Courthouse Steps (Traditional)

Courthouse Steps 
(Variation)

Amish Crib Quilt

There are many examples of Log Cabin pattern quilts in the Illinois State Museum's collection.

Log Cabin Quilts are made of arrangements of a repeated single block pattern. 

 The Log Cabin block consists of light and dark fabric strips that represent the walls of a log cabin. A center patch, often of red cloth, represents the hearth or fire. 

Quilt historians found that the Log Cabin design became popular in 1863, when the Union army was raising money for the Civil War by raffling quilts. President Abraham Lincoln grew up in a log cabin. The pattern may have been a symbol of loyalty to him as head of the Union. 

The Log Cabin pattern has been popular ever since. One reason is  because the foundation piecing technique is easy to do.

The log cabin block has a large number of attractive and versatile settings that create different looks. This gallery contains quilts with several variations of the Log Cabin pattern, like Straight Set, Barn Raising, Courthouse Steps, and Light and Dark. 

You can also design your own setting.  This activity requires a flash plugin on your computer, which may be downloaded for free on the Macromedia site.