Need Help Lengthening a Quilt
 

My ex-husband is next on my quilt list (he’s already been on my other list which is why he’s my ex but we’re good friends). As I said before, I have a lot of patriotic fabric but I’ve decided against using it for a rag quilt. Instead, I’d like to make him the quilt in the picture below. It’s a simple quilt but the fabric I have is not so I think a simple pattern with complex fabrics would work well.

The problem is the quilt is only 53” x 53” finished. I don’t think I need to widen it but I’d like to make it longer and I’m not sure how I’d do that with this pattern. Any suggestions? It’s a free pattern so I’m including a link to the site that has the download instructions if that might help.

http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/quilt-...colorful-steps

Can you make more squares and add to the top and/or bottom?
Or maybe add a white border then a couple of colored ones to top and bottom.

Just add another stair/step on either or both ends.

Easier if you put it on graph paper. If you are adding another row or
two at the bottom, use the blocks just above but skip the first one.
In other words the next row would start with the turquoise, white,
yellow. Then you will have to add another block at the end.
Maybe repeat with the orange/white/purple like in the top corner.
Hope this helps.

Yes! That helps and makes sense. It might be clearer, too, once I start putting it together. Thank you Peezy!

when you draw it on the graph paper, dont forget to color your blocks to match your fabric choices so it will turn out the way you want yours to look. Its a great pattern, good luck!

When I need to widen or lengthen a quilt I tend to use what scraps I have leftover. Here's a pic or two how I did some. I like to add colored squares between the neutral squares, diamonds along added sashing/borders or just add extra sashings and borders before the last border. On one scrappy quilt you can see I just stitched a bunch of the scraps and then cut them to go along the top and bottom to lengthen the quilt. Anything to uses up the scraps. Sometimes I'll even add them to the backing if I have to piece it anyway.

Suz, all great examples!

Snooze2978 - those are all great looking!

When I lengthened a quilt for a friend I just added a row of pinwheels (what ever pattern you choose) to the top and bottom and it worked out well.