Log Cabin Mini Quilt Tutorial (Paper Pieced)

I think I might need an intervention soon because I can’t stop paper piecing…I am seriously addicted to it. It’s so fun and I keep telling you this but if you haven’t tried it yet you need to, I promise! This mini quilt started when I had a bunch of Shine Bright fabrics left over from other projects that I have done and I just kept shoving them into a bag to save for later. So, I got out the bag, printed out some log cabin patterns and started making a couple of log cabins each day. With no rhyme or reason or matching up any fabrics….just whatever I grabbed I used. I sometimes find myself stressing too much over a project and it was nice to just allow myself to do some improvisational sewing and see what the outcome would be. I did keep track of a few measurements and notes so that if you want to make one you can!

Log Cabin Mini Quilt Tutorial

Materials:

*Mini Log Cabin Pattern from Quilter’s Cache (9 copies)

*Scraps of pinks, whites and black fabrics

*Border fabrics (4) cut into 4″ x 20″ pieces

*Backing fabric cut to 22″ x 22″

*Batting cut to 22″ x 22″

*Binding Fabric

Step #1. Download the Mini Log Cabin paper pieced block and then size down 50% (on your printer). The blocks should finish at 3.5.” Print out nine copies and gather lots of scraps to make your blocks.

Step #2. Finish all nine of the paper pieced log cabin blocks. If you need a tutorial on paper piecing head to THIS VIDEO and it explains the whole process (different pattern but exact same process). I like to reduce my stitch length to 1.8 or 1.6 while paper piecing to help the paper tear off best. Then trim each block on seam allowance line.

Step #3. When each block is completed, carefully tear off the back papers. Your block should now look like the one below. They still have a 1/4″ seam allowance to stitch them together with which is exactly what you need.

Step #4. Stitch all nine of your log cabin blocks together in a nine patch quilt block, starting with 3 blocks in row #1, 3 in row #2 and 3 in row #3. Press seams to one side. Then stitch each row together to form the full block.

 

Step #5. Add the 4″ border pieces to the edges of your middle nine patch, then quilt and bind. I ended up doing some “big stitch” hand quilting on my mini quilt and it was a fun project to do while watching the olympics.

And you are done! Happy Quilting!

~elizabeth