Need help with sizing squares
 

First I want to say thank you all for always helping me when I need it and giving me encouragement on my finished quilts. I love this site. I will see if I can explain what I'm trying to do.

I have a panel that is 32 3/4 wide by 47 1/2 long and I would like to use at least 5 in or 6in squares around it as a border (I will be embroidering in the squares) . what would i have to do for this to work. As I've said before math was not my best subject.
I know i have seen on here how to do the math but I can't seem to find it with the search button. So I would greatly appreciate any help on this. Thank you all so much.
God Bless
Loretta

Is 32 3/4 wide by 47 1/2 the finished size or the raw size?

I would think it would be called raw.

Charm Packs come in 5 inch squares. A Moda solid color would best show embroidery ( if by hand) macine embroidering would need larger blocks then trimmed to size.

Hi Loretta. Your panel will not lend itself to full 5" or 6" blocks evenly. If you take out the seam allowances a 5" block finishes 4.5". The 32 3/4 side would need 7 whole blocks plus 1 block that is 1 1/4 wide. After you add that your 47 1/2 sides are now 57" long. To cover that you need 12 full blocks plus one that's 3" wide. Double check my I math but I think this will border your panel.

Darren

Unfortunately, I am not the quilter you are looking for.

If i were doing it - i would first add borders to the panel to make it 35 1/2 x 50 1/2. You could use your 6" squares...cut down to 5 1/2 each....for a 7 squares x 10 squares + 4 corner squares. Or....make it 36 1/2 x 52 1/2 ....then use your 5" squares cut down to 4 1/2".....for 9 squares x 13 squares + 4 corner squares. If you use some graph paper it will be easier to see.....i'm old school...don't have the computer program to do this. Hope this helps.

[QUOTE=PenniF] If i were doing it - i would first add borders to the panel to make it 35 1/2 x 50 1/2. You could use your 6" squares...cut down to 5 1/2 each....for a 7 squares x 10 squares + 4 corner squares.


My thoughts as well

If it were me, I would cut the charms in half and make a piano key border. Those dimension are not easily divisible by any number so once you have the length that will be over, slowly take in an 1/8" in each seam until you achieve the correct length.

Loretta, I agree with bordering it out to 35-1/2 & 50-1/2. Then it is divisible by 5 inches along both length and width. You will need to cut your squares 5-1/2". It will take 10 on the long sides and 7 on the short sides, so 10+10+7+7+ the 4 corner squares for a total of 38 and it will be perfectly bordered with your squares. Happy embroidering!

I first thought that all the squares had to be the same size - but one could put a couple of rectangles here and there to make it come out to a workable length.

Some of the embroidered designs might even look better in a rectangle??

thank you all so much for the help. I've done what Pennif said and it came out very well. I have to re-do the last border it was 1/4 inch to wide and not paying attention I CUT 1/4 inch on both sides instead of an 1/8 inch on each side. But my little brain hurts ;) so I will stop for today and rip (I'm a professional at that) start sewing again tomorrow. will post a pick when finished with piecing.
Thank you all again
Have very Blessed evening
God Bless Loretta.

I agree with putting a solid border around your panel making it the size you would need to do your squares. What Quiltmouse described.

You could possibly add a thin border to the panel to get the exact size for you're 5" squares.

the easiest way to do an odd size panel is to either trim it to fit the 5" or 6" squares - or - make your squares, lay them out on top and sides. Place a 'special' print/embroidered square in the corner and see how big a strip you need to fill it out. Then add a very special piece of fabric (something that either ties in all the colors or the theme) to each side of each corner piece. This will probably be between a 1/2" to 1" strips. I would use this same fabric as my binding. It will all tie together. (Also, depending on your panel and the fabrics involved, you might even add a strip halfway down the side to plump it up.)The only other way is very math heavy and if you are math challenged, this could become very frustrating. good luck.

I think I would set my block size (say 5 inches) and I would line them up from the center out, dispersing evenly to see what kind of sashing you need between them.