Slice of Heaven: Dive into the Delicious Cake Stand Quilt Block

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👩‍🍳 The Cake Stand quilt block is about to take center stage at your crafting party.

This isn't just any old block—it's the showstopper of the quilting world, the crème de la crème of patchwork!

With more layers than a triple-decker wedding cake and twice the charm, this block will have you feeling like the Star Baker of your sewing room. Are you ready to rise to the occasion?

Remember to Pin this for later!

These abbreviations are used on this page:

• SA - seam allowance
• RST - right sides together
• HST - half square triangles
• Bac - Background fabric

1/4" SA are used through this tutorial. 

✂️ Cutting patches for a Cake Stand quilt block

Cake Stand Design

Sample Block Size: 10" finished / 10½" unfinished

Grid: 5x5

Design Type: Basket

Attributed to: Ladies Art Company

AKA: Basket (Hearth & Home), Basket (Old Chelsea Station), Fruit Basket (Household Magazine),

Please label your patches. You'll refer to their numbers throughout this tutorial.

When cutting my patches for the sample Cake Stand, I added an additional 3/8" to the dimensions of the #1-#4 patches only.

The finished half square triangles are trimmed to perfection after the sewing is complete. (Check the note at the bottom of the Cutting Chart).

Remember to subcut the #6 and #8 squares once on the diagonal.

To print a copy of just the block design above and cutting chart below to use at your cutting table, click here.

			Cutting Chart for a Cake Stand Quilt Block ~ Traditional Piecing ~
Patch	Fabric	Qty	Finished Block Size				Sub Cut
			5''	7 1/2''	10''	15''
1**	Bac	3	1⅞'' x 1⅞''	2⅜'' x 2⅜''	2⅞'' x 2⅞''	3⅞'' x 3⅞''	na
2**	Dark	3	1⅞'' x 1⅞''	2⅜'' x 2⅜''	2⅞'' x 2⅞''	3⅞'' x 3⅞''	na
3**	Bac	1	3⅞'' x 3⅞''	5⅜'' x 5⅜''	6⅞'' x 6⅞''	9⅞'' x 9⅞''	na
4**	Dark	1	3⅞'' x 3⅞''	5⅜'' x 5⅜''	6⅞'' x 6⅞''	9⅞'' x 9⅞''	na
5	Bac	2	1½'' x 3½''	2'' x 5''	2½'' x 6½''	3½'' x 9½''	na
6	Dark	1	1⅞'' x 1⅞''	2⅜'' x 2⅜''	2⅞'' x 2⅞''	3⅞'' x 3⅞''
7	Bac	1	1½'' x 1½''	2 '' x 2 ''	2½'' x 2½''	3½'' x 3½''	na
8	Bac	1	2⅞'' x 2⅞''	3⅞'' x 3⅞''	4⅞'' x 4⅞''	6⅞'' x 6⅞''
Unfinished Block Size			5 1/2''	8''	10 1/2''	15 1/2''	---
Grid Size			1''	1 1/2''	2''	3''	---
**I prefer to cut my patches extra large for HST, stitch, and then trim them to size. If you prefer to do the same, add a bit extra to the measurements for Patches #1-#4 above (I added 3/8" to each dimension for the sample block). There is a chart further down in these instructions where you need it for trimming them to size. DO NOT add any extra to #6 or #8 before subcutting. If you have a perfectly reliable 1/4" seam allowance use the dimensions in the cutting charts for these patches.

Available from Connecting Threads

🪡 Assemble the units for a Cake Stand block

Small and Large HSTs

Make 6 with #1/#2 patches

Make 1 with #3/#4 patches

There are two ways to mark you HSTs for this Quick Pieced method.

Which one you choose usually depends on which ruler and presser foot you have handy.

Either:

• Use any ruler and mark a single diagonal line on the wrong side of #1. Stitch a 1/4" away from both sides of the line with your favorite 1/4" presser foot (below left), or

• Use a Quick Quarter ruler and mark two diagonal lines both a 1/4" from the center diagonal of one pair of corners. Stitch directly on the markings with an open toe applique foot—if you have one. It makes it easy to see and stay on the lines (below right).

