SherryLea

I am trying to make a quilt for my brother for Christmas .
It's going to be 42 x 56. I have cut some of the material
but it didn't work out the way I thought it would. I wanted to put a 15 x15 panel in the middle.I couldn't
get the other pieces to fit evenly around the panel and look right as the material is cat material and is real busy. So now I have decided to make a pillow out of the panel to go with the quilt instead. and use blocks to do the quilt. It
will work out and look nice, but I want to learn to do something beside block quilts but I guess I will keep trying and since this is a gift I want it to look nice so the next one I'll try again to do a different pattern and use a pattern instead of trying to make up my own. This has sure made me apprenciate all the talent on this board
and the beautiful quilts you all make

Jan in VA

Sherry,
I always design my own quilts, rarely ever buy a pattern, just graph them out on 4-squares-to-the-inch graph paper when I see something that gives me an idea.

I also make the blocks before I ever cut sashings, or borders, or setting triangles, and then put those blocks up on my design wall. When my quilt has reached the size it wants to be, it tells me by letting me have no more fabric, or ideas, or time, or even interest! And then I border it, finish and bind it. (Or maybe not...sometimes even though your quilt isn't finished, you are finished with your quilt!)

I guess what I'm saying is, quilts are not often EXACTLY the size we thought they'd be. And it usually wouldn't matter if we'd let it be that way. Have a general idea of what you want to make and then enjoy the creative process! Can't wait to see a pic.

Jan in VA

luvTooQuilt

Most of my quilts begin with a pattern but as I go along I tend to tweak a thing or two. Some idea pops in my head and I go for it.. IF it doesn't work then at least I tried. but if it does, then WHOO HOO.

Ive learned from my mistakes but what I've learned most, is that most mistakes in a quilt is what gives its charm, beauty and definitely makes it a one-of-a-kind.. So no matter what you make, I'm sure it will be beautiful. So jump right in, ask questions along the way if you get stumped. We are all here and if asked, are willing to put our two cents in..Well heck someone might give ya a dollars worth too!!!

athenagwis

Making up your own pattern can be hard. When doing your own, I would not do any triangles. If you have everything in squares or rectangles, it actually can be pretty easy to make a pattern.

What you need to do is first make a pattern that DOES NOT include your seam allowances. This will ensure that the final pieces will all match up. Then once you have the pattern without seam allowances, then you add ½ inch to the length and the width of each block and that becomes your seam allowance.

If you are starting with a piece of fabric that is a set size (like your panel), you’ll want to subtract the ½ inch from each side first, then do your pattern without the seam allowances and add them back in after.

So for instance I want to make a quilt that is 10 blocks across and 10 blocks down. I want the quilt to finish at 60x60. That means each finished block has to be 6x6, I add my ½ inch to the length and the width of each block and I have blocks that are 6.5x6.5 …

Another example …. I have a 10.5x10.5 piece of fabric and I want to surround it with squares. Since 10.5x10.5 is the actual size I need to subtract ½ inch to get the finished size, so I have a 10x10 finished size. I can surround that with 12, 5” squares (2 on all sides and 4 in each corner) evenly. So now I need to add my seam allowances … So to make this quilt I need my 10.5x10.5 piece and 12, 5.5 pieces ….

So it was very difficult to make something using a 15x15 panel because the finished size is actually 14.5x14.5 (unless the panel was actually 15.5x15.5, which would be much easier).

I hope some of what I said makes sense and helps you figure out your next quilt!!

Cheers!
Rachel

SherryLea

Thank You and Yes Rachel it does make sense, but this time I think I will stick to squares and retangles. Jan you are right sometimes when I look at the crazy quilt I tried to make and that has lots and lots of mistakes I don't see the mistakes and think what a great hobby this is and no one has ever mentioned the mistakes and I keep it on a chair in my living room. Luv I think I will try a pattern next time and see if I do better on that. I have gotten so much just out of these 3 post Thank You all so much I sure needed a lift now I think I will go back to doing my quilt

BellaBoo

Cut the panels/blocks out of cheap newsprint the size you want. It's easy to adjust the size of the paper to fit exactly how you want it. Measure the paper blocks and you know the exact size you need to cut every piece. I can do something on graph paper and it never works out to size for me. I use EQ7 now but will use the paper method sometime along with EQ7 so I can see it being real.

Prism99

Is this for an adult brother or for a child? I ask because that size seems great for a child's quilt, but awfully small for an adult.

SherryLea

It is for an Adult but it to put on his couch as a Throw.
Is it still two small for that also do I need to add some to it?

sewcrafty

Usually when I do a lap quilt I try and take into consideration the height of the person, plus room for the toes to be stretched out under. I usually do atleast 72" in length and 50" wide.

SuziC

I agree with everything you said, Jan!