Easy as Cake

Hi! My name is Konda Luckau from Moose on the Porch Quilts. I love making quilts that are quick and easy, and I love how precuts speed up the quilting process. Kate Spain's new line Verna is perfect for chasing away winter. I almost changed the name of the quilt to "Tut Tut Looks Like Spring," but I got a blank stare in response, I left the original name. In case you also have a blank stare, it is a play on Winnie the Pooh and what I was thinking as I was photographing this wonderfully spring looking quilt in the snow.

This pattern would look great with absolutely any layer cake. What about A Breath of Avignon or Oz with white sashing, Butterfly Garden or Looking Back with tan sashing, Blush with light pink sashing, or Attitude Girls with black sashing? I think I might need to make another one.

1 Layer Cake

3 1/2 yards for Sashing and Borders

6 yards for Backing

3/4 yard for Binding

1) Take your layer cake and separate it into three groups: 30 squares to use as the blocks, 5 squares to use as the sashing posts, and 7 squares that aren't used. (The 7 squares not to use was the hardest pile for me to make.)

2) Take the 5 blocks for the sashing and first cut 2" off one side. Cut the remaining 8" x 10" rectangle in half horizontally and vertically as shown below.

Now there are 20 -- 4" x 5" sashing posts and 5 -- 2" x 10" strips set aside for the 2nd border.

3) Take the 30 squares for the blocks and cut 2" off one side.

Now there are 30 -- 8" x 10" blocks and 30 -- 2" x 10" strips set aside for the 2nd border.

4) Take the yardage for the sashing and borders. Cut the following:

• Seven 4" strips for sashing
• Five 5" strips for sashing
• Eight 3 1/4" strips set aside for the 1st border
• Eight 5" strips set aside for the 3rd border

5) Take the 5" sashing strips. Subcut into 24 -- 5" x 8" horizontal sashing rectangles.

Take the 4" sashing strips. Subcut into 25 -- 4" x 10" vertical sashing rectangles.

6) Lay out the quilt 6 blocks across and 5 blocks down as shown below.

7) Assemble the quilt center.

8) For the 1st border, take the eight 3 1/4" strips. Sew them into 4 double strips. Sew one onto the left side of the quilt and another onto the right side of the quilt. Then sew one onto the top of the quilt and the last one onto the bottom of the quilt.

9) For the 2nd border, take the 35 -- 2" x 10" strips. Sew them randomly into 4 sets of 8 strips so there are 4 long skinny strips for the 2nd border. (You will not use 3 of the 2" x 10" strips.) First sew on the left and right borders, then sew on the top and bottom borders.

10) For the 3rd border, take the eight 5" strips. Sew them into 4 double strips. First sew on the left and right borders, then sew on the top and bottom borders.

11) Quilt as desired and bind as shown below. You will need nine 2 1/2" strips for the binding.

One 82" x 85" Queen size quilt perfect to put on a bed, take on a picnic, or give as a wedding present for someone special.