A quilt for my best friend
Do you have that friend – the one you love dearly. The one you want to share life with as long as there is life to be shared?
Whether you’re miles apart or close by but so very busy, this is your person. The person that you just re-click with the moment you’re reunited. The person that knows your most humbling details and still, somehow, loves you all the same. The one you’d trust to clean out your drawers and closet should you die unexpectedly. (Since they probably already know much of what you may be stashing anyway…)
This quilt is for that person.
Friendships Formed Under Fire
My person happens to live the next town over. While we work in the same town, we rarely get to connect due to how busy we all are. But when I do get to talk to her, my world feels right again. When I laugh with her, it is the purest medicine for my soul. To say I love her is a gross understatement.
We met in grad school and (unbeknownst to me) were enemies at first. Add in another friend and the enormous stress of grad school and the three of us became very close indeed.
Our 3rd musketeer later moved even further away and we still occasionally hear updates. I miss her infectious way of breaking down difficult concepts and her sweet smile. One day I hope to all be reunited again.
Through moves, milestones, and messy middle seasons. Through becoming ourselves.
Quilts Before This One
I’ve made quilted things for my bestie before. A quillow. A table topper. Small projects that say, I am thinking of you.
I’ve wanted her to have an actual quilt for a long time. A real one. A curl-up-under-this, keep-you-company kind of quilt.
When I was recently at her house to deliver this week’s quilt finish, she brought out one of the table toppers I had made her for some Christmas long ago. Per her, I had told her it was intended to be a table runner but it turned out more the size of a large napkin. We had just been talking about shrinkage after the first wash of the gift quilt, so I thought she meant that it had shrunk that much!
We laughed so hard trying to sort it out. I must’ve told her back then that I was planning a table runner but plans changed at some point – as they often do with me! So it ended up just table topper sized.
Before I had seen this table topper again, I would’ve told you that I wanted to try cross-hatch quilting sometime. In fact, I’m a bit nervous to try it. Turns out I had cross-hatched the center of that table topper YEARS ago! Not too bad if I say so myself! 😊
A UFO, Technically
On to this week’s quilt finish.
If you’re new here: I’m participating in a 52 Quilts Challenge this year. This challenge has been gently forcing me to confront my tendency to start things enthusiastically (serial quilt starter that I am) and finish them… later. Or never. Or only emotionally.
This year, the finishing matters.
The Pattern, the Plan, and the Not-Blue Reality
I adore layer cakes and layer cake patterns. I’ve earmarked several to try. When Fat Quarter Shop offered a flash sale half off a layer cake I’d been eyeing for my bestie, I jumped on it! Her favorite color is blue and this collection had the most rich navy blues with a few gold and white contrasts. I thought she’d just love it.
I facetimed my bestie and asked for her opinion on patterns, never mentioning that the quilt was for her. She liked the Layer Cake Loop pattern. That felt like permission.
The fabric was delivered, the pattern was downloaded. Then as often happens in my world, I got sidetracked away from the project. When I restarted the 52 Quilts Challenge in fall, I knew this one had to be priority!
You should know, I thought I was making a blue quilt. I was not…
Trusting the Stitching
Somewhere between the layer cakes and the layout, this quilt revealed itself to be… mostly gold. Warmer than I expected. Less blue than planned.
I adjusted where I could. Added a blue backing. Used navy quilting thread. Let go of the idea that it needed to be what I originally imagined.
So, darling bestie, you now have a navy and gold quilt. We’ve been friends for 25 years! While 25th anniversaries are usually honored in silver, you are certainly gold to me.
Once again, intentions to realities are “flexible” in my world. One day we’ll laugh about the blue quilt that I made that was just barely blue.
I love you, dear friend.
(Some links in this post may be affiliate links. This means that if you click a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share products and resources I genuinely use and love.)
🧵🪡✂ Maker’s Notes:
Pattern: Layer Cake Loop by Fat Quarter Shop (free pattern at the time of this post)
Fabric: Cheddar at Twilight by The RBD Designers for Riley Blake Designs
Finished Size: 61.5” x 73” (modified from pattern and margin of error)
Block Size: 12.5”
Batting: Warm & Natural
Thread: Aurifil 50wt Cotton, White for stitching. Navy Blue (similar one here) for quilting
Quilting: Machine quilted with wavy lines – 1st time trying wavy lines. I like it!
(Note: I enjoy supporting my local quilt shops but I do also buy online as well. I’ve included links to online options but highly recommend checking out your local quilt shop – there’s nothing quite like building community locally when possible.)
💡 Tips
- Modify as desired: This pattern is beginner friendly. I modified it slightly from square shape in the pattern (6×6 blocks) to rectangular (5×6 blocks).
- Fabric selection suggestions: Check out the accompanying YouTube video for where suggestions on fabric placement within the block
🌟 Final Thoughts – A Quilt, Finished
This quilt isn’t exactly what I imagined. It’s barely blue. It’s warmer than expected. And it’s finished!
Which, in some seasons of life, feels like the whole point.
I prayed over this quilt as I worked on it. I do that often, especially with gifts. But this one felt extra important.
Quilts made for dear friends bless the quilter too.
While we don’t often get together, I spent many lovely hours sewing, sandwiching, quilting, and binding this quilt while thinking about my dear friend and our friendship. Time very well spent.
So this is The Mostly Not-Blue Layer Cake Loop. A quilt for my best friend.
A reminder that trusting the process matters. And that sometimes the thing you make becomes exactly what it needs to be, even if it isn’t what you pictured.
And maybe someday I’ll make her a bluer one. We’ll see.
I’d love to hear what you think. Is there someone in your life you’ve been meaning to make something for—and just needed the nudge to follow through?
That’s all for this week. If you’d like to peek at a few recent finishes, you can click their images below.
I’m documenting this process as part of my ongoing 52 Quilts Challenge – slowly working through unfinished projects. You can find all of the quilts from the challenge collected in one place here (index). If you’re new here and curious what the challenge is about, I’d start here (explanation post).
I also share updates on Instagram and Pinterest.
Love the Quilter life? Quilter-themed merch available in the Studio Shop.
Thanks for being here — and may your bobbin ever last the row.
~Angel
(Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
