Hiya, my darling Starling mates! In the event you’re studying this tutorial on the way to make the Starling quilt sample with a layer cake, chances are high you’ve got been watching mud collect in your fairly bundle of squares for a while. It’s possible you’ll even have the thought, “Thank goodness! Lastly a use for this pre-cut bundle!”

Layer cake patterns are exhausting to return by, and I feel an enormous cause for that’s as a result of they’re difficult for sample writers. Despite the fact that all of us hope that each single piece of material in a layer cake is a wonderfully reduce 10″ sq., sadly that is not at all times the case.

Producers aren’t at all times exact of their chopping and these bundles may be barely smaller and even be reduce off grain — supplying you with a bit of bit lower than 10″. For that cause, the Starling sample doesn’t embrace a layer cake choice; nonetheless, in case you are daring, and in case you simply desperately wish to deplete that layer cake you’ve got had in your shelf, collectively we will make it work.

What’s a Layer Cake?

In quilting, a layer cake is a pre-cut consisting of 10″ squares of all of the materials in a set. Normal LCs include 42 squares per bundle. Earlier than utilizing a layer cake for this Starling sample variation, double examine your bundle to make sure it consists of sufficient squares for the dimensions you make. This tutorial assumes your LC has 42 squares.

One factor to level out is that the sides of layer desserts are pinked. Pinking is once you reduce scalloped or zig-zag edges to forestall fraying. Take a detailed take a look at the image above. You possibly can see the tiny zig-zags reduce within the layer cake cloth.

Why Use a Layer Cake?

Sandy of Thai Attraction made this layer cake Starling quilt. Is not it beautiful? One cause it is such a beautiful quilt is as a result of utilizing a layer cake means that you can use extra materials, giving the quilt an general scrappier look. In the event you like this scrappy look, you may make your personal layer cake by chopping up a lot of scraps into 10″ squares, then following together with this tutorial.

Starling Layer Cake Variation Tutorial

Let me first level out that this tutorial solely works in tandem with the Starling quilt sample. I will provide you with directions on the way to alter the material necessities within the sample to make use of a layer cake; nonetheless, you’ll nonetheless want the sample to know the way to sew the blocks and assemble the quilt high.

Layer Cake Variation Material Necessities

One of many first issues you might discover is that the Background cloth on this variation is a bit of bit lower than the necessities within the sample. That’s as a result of to make a Starling quilt with a layer cake you’ll use the no-waste flying geese methodology, which makes use of smaller cuts of material. 

Within the present sample, the flying geese are made barely bigger than wanted so you may trim them down. This enables for some margin of error and in addition offers you the chance to trim them to the precise measurement wanted.

I am going to speak extra about no-waste flying geese under. For now, here is what number of layer desserts you want for the dimensions you make.

To get the Colour cloth on your Starling quilt, reduce the wanted quantity of items primarily based on the chopping directions within the sample. As a substitute of piece b being 10 1/4″ squares, you’ll reduce 10″, identical to the diagram above.

To your Background cloth, piece e will lower from 5 1/2″ squares to five 1/4″ squares.

Step 3: Sew your no-waste-flying geese.

The no-waste flying geese methodology creates items the precise measurement wanted within the sample. No waste additionally means no trimming — yay! on the flip facet, it additionally means there is not any wiggle room. Due to this, make sure to exactly sew with a scant 1/4″ seam. I additionally encourage you to press your seams with a tailor’s clapper. This can make your flying geese further flat.

Utilizing the 4-at-a-time methodology and directions on web page 5 of the sample, sew your flying geese. If you’re apprehensive about getting the scant 1/4″ proper, reduce some scrap cloth to make a apply block earlier than you dive into your Starling cloth.

As soon as your flying geese are pressed, merely trim the additional canine ears (these triangle ideas hanging off the perimeters) and also you’re all set for the following step within the sample! When you grasp the no-waste flying geese you will zip proper by way of them and love not trimming.

Troubleshooting Tip!

The most important potential problem with this no-waste flying geese methodology is that your flying geese may find yourself a wee bit smaller than the 9 1/4″ x 4 7/8″ measurement wanted for the sample. If this occurs to you, you’ve got acquired two choices:

1. C’est la vie! Simply stretch and pin to make it work. Any puckering that happens will not be noticeable as soon as your quilt is totally completed and washed. You can too “fudge the seams” a bit by making a few of the seams narrower or not fully lining up the items. So long as your seams are catching not less than 1/8″ of the material, you are good.
2. Trim your different cloth a bit of bit so every little thing suits collectively higher. I solely advocate this in case your flying geese are rather a lot smaller than they need to be.

Remark under in case you assume you will do that layer cake variation! Use #StarlingQuilt on Instagram so we will see your lovely creation. Glad quilting!