Quote Originally Posted by Prettymaid View Post
VA, why is it called a Log Cabin? And Barn Raising?
I'm not sure why they are called Log Cabin, but the design dates back to pioneer days and beyond. Log Cabin quilts are always made with strips of fabric sewn together into blocks. There are many different designs, probably hundreds. I always use a variation of the same blocks. Typically, women would gather and make a quilt while the men would get together and build, or raise a barn, which is why one design is names that. Another is Fields and Furrows. Using the same block pattern, you can make quilts that look nothing alike by using different ways of putting them together and different colors of fabrics. In my quilt above, I used a dramatic difference in colors and contrast (light/dark) to get the look I wanted.

I wish I'd remembered to take pictures of the quilt I made my dad, it was Fields and Furrows and looks completely different. Mom's is a Diamond pattern, I think. I really can't remember!

If the power goes out, trying to finish that quilt might be a good way to stay warm!