I know this is silly, but here goes...If I have a pattern that says it is a 10" finished block and I want to make it a 12" finished block could I just add 2" to EVERY measurement in the pattern? Would that make it come out to a 12" block? If it says an 8" block I would just add 4" to all measurements right?
This sounds logical to me but I want to hear from the experts before I mess up a bunch of fabric and waste a lot of time. Thanks.

it rather depends on the type of block. which kind are you trying to make?

No. You are forgetting the seam allowances as you are talking about finished sizes.

Also, were you just planning on putting a border around each block? Or increasing each of the elements in the block to make the whole block larger?

If you want to add a border around each block to increase the FINISHED size from 10" to 12" then you need to add a 1.5" strip around each side.

10" + 1.5" + 1/5" less seam allowences (4 of them 2 each side of the 10" where joined to the strip and 1 each end of the strip to "finish" ) = 12" block

If you want to increase the size of each element within the block to make the whole block bigger then you need to work out the math for each individual element. If it's a 4 patch you can probably do this simply (because 4 is divisible by 2), but if it is a 3 or a 5 patch ... you will be working in other fractions.

What block are you trying to increase?

You need to add 2" to block, not all measurements. Not to every piece of block. Some will lend themselves easily to different sizes, some will need really odd sizes of the pieces to do it.

That won't work. A ten inch block won't easily translate into a 12" finished block without some strange measurements. It's much easier to change a 6" finished block to a 12" block because six evenly divides into 12 and 10 doesn't. It's also about how many pieces are in the block. Just adding 2" on each piece won't work as you need to allow for seam allowances. It's more complicated than you would first think.

It's not silly, but I'm afraid it won't work. Let's say you had a 10" finished block made up of 5 squares across and 5 squares down. Each square would be 2" finished. If you added 2" to every measurement in the pattern, your squares would finish 4". That would give you a 20" block!

If you want to increase from 10" to 12", you need to increase each piece by 20% (12-10=2; 2 divided by 10=.20 or 20%). So your 2" square would now be 2.4". Add a .5" seam allowance all around, and you would cut your squares 2.9".

If you want to increase 8" to 12", you need to increase each piece by 50%, so a 2" square in the 8" block would finish 3" in a 12" block.

That's probably as clear as mud!

Thank you all so much I'm sure glad I ask first. I didn't take into consideration everything that was involved. The block I was asking about is called diamond candy. It's a 10" block, I guess maybe adding the 2" borders will be my option for this block.

Thanks again everyone you sure saved me a lot of time and headaches.

There's really no clear answer, until we know what block you are doing .... parts of each may be correct, or wrong!! :)

Some 10" blocks may translate easy enough into a 12" ... while some would be horrendous, with almost impossible to cut measurements.

So, please do share what block pattern ... and I bet help will be on its way to you from many posters here! :)

Sorry ... I am not familiar with that pattern, and the name has me intrigued! Could you please post a picture or a link to the pattern?

It's in Quilter's World magazine February 2010 issue. Quilters-World.com Diamond Candy is the name of the quilt

The other block is called the double pinwheel it is 10" also. It is in Quilt magazine Dec/Jan 2012 issue

Don't forget the seam allowances when you add.

Also ... if your end result is that you want a larger finished quilt there are a few other options rather than adding a border around each block.

Add more blocks to the whole pattern, then add borders as needed.

Add sashing to the blocks (kind of like adding a border to each block but instead of doing it to all 4 sides of each block, you add to one side of each block - sew the blocks in columns or rows, then add a sashing border in between each column/row)

Look for tutes on sashing.

Diamond Candy seems to be a Jewel Box variant. I think you can adapt it to 12" blocks by playing with sashing ideas. There are too many different blocks named Double Pinwheel and I don't have the magazine so I'm not sure which version it uses. Can you upload pictures of each block and I will see what I can come up with? The math may not be odd numbers--it may be just a matter of turning 1/4 inch into 3/4. It depends on the number of rows in each block as well as the shapes. Paper piecing can solve the odd measurement problem on some blocks also.

use this and make a copy from your printer to the 12 inch measurement you need.
http://www.thequiltedsnail.com/scale.html

I'm sorry I cannot upload a picture, I have dial-up internet and it takes way to long. Thanks for your willingness to help me thought.

I'll have to try to run to Joann's & flip through a copy to see which version. I'll bookmark this thread and come back to it if I find a way to increase the blocks easily. Without seeing the patterns--paperpiecing is the only way I know for sure it will work without having to cut the fabric for funky measurements. I've got a 20% off total purchase coupon burning a hole in my purse--LOL. Lord knows I don't need any more fabric but I'm sure some will fall into my cart.

