I want to make a baby quilt, and I want it to be a combination of nine patch blocks and fussy cut feature blocks. It needs some sort of border, but I think that can be fairly narrow.

I like the 1:1.4 proportion of width to length, but five blocks by seven is 35 blocks, and then they would be too small. But I have to have an uneven number of blocks or the design will look unbalanced. Three blocks by five is a proportion which I do not find as pleasant (looks too skinny)

Are there "standard" proportions for baby quilts, or does everyone suffer this way????

If you know the answer, please share!

Hi there,

There is no rules in quilting. For a baby quilt I make it a little bigger so the baby can grow with it.

I usually make baby quilts 45 x 60, the baby grows into it.

what size blocks are you using?
6 1/2" blocks in a 5x7 block setting is 30x42 before borders
adding a 4" border makes it a 37x49 nice size baby quilt
I personally like to make them square and a little larger than standard baby size so they can use them as toddlers.
so go with the 7x7 block setting
I like an approx 60x60" finished
Mom and baby can both snuggle under it!

Find a copy of 9 patch pizzazz by judy sisneros, it's just what you're describing, and she has heaps of ideas. Have made several using her technique, and they are all great. Baby quilts can be as big or small as you like. Cradle quilts are more doll sized, cot/crib quilts bigger, but if you use one as a roll around/ play mat, then it can be huge. My grandchildren all received a cot siae one about 40 X 50", then another bigger for the floor, and then my granddaughter was made a pretty big girl one for her big bed. I don't think there's a rule for this.

You said that you didn't like odd number blocks to work with. One thing I do to get the look I like is to change the size of my block. I'm doing a quilt right now that I resized a block from 12 to 8 inches so that I could have more design showing. A little more work, but it does come out nice and then you could make it an even number. I also try to make my baby quilts a little larger, so that it then can be used on a toddler bed when they start to get to be a big boy or girl. :-D

I like rectangular quilts too :D But for baby quilts square is okay, especially for use in a stroller, car seat, etc. :D:D:D

Thanks for your comments. I am now looking at my feature fabric and realizing that also limits the options on size of my feature blocks. You live and learn, but I can see that my simple little quilt will be nothing of the sort, at least as far as the mathmatical bit goes! All good training for me.

you can always have an empty block used to make them come out the size quilt you want. just quilt something in it.

Or you could use a feature block and frame it with a border, or put it on point to make it larger.