A sewing table filled with scraps? That’s my quilter’s candy. It draws me in like a fly to honey. I’ll squeeze in any chance to press, cut and sew those fabric scraps into a pretty order.

My last log cabin quilt was also a scrap project, but then I used scraps in random thicknesses. This time I’ve opted for an orderly progression of patchwork logs to balance out this vibrant color palette.

8 blocks up on the design wall! Oh, what delight!!! I love, love, love the mountains of light and shadow.

This graceful design is what we call a value pattern in quilting. It relies on the contrast of dark value fabrics with light value fabrics to make a collective impact. The log cabin block is a great place to get your feet wet with value quilting. If you’d like to practice with more guidance, consider my value-oriented scrap quilt pattern called Dear Dottie.