses that they showed were called "center chimney cape houses." An example I found on pinterest:
The first log cabin I found mentioned in newspapers was in 1864 in Pittsburgh, PA by the Allegheny Ladies' Aid Society. Throughout the 1860s a few quilts are mentioned and most notably, a list of premiums from the Union County Agricultural Fair in Ohio lists "best log cabin" as a category in 1869. In 1870, the Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette actually printed instructions on how to make the pattern. After I wrote this post I also found this interesting article from Brackman's Material Culture blog.
Most of us began our quilting journey by making the pattern. It is easy whether you piece or use a foundation. Best of all, there are all kinds of variations one can make with them. I am hoping to do a curved log cabin pattern later this year.
Today I thought I would feature some of my old log cabin quilts.
My oldest log cabin quilt is from the last quarter of the 19th century. I call it the Lace Log Cabin Quilt because it features fabrics that were meant to replicate lace:
Below is a quilt I had at one point (I've since given it away). It was from the 1920s:
