Double Slice Layer Cake Quilt: Jenny Doan's Quick & Modern Method

🎁 1 Layer Cake — 42 squares of 10" × 10" precut fabric. Pick one you love! Shop layer cakes here.

✂️ Rotary cutter, ruler & cutting mat — you'll be making precise cuts through your blocks. Shop rotary cutters.

🪡 Sewing machine — with a ¼" presser foot

🔥 Iron and ironing board — essential for pressing seams at each step

📌 Pins — for keeping pieces aligned after shuffling. Shop sewing pins.

🧵 Thread — a neutral color that blends with your fabric collection. Shop thread.

Step 1: Pair Up Your Layer Cake Squares

Open your layer cake and pair up the squares into 21 pairs (42 squares ÷ 2). For the best visual contrast, try to pair a lighter square with a darker square in each pair. This contrast is what gives the finished quilt its dynamic, modern look.

Don't overthink it — just grab two squares that look good next to each other and stack them right sides together.

Step 2: Make the First Cut — 3½" and 6½"

Take each pair of squares (still stacked together) and cut them into two pieces: one piece that's 3½ inches wide and one that's 6½ inches wide. You're cutting through both layers at the same time.

Keep the pieces together in pairs and try to keep them in order—the small piece with its matching large piece. Jenny likes to stack the small pieces on top of the big ones to stay organized.

Jenny makes her first cut — 3½" and 6½" — through the paired squares.

Step 3: Sew the First Seam

Now here's where the magic starts! Take each pair and sew the small piece of Fabric A to the large piece of Fabric B, and vice versa. You're swapping the pieces between the two fabrics.

Sew with a ¼" seam allowance along the 10" side. Press seams toward the darker fabric. You now have two new blocks — each featuring two different fabrics side by side!

Chain piece these for speed — just feed one pair through the machine after another without cutting the thread between them.

Step 4: Make the Second Cut (the "Double Slice")

Here's where the "double slice" happens! Take your sewn blocks and cut them again — this time perpendicular to the first seam. Cut at 3½" and 6½" again, but this time you're cutting across the seam you just sewed.

This second cut divides each block into two sections, and each section now has four different-sized rectangles in a grid pattern. It's like a simple four-patch, but with asymmetric pieces that create visual interest.

Step 5: Shuffle and Mix Up the Pieces

This is the most fun part! Take all your cut pieces and mix them up. Swap pieces between blocks to create new, unexpected color combinations. The goal is to achieve a good "mish-mash" of contrast — you don't want two similar fabrics next to each other.

Don't worry about being too precise — the more random the shuffle, the more interesting the finished quilt will look. Trust the process!

Step 6: Sew the Shuffled Pieces Back Together

Now sew your shuffled pieces back together to re-create your blocks. Match up the seam lines, pin if needed, and sew with a ¼" seam allowance. Press seams as you go.

Each finished block will now feature four different fabric sections in an asymmetric grid — a large square, a small square, and two rectangles. The off-center seam lines are what give this quilt its contemporary, modern feel.

Look at those blocks! Each one is different, and they all look amazing together.

Step 7: Arrange, Sew Rows, and Finish

Lay out your finished blocks on a design wall or the floor. Play with the arrangement — rotate blocks, swap positions, and step back to see how the overall design looks. When you're happy, sew the blocks into rows, then sew the rows together.

Layer with batting and backing fabric, quilt as desired, and add your binding. This quilt looks gorgeous with simple straight-line quilting that echoes the geometric block design!