quilt proportions
 

I've been messing with a "pita" quilt top for a while. I bought it at estate sale. It was not finished.

Meanwhile, I read an article about proportions. The magic number is supposed to be 1 to 1.6, I thought. My little top can't go any wider, as it's strip pieced. So, it's 44" wide and I can't change that. I can change the length, though and it needed it. (It was about square when I started changing it.) So, I used the 1:1.6 measurement to choose a length. It looks way too long for how wide it is. It's 44X70 without borders.

Did I misinterpret the meaning of the 1.6 proportion? Is that not the right number? Or, do I just not have a good sense of design?

I'm going to change it, right or wrong, as I don't like it. Not sure yet to what to change it to. But now, I'm curious about the "perfect proportion".

bkay

There is something called the "Golden Ratio" - which is approximately 1:1.6 - Which seems to be derived from the Fibonacci series.

There are a lot of articles on it, if you want to google it.

IMO, if it looks "right" to you - then that is what it should be.

Do you have a picture you can share?? IMHO it seems a bit narrow for an adult size quilt, a younger toddler/ child it may be perfect , I like to be completely wrapped in a quilt all around. Can you add a border???

I've never heard of this magic ratio; very interesting! I've always just made my quilts to a "look right" ratio:) But I agree 44"x70" does sound rather long.

I agree with you that 44x70 seems out of synch even if it does represent the perfect golden proportion rule. I go by visual clues and use individual blocks which I put together in 4x5, 5x7, 7x9 or 6x8 grid (depending on block size). It seems that the recommended quilt sizes are more of a 1:1.33 ratio.

A quilt is the right proportion when you like the size it is. Now, any QP wanna write me a ticket?

this is one of the reasons i love my EQ... i can spy the size before committing fabric

The golden ratio produces a rectangle that supposedly has pleasing proportions. Personally, I don't think that there is a "perfect" rectangle any more than there is a perfect flower or type of pen or colour to paint your house; personal taste and utility for the task matter.

The golden ratio produces quilts of weird sizes. They might be great rectangles, but they aren't great quilts, because a quilt has a purpose - covering a person or a bed, that often isn't in that ratio.

It's fine to use the golden ratio to determine dimensions of visual elements within the quilt, but it's a poor guide for overall size.

Edit: Sorry, I guess that first part was just my little rant. To answer your questions:

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Did I misinterpret the meaning of the 1.6 proportion? Is that not the right number? Or, do I just not have a good sense of design?

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I think you interpreted it as they intended; the writer was just wrong in this application. Good design is useful as well as beautiful, so you will need to use a different ratio for your quilt.

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I'm going to change it, right or wrong, as I don't like it. Not sure yet to what to change it to. But now, I'm curious about the "perfect proportion".

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Good call following your instincts and changing it. Remember when there used to be "perfect proportions" for a woman's body? They really didn't work for all women, though. If we only used rectangles with the "perfect proportion", the world would be a boring place. It's definitely not wrong to make your project actually work!

Yes, and how about all of the "standard" picture frame sizes we see? They certainly don't follow that 1 to 1.6 rule.

Maybe you could use it for a bedrunner or long table runner? You could put some blocks as a border on both ends so it would drop over a queen size.

Final size depends on - what it's for - how much fabric is available - and how it looks.

Ditto! EQ is great for that!

I've posted on this quilt top before. It's been a trial. I work on it and put it away, then get it out again. Like I said, I bought it in an estate sale in pieces. (1st and 2nd photo) I took apart the extra pieces into strips, so that I could attach those pieces to the main part. I had some fabric in my stash (also from estate sales) that would blend well enough to add a couple of extra strips.

I plan to add solid borders. I'm also going to audition a border of 1/2 size rectangles alternated with white with a white strip on both sides. If I don't do that, I will try a border of white with white eyelet lace on it. Otherwise, I'm doing red, white and blue borders, not necessarily in that order. (This quilt just screams white eyelet to me, but then it becomes totally feminine.)