For each of the sewn pairs (three #1/#2 and one #3/#4), cut them in half between the two lines of stitching. 

Press with the SA to the dark.

A #1/#2 cut in half after sewing, SA pressed to the dark and trimmed to perfection. You'll repeat this for the #3/#4 unit, too.

Then use the chart below to check the accuracy of your stitching. Or if you started with oversized patches, trim your units to perfection. 

You can use a standard square ruler to trim your units.

Why a square ruler?

Because it reliably has a 45° angle on it that runs from corner to corner. I especially like using a Quilter's Select ruler for this trim-job.

It's got a 'grippy' film on the backside that holds the fabric without sliding around.

In the photo below, the first trim is done, the unit has been flipped 180° to access the remaining two sides.

Align the trim size (from the chart), which for our sample Cake Stand block is 6½" with the left and lower edges, and the 45° line with the seam (blue arrow) and trim to perfection.

If you started with patches cut exactly to size, you'll be simply tidying up your edges.

Basket Handles

Make 1 each, mirror-image

With RST, stitch 3 HST together to form the two different basket handles we need to complete our Cake Stand quilt block (illustrated here).

Press all the SAs toward the dark #2 patches.

Left handle

Right handle

To complete this step, with RST sew the #7 square to the #2 triangle on the left side of the right handle.

Finish by pressing this SA toward #7 to avoid any bulk at the seam.

Right handle plus #7

Basket Legs

Make 1 each, mirror image

Cake Stand - the basket's legs

To complete each leg, with RST sew a #6 to a #5 as shown in the photo below.

Stitch so that you start at the edge that is square to avoid chewing up those points.

The bottom point of #6 sticks out a bit past the edge of #5 where they meet. This is correct.

🧩 Assemble our Cake Stand quilt block 

Arrange your patches for the main part of the basket using our sample block below.

With RST, stitch the left handle to the #3/#4 HST. The seams of the #1/#2 and #3/#4 HSTs nest where they meet. :)

Press the SA toward the large #3 light triangle.

With RST, sew the right Handle plus #7 to the basket (at the top in the picture above).

Again, SAs nest to make matching them so much easier.

Pin as needed.

Press toward the #3/#4 in the center.

With RST, add the legs to their respective sides of the basket—the long dark edge of small #7 is next to the dark large #4 triangle on both sides of the basket.

When you add the first leg, the #7 triangle sticks out a bit extra. This is correct.

Once you add the second leg, a 'V' is formed where the #7s meet.. Your 1/4" seam should go directly through the valley of the 'V' (blue arrow).

Press these last two seams toward the leg units.

We're almost done with our Cake Stand block...stand up and stretch a bit. Hmmmm. Might need a bit of ice cream with our 'cake' to celebrate!

Fold the long bias edge of #8 in half and fingerpress a crease (blue arrow) to mark the middle.

With RST, match this crease with the bottom corner of the large dark #4. Pin to align everything.

With the #8 patch nearest the feed dogs (so you don't mistakenly flip the SA while stitching), sew the seam. It goes right through the point of the 'V' created at the ends of the two sections.

You guessed it!

Press the SA out towards the corner to avoid bulk. 

After one last turn at the ironing board (have you tried a wool pressing mat???—they're divine!) our Cake Stand quilt block is finished and ready to be sewn into your quilt!.

Last, but not least, a view of the backside of the Cake Stand quilt block to see how all our SAs are pressed.

What about a different quilt block?

For a list of all the 220+ quilt block patterns on this site, start here.

If you know the name of the block, shorten your search by using these links:

A-D

E-M

N-Z

Click here if you're looking for blocks with at least some paper piecing.

Click here if you're looking for the basic building blocks of quilting, i.e., Flying Geese, half square triangles, quarter square triangles, etc., along with several techniques to make each.

And finally, use these links to find blocks in these finished sizes:

• 4"

• 4-1/2"

• 5"

• 6"

• 8"

• 9"

• 10"

• 12"

This article was printed from Generations-Quilt-Patterns.com

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