Little Log Cabin

Editor's Note: To celebrate the grand opening of the newly expanded Quilt House gallery, International Quilt Study Center & Museum team members are blogging about pieces in the gallery's inaugural exhibition, "Getting to Know You."

Log Cabin, maker unknown, made in United States, circa 1890-1910.
Ardis and Robert James Collection, IQSCM 1997.007.0114.

By Laura Chapman
Communications Coordinator

I grew up with fairly limited exposure to quilts. My mom and grandma knitted and crocheted, so most of my knowledge about quilts came from the Little House books and the Dove in the Window quilt Laura worked on throughout the series.

I’m truly lucky to work alongside a great team of co-workers at such a beautiful building that houses such amazing treasures. Like this one. There really is something about a Log Cabin quilt that is wonderful. Maybe it’s that connection to the Little House books. No, they didn’t make any in the series, but Laura was born in a log cabin in the woods.

Yeah. I've been there. Or at least to the replica cabin that was built on the site where the one she lived it in used to exist.

Or maybe I just like these quilts because they're versatile and can look so different based on how you put them together. This great animation created by University of Nebraska-Lincoln shows featured in our exhibition, "Design Dynamics of Log Cabin Quilts," shows those different settings.