Layer Cake Lattice Quilt (#81)

Let's face it, I love novelty fabric. Once I saw this Into the Deep blue pattern full of jellyfish and aqua accents I was hooked.

Again, the biggest challenge for novelty fabric is how to accentuate the whimsical patterns.  A tutorial from Ashley of "Mommy by day Crafter by night" saved the day with this large scale lattice quilt tutorial (using layer cakes).

Usually I make my quilt blocks and then lay them out - but with this lattice quilt pattern it was essential to do the layout before sewing to get good color placement.

A 10" square is cut once on the diagonal.  Two 'triangles' are sewn onto one dividing strip - which for this quilt was white Kona cut 1.5" wide.  Starching is always a good idea - and if your sewing is a bit wonky - don't worry. Any distortions disappear when you trim down to the unfinished size of 9.5" x 9.5".  The important part is that your middle strip must be longer than your two focus fabric triangles. The pictures above show this.  I like to trim my blocks down and always opt for bigger rather than smaller. 

The border was cut using the large half hexie ruler from  the Missouri Star Quilt Co.   

It's a hard choice to pick a thread color when fabrics go from dark to light in the same quilt. I am realizing that these novelty images can handle bold thread choices, especially if there are not acres of white as a background. I used Aurifil 50wt. #1148. Simple wavy lines sewn on the seams and horizontal/vertical lines 2.5" to 3" apart with a walking foot.

I think that this type of block could be made with any size square.  One square cut on the diagonal, a center strip that extends beyond the two edges and a final trim.  This lattice block in different sizes could be a good start for any quilter.  Lastly, to help with layout placement, Ashley's tutorial here, my pixs and Pinterest are helpful resources.

Materials:
Into the Deep / Patty Sloniger for Michael Miller
Kona white
Warm & White batting
Aurifil 50wt. #1148 
Size: 73" x 81"
July 2017