I need help... can I lay my quilt out like this?
#1
Okay. Here's the issue.
I have 5 different blocks, 99 squares in total, 6in finished squares. I started with jelly-roll strips.
I don't think I want to only sew them together as is... they seem a little busy... like they need some lighter fabrics mixed in.
So I experimented with adding an additional border around each, but that would make the quilt HUGE- much bigger than I really want and could manage to machine quilt.
Then I thought, maybe I can add another 2.5" strip around just a few of the blocks, and add blocks in around it... except that the blocks with the border are an inch smaller than the 4 blocks together. I attached a picture to help explain.
Can I puzzle piece this together, or my fear... it's not going to work because the blocks are both too small and too big for one another... if that makes sense.
So:
Can I piece them together like this?
Can I lay them out another way?
If I added sashing- I wanted to include more than the 1 color shown; how would I do that? I kind of matched up some different fabric choices that I liked with specific blocks more than others.
Any other ideas on how to add these other colors without making the quilt really big?
The dims of the blocks shown:
Single blocks:
6.5" unfinished
6" finished
(with the border) 11.5" unfinished
(with the border) 11" finished
4 blocks together:
13" unfinished
12" finished
I hope this makes sense... just at a loss for what to do.
Thanks for the help!
I have 5 different blocks, 99 squares in total, 6in finished squares. I started with jelly-roll strips.
I don't think I want to only sew them together as is... they seem a little busy... like they need some lighter fabrics mixed in.
So I experimented with adding an additional border around each, but that would make the quilt HUGE- much bigger than I really want and could manage to machine quilt.
Then I thought, maybe I can add another 2.5" strip around just a few of the blocks, and add blocks in around it... except that the blocks with the border are an inch smaller than the 4 blocks together. I attached a picture to help explain.
Can I puzzle piece this together, or my fear... it's not going to work because the blocks are both too small and too big for one another... if that makes sense.
So:
Can I piece them together like this?
Can I lay them out another way?
If I added sashing- I wanted to include more than the 1 color shown; how would I do that? I kind of matched up some different fabric choices that I liked with specific blocks more than others.
Any other ideas on how to add these other colors without making the quilt really big?
The dims of the blocks shown:
Single blocks:
6.5" unfinished
6" finished
(with the border) 11.5" unfinished
(with the border) 11" finished
4 blocks together:
13" unfinished
12" finished
I hope this makes sense... just at a loss for what to do.
Thanks for the help!
#3
I don't think you could make it work that way, but you could add a narrow border inside the one that you are thinking to put the border on to bring it up to the size of your groups of four. Perhaps a matching solid green?
#4
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Anchorage, AK
Posts: 1,397
first, it's your quilt, you can lay it out any way you want to. Next, I like the single blocks with the light sashing around them but see the problem you encounter. I see a couple of options right away for sing the the single ones with sashing - if you want all your sashing blocks to be the same and balanced, make the sashing bigger all around the block to make it overall the same size as four of the smaller blocks, or...if you like some imbalance in your quilt for movement and interest, make the sashing bigger on two sides of the single block so that it's off center but still the same size as the four block square. Make sense?
#5
Power Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,659
The colors of your fabrics are really pretty.
I like your idea of making/separating some of the blocks.
If you want to "box" just one square with one fabric like you have pictured, and have it end up the size of the four other blocks sewn together, you will need to cut them these sizes:
3.5 x 6.5 and 3.5 x 12.5 inches - if you only want to use one color.
When you sew the four 6.5 inch units together, The block should measure approximately 12.5 x 12.5
You could make this top as big as you want, and then you could use the "extra" units to make a lap quilt or a "topper" or for pillow shams.
I like your idea of making/separating some of the blocks.
If you want to "box" just one square with one fabric like you have pictured, and have it end up the size of the four other blocks sewn together, you will need to cut them these sizes:
3.5 x 6.5 and 3.5 x 12.5 inches - if you only want to use one color.
When you sew the four 6.5 inch units together, The block should measure approximately 12.5 x 12.5
You could make this top as big as you want, and then you could use the "extra" units to make a lap quilt or a "topper" or for pillow shams.
#6
Banned
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Ephrata, WA
Posts: 8,802
HI DD,
I have a few ideas...first you could do the sashing how you want around each block and just make two quilts?
Or make a row of one of the blocks...add a sashing peice then make the next row the other set of blocks and if need be just add coping strips on the the ends of the shorter rows?
Or you are going have to make sets of blocks and do the math to add coping strips ...but I don't know how to explain that as usually when I do it that way it is kind of a do it as you go and see where it leads you sort of a thing.
I have a few ideas...first you could do the sashing how you want around each block and just make two quilts?
Or make a row of one of the blocks...add a sashing peice then make the next row the other set of blocks and if need be just add coping strips on the the ends of the shorter rows?
Or you are going have to make sets of blocks and do the math to add coping strips ...but I don't know how to explain that as usually when I do it that way it is kind of a do it as you go and see where it leads you sort of a thing.
#10
I do stuff like this all of the time and it drives me crazy! What was I thinking, right? I think that gathering several blocks together and then adding a "panel" of checkerboard would look great and add even more interest by introducing another block AND you could use the light to brighten it even more.
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