Exploring Color and Size Variations with the Old Cabin Quilt
One of the things I absolutely love about the Old Cabin quilt is its versatility. It’s so easy to adapt this pattern to your favorite color scheme and to change the size to suit your needs. Today, I’m sharing a special version I made in warm, golden tones and how I adjusted the size for a cozy throw.
A Golden Touch
This time, I raided my stash for a palette of yellows, mustards, and golds, pairing them with beige and white tones to create a fresh yet warm look. The combination feels like a burst of sunlight coming into a wooden Norwegian mountain cabin, and I love how it turned out! This quilt was my Christmas gift to someone special, so I snapped some photos just in time before wrapping it up.
Adjusting the Size
The Old Cabin pattern, inspired by Norwegian knitwear, is incredibly flexible when it comes to size. For this version, I made a throw-sized quilt measuring 60 x 80 inches. That’s 6 blocks by 8 blocks, with each block measuring 10 x 10 inches. Adjusting the size is as simple as adding or removing blocks. Want a square quilt? A 6x6 layout gives you a 60 x 60-inch size. Need something larger for a bed? A 9x8 layout would be perfect at 90 x 80 inches.
Efficient Fabric Use
Here’s a handy tip: if the total number of blocks in your quilt is divisible by 4, you’ll have very little fabric waste! Each light and dark Fat Quarter (or 1/4 yard or 20 cm cuts) will yield 4 blocks. For my 6x8 quilt, I used 12 light and 12 dark 20 cm cuts from my stash. If you’re making a 9x8 quilt, you’ll need 18 light and 18 dark Fat Quarters (or the equivalent in yardage). This makes the pattern perfect for stash-busting or for using up precuts you’ve been saving for just the right project.
Endless Possibilities
What I love most about the Old Cabin quilt is how easily it adapts to your vision. Whether you’re drawn to cool blues and grays, bright pinks or soft pastels, this pattern showcases your fabric choices beautifully. You could make a red and white version for a classic Scandinavian Christmas quilt, or a cool Nordic white and grey quilt. The baby quilt hanging in front on the photo below, is made from just one light and one dark blue solid fabric – which will give you a graphic, crisp look.
If you’ve made an Old Cabin quilt (or are planning to), I’d love to see your version! Tag me on Instagram and use #OldCabinQuilt so we can all be inspired by the endless possibilities this pattern offers.
Happy quilting!