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Free quilt pattern: Easy Layer Cake
In these complicated and challenging times, sometimes simple just feels so good! APQS dealer Laura Reardon and her team at APQS Boise -The Quilt Crossing in Idaho have created a twin-size quilt that goes together in just a couple of hours thanks to the convenience of a “layer cake” stack of 10-inch squares and easy sashing strips.
Don’t have any “layer cake” stacks? No worries…dig out that fat quarter bundle you’ve been staring at for inspiration and get to slicing! This pattern is also the perfect way to use up those smaller hunks from your stash that felt too big to throw out, but too small for most quilts.
The sashing strips and corner posts work like lattice and frame out the squares, so you can also showcase larger prints or theme fabrics without losing their impact. As an example, here’s the quilt laid out with loud and luscious Kaffe Fassett fabrics—many of which are characteristically vibrant with large scale prints and florals.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve also got a stack of fabrics that you spent good money on at some point in your life, but when you look at them now your reaction is “what was I thinking?” Stack all those ugly duckling fabrics on top of each other, cut out your own stack of 10-inch blocks, then shuffle them up and sash them with a solid-reading fabric to unify them. It’s amazing how that sashing can turn those unattractive squares into a beautiful swan!
The pandemic has shuttered many quilt shops around the globe, but quilters still find a way to create—and they took the opportunity to “create” more quilting space at The Quilt Crossing by adding an 1800-square-foot Education and Retreat Center that can seat up to 30 students at their own “socially distant” 6-foot table.
The shop is now back open to support local quilters who have been busy sewing during quarantine, where quilters can rent one of several APQS longarm machines to tackle their stack of quilt tops. The store offers Longarm Certification classes 3-4 times a month, so it’s easy for even a beginning quilter to enjoy the quilting process from start to finish.
This quilt is a perfect option for an overall pantograph quilting design. A curvy design would look nice since the layout is very linear. And it’s a terrific option for a new longarm quilter because the busy fabrics will hide wobbles and bobbles so well! If you own an APQS Quilt Path, it’s also a great quilt for practicing laying out a pantograph or block and design placement methods.
No matter how you slice it, this quilt pattern is sure to lift your spirits—and the best part is that there are no calories in this “layer cake” so you can enjoy every single piece guilt-free! And the frosting on the cake is how fast it will be ready to enjoy if you quilt it on an APQS longarm! 😊
