Hey everyone. This week you will learn how to slice a layer cake twice and shuffle it into a modern quilt, why fall does not have to mean only pumpkins, and how to pick fall prints that keep working into the holidays. Here we go.
The short version: pair light and dark 10-inch squares, cut once, swap the pieces, and sew. Then look past the pumpkin patch — sunflowers at dusk are having a moment, and a good plaid will carry your table from October right through December.
What happens when you slice a layer cake and shuffle it?
Over at Missouri Star Quilt Co, a refreshed favourite takes one layer cake — 42 squares at 10 inches — and pairs them into 21 light-and-dark pairs. Each pair gets one cut, into a 3.5-inch piece and a 6.5-inch piece. Then comes the clever part. You swap pieces between pairs before you sew, so every block looks planned, even though the shuffle did the planning for you.
Our take: we love a quilt that looks harder than it is. The contrast does the work here, folks. Pair a light square with a dark one every time. Keep each small piece stacked on its matching big piece while you work. Sew with a steady quarter-inch seam and a size 80/12 needle. Press after every step. Just like that, the blocks line up and the quilt looks modern. Browse fabric for a coordinated pack you love all the way through — you will use nearly every square in this one.
Can a fall quilt skip the pumpkins?
Yes, and the fall issues are proving it. At Quilting Daily, the Fall 2026 Quiltmaker menu still has its pumpkins, but the quilt turning heads puts a sunflower against a deep, dusky pink background — the last burst of colour before evening. Another pattern in the same issue is a 60-inch square built from warm, earthy stash shades. No novelty prints. Just colour doing the seasonal work.
Our take: this is a kind permission slip, y'all. Fall is a palette, not a print. Gold, rust, cranberry, and deep green read as autumn on any block you already know. Pull those colours from your stash first. Sew one test block. Live with it on the design wall overnight. If it feels like October to you, it is October. Completely up to you. It doesn't have to be perfect, and it doesn't have to have a pumpkin on it.
Which fall prints earn their shelf space?
The fall lineup at Hancock's of Paducah makes a quiet, practical point. Leaves, sunflowers, plaids, pumpkins, and corn prints all arrive together in rich, cosy tones — but they are not equal workers. A sunflower print makes a fast pillow cover. Leaf prints make simple napkins with straight seams. And plaid is the hardest worker of all, because it suits a fall table and still looks right at a holiday one.
Our take: buy the plaid, then add one bold friend. One strong seasonal print mixed with a few calm tones keeps a project from getting busy. We use that rule in the shop all the time. A plaid runner plus solid napkins will serve you for two seasons, not two weeks. That is fabric money well spent. Start with the small makes in our Craft Project Ideas series if you want a finish this weekend.
Corey & Linda's game plan for your sewing week
- Pair before you cut. Lay out 21 light-and-dark pairs from one layer cake. Photograph the pairs before the rotary cutter comes out.
- Cut once, swap once. Slice each pair at 3.5 and 6.5 inches, swap the small pieces between pairs, then sew one test block and measure it.
- Try fall without a pumpkin. Pull gold, rust, and cranberry from your stash and sew one block in those colours only.
- Pick one plaid that lasts. Choose a plaid you would still love in December, and pair it with calm solids. And if a wide backing would save you piecing one, our Know Your Widebacks guides walk through the options.
Quick answers
How many squares are in a layer cake? 42 squares, each 10 inches by 10 inches. For the double slice, that makes 21 light-and-dark pairs.
What colours make a quilt feel like fall without seasonal prints? Warm, earthy ones — gold, rust, cranberry, deep green, and a dusky background. Colour carries the season, even on a plain traditional block.
That's the roundup for this week. Tell us what you're stitching — and if you need the fabric, batting, or backing to finish it, you know where to find us. Thanks for sewing along with us. We'll see you next time. Bye.
— Corey (Chief Quilter) & Linda, Linda's Electric Quilters