Don't forget the 1/4 inch seam .

http://www.e-patternscentral.com/det...e&code=EQ00254

Is that the quilt?

Yes that is it, thank you.

and it also depends on how many patches are in the block and how they are set

Is this the pattern?

Math makes my head spin...I'm going to sit back and read LOL

That is a beautiful quilt. I would love to make one using just blue and white fabric.

This is a 5x5 block - each section is undoubtedly 2" finished. If you make each section 2-1/2" finished you will end up with a 12-1/2" block. It's easier to cut the strips 3" and end up with a 12-1/2" finished block than to try to make a 12" block.

Whew! I'm glad that one is over. When I change the size of a pattern for a larger block, I just lay the 10 inch block piece on a piece of white paper and increase 1/2 inch around then redraw piece. Makes sense to me. A 10 inch block with 1/4 seam allowance + 10.5 add 2 inches to that and you get a pattern piece of 12.5 inches. Easier than all that figuring our.

Yes ksea that's the pattern. The other one is the double pinwheel in Quilt magazine Dec/Jan 2012 issue The quilt is called Sibling Rivalry and it uses the double pinwheel block, in the mag it is for a 10" block, I need a 12" finished size.
Thanks again everyone for all your help.

Do you want a bigger block so that you can get to a specific size quilt? If so, could you add another row of 10" blocks to the side and bottom? Or, if it's a design that would look lopsided if you did that (which I think Diamond Candy would), could you add a half-block along each side?

I use this alot :thumbup: :thumbup:

This is what I would do. Just remember to add 1/2" to every measurement in the cutting stage of your pattern.

thanks for the link

As asked by others .... why are you so wanting a 12" instead of a 10" block?
Also, as suggested by others ... if it's because you want a larger quilt, you don't have to change the block size to accomplish that.

Perhaps there is something that we are missing on this?

Couldn't you just redraw the block onto a 12x12" square? Divide it up by the number of pieces in the same ratio they are in the 10" block. That's the only way I would be able to figure it out.

I was thinking of making a sampler quilt and really liked both of these blocks when I saw them in the magazines, they are both 10" blocks and I have to go by a pattern I can't make my own so I thought there might be an easy way to enlarge the blocks, boy was I wrong. I just wanted to make all my block 12" now I'm thinking I 'll just leave these 2 out or just find more 10" blocks to make the quilt.

since you are adding them into a sampler quilt with other 12 inch blocks I would just add a border around each - that's the easiest way. The Diamond Candy quilt really needs both blocks (the one with the star in the middle AND the multi-block one) in order for the pattern to show up. If you use only one of them in a sampler they lose their secondary design. Just say'in.

WHEW, i'm glad i'm not a smart quilter....
cuz i'm really confused now......

How do you turn the % into inches?


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great link, I always try printing and printing again untill I have the right size.....I think I will save a lot of paper and ink now

;-)

Remember that when u add a piece of fabric, you have to count two 1/4 inch measures, to account for the quarter inch from both pieces that are taken up in your 1/4 inch seam.
Then u can add the amount u want the block to be, (i.e.1/2 of the total enlargement if u are using a block with two parallel sides. If u add 1 1/2 inch to two sides of a block, the measurement of that block will be 2 inches wider. (The 1/2 inch is used to make the seam--it makes the original block 1/4 inch smaller because u used it in a seam, and 1/4 of the added piece is also used in the seam.) Hope this helps.

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To turn a 10" block into a 12" block the chart shows to enlarge the pattern 120%. 10 x 1.20 = 12 so you would have to enlarge each template or measurement for each piece in a 10" block by 120% before seam allowances.

The Diamond Candy quilt mentioned relies on 4 basic 10" blocks to create a 20" block and it has sashing on the horizontal rows or so it appeared to me.

Hubby decided to go with me to Joann's which had me all confused so I didn't get a chance to look at the Double Pinwheel block you also mentioned. Here are some links to different blocks all called double pinwheel which is easily converted to almost any size since it is a 4 patch type block:
http://quilting.about.com/od/blockof...e_pinwheel.htm

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/do...uilt-block.htm

The next one is the same as the last one only it "spins" the opposite direction: http://www.quilt-lovers-guide.com/do...ilt-block.html

http://www.mccallsquilting.com/qb/mc...101/index.html

My version of BlockBase has 3 more versions of the block--pictures attached below.

Oh, and you mentioned you were making a sampler which is how I taught myself to quilt. Quilter's Cache is probably one of the best sites on the web to find blocks by size. Here is the link to all the 12" blocks. http://www.quilterscache.com/BlocksbySizeC.html


If you really like the 10" versions though and don't want to do the math to enlarge them--by all means feel free to add a one inch border to the pattern you have. It's a sampler so it won't matter. They're all supposed to be different.