Combining quilt tops
 

Is it okay to combine quilt tops of different designs? I have about 100 quilt tops done that are approximately the same size and wondered if it will be okay to combine them.Thank You

Sure! Combine them in whatever way makes you happy!

Watson

Oh that could be so interesting. I saw a cover on a bed today with large squares of different colors and thought the same thing. Right now I am using older tops for backing, so two sided quilts.

I'd love to see some of the combinations that you might want to try.

They're your quilt tops, so you can do whatever you want with them. It sounds like a fun project.

Now this sounds like a lot of fun! You sure can put them together. Let your artistic juices flow. Now one will ever know what is the top and what is the top on these quilts. Just have fun.

Of course, you can. My oldest daughter's quilt is two sided as is a young friend's. I quilted hers to suit the side I considered the top and didn't worry about echoed flowers showing up on the back. His was an allover meander so it didn't matter. Sadly, he likes the back better - the front is Drunkard's Path in batiks. How could anyone prefer a simple over and under quilt to that?

I already have two planned to do exactly that: the Apollo 11 quilt called: One Stitch for Mankind, and the Dr. Who tartis. They will be for my grandson for Christmas 2020. He will be 7 then, almost 8. He still loves his Traveling Turtles quilt I did for him a couple years ago so I'm not in a hurry. He loves all things science and wants to build a teleporter someday from his house in VA, to ours in IL. : )

That sounds like a great idea and so creative.

Not only is it okay, it's pretty cool and efficient. Two quilts in one. Reversible for the mood or season. Half the storage space required. If I were doing it, I would try to make the colors coordinate so the effect isn't jarring or aesthetically chaotic when the quilt is lying in a clump or some is showing when folded. But that's me. Just think about the quilting and if it'll work for both sides. Ditto the thread.

Add a muslin (or something) temporary border on the quilt you use for the backing to clamp the edges if you are using a longarm. I have seen several friends combine their quilts like this.

Keep in mind you will need the 'back' to be larger than the front.

Funny how these things go, I have been thinking that very thing. I have several flimsies and this looks like a great way to get them finished.

We'll even help you decide which ones to pair up, if you want! You know us: love to give our opinions! LOL

, and reversible quilts are very useful too. Can't wait to see the photo's.
Afterall they are Your Quilts.. Your Choice Go for it..

I've been making reversible quilts for 20+ years, even when I was hand quilting. I'm at base a really practical person.
half the cost of batting, half the cost of quilting, half the storage space, no added expense for backings.

As I'm looking at my fabrics, I have two fabrics that I love. Technically the colors work together but style-wise they don't at all. So I've been thinking of doing a Day/Night quilt. The yellow background sunny flowers for the day side, the blue sky for the night side.

We've talked recently here on the forums about making binding where you have a seam at the top so you can have two colors (one for each side) of the binding. I've done that before so the look is completely different on both sides of the quilt. Or, with me I'm more likely to reverse it so the red side (or whatever) of the binding is on the blue side of the quilt and vice versa.

Here's a tutorial that NativeTexan linked in a thread about two color bindings:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Two...Quilt-Binding/

Thank you for your replies. Is it also ok to make a lap top quilt larger by putting 2 tops side by side?

It is ok to do whatever you want! Art and creativity should have no rules. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/wink.png

I saw a quilt once that had several very different small tops arranged as if they were stacked on a bed. Really nice!

I tried to make a reversible quilt. On the smaller side, I added a border that could be cut down to match the larger side. I tried to sandwich the quilt for a couple of hours at least before I finally gave up and made two separate quilts. Maybe I just need to get better at the sandwiching process. Couldn't make it work.

I love the idea of a double-sided quilt. You could also take rows off of one quilt and use them for the border of another quilt.

~ C

I love the idea of a two color binding. This is a great tutorial.