I think it needs about a foot removed from the top or bottom or a combination thereof.

It's also not square, so I have to figure that out, too.

bkay

I think your plan to take a foot off the length sounds right. Visually I also like picture frame proportions, approximately.

What an adventure you've had. I agree that it does seem too long. After all that work you don't want to lose those rows so I would take them off the front to make the overall size more pleasing and use those left over pieces in your backing.

I hope you're making this for yourself to cuddle up with. After all the planning and work involved you deserve it.

I have Ginny Beyer's Golden Ratio ruler, she has good info about this on her website. It doesn't deal with the overall size of a quilt, but elements in the quilt, especially borders-which is what I use it for-helpful to me as it is quick and I'm not Math oriented, but the information is very helpful on it's own.

I agree, make it the size you want. :sew:

1: 1.6 is always going to come out long and skinny. I don't think it works for quilts. I just 'eyeball' mine and make them the size that feels right to me.

If you want to keep the length, maybe add a couple of borders on the sides, followed by one skinny solid one all the way around. Once you've done all that piecing, I hate to see you take anything off.

In your picture it looks 'square' enough. I wouldn't obsess with getting it perfectly square as long as it looks square to the eye.

Looks like a fantastic 4th of July picnic quilt. Good luck!

I agree with this statement. I did not know about a "perfect" proportion. I made a lap quilt that looked right "for me" and it mesures 46 x 62 but I don't feel it confortable when I use it. Therefore I am presently making one that is 46 x 76. And yes it will look kind of skinny but when I won't be using it, it will be folded in 2, and placed either on the back of the couch or folded and placed on the arm of the couch. It will then look "perfectly" proportioned loll
if not, it will certainly be more comfortable to use.

The magic ratio or Golden Mean is the relationship of the length to the width. Picture frames were mentioned by several people here. Think: 3 X 5, 4 X 6, 5 X 7, 10 X 14 etc. A neighbor made a quilt that was much longer than it should of been for its width. It sure looked funny to me. It was donated, so I hope some tall skinny person got it.Lol

I have been making quilts for 51 years. I've never heard of these terms. I make my quilts the size I want them to be.

The only time I have seen the Fibonacci formula mentioned regarding quilting is regarding borders.
Some believe in it as more than a rule of thumb, when it comes to borders.
However, I don't ... you have to do what is right for you!

As for quilt sizes ... what works for you, is what is right1
I often make my quilts square, especially bed-quilts.
It just seems to work ... for me!

I agree 44"x70" seems disproportionate. As a lap quilt, the length could work but a good snuggability width to go with the length, would need to be at least 50" IMHO. Though 40"x60", I could live with, if I wanted a more minimalist lap quilt.

It all comes down to what is "right" for you!
Always keep that in mind and you will never be disappointed.

Do your own thing! If you like it, that is all that matters.

This is what I mean about being "disproportionate". We just know it looks wrong.
The Golden Mean and Fibonacci are not the same, but perhaps are related.
The Fibonacci sequence has to do with numbers. You add the last two numbers, starting with zero. 0+1=1, add those last two numbers together: 1+1=2, 1+2=3, 2+3=5, 3+5=8, 5+8=13, 8+13=21, 13+21=34, etc.
We had a quilt made with pieces in those proportions at our last quilt show. It was put together like a log cabin. I forgot how high they went with that, but each large block (about 20 X 20), had this sequence in it.

I would gave gone for 44 x 60 or 44 x 62.....can you remove some of it to come up with the measurements that appeal to you?

I don't like quilts that are really long without the width too. My oldest son is 6'3" so when I make him a quilt, I make it very wide too, I just learned a lesson a long time ago about not being happy with long skinny quilts. My foible.

I like about 55" inches in length for a 45" width. That's close to a 1:1.25 ratio. 60" would be 1:33, which would be fine with me, too.

Whatever you take off the front would be really cool if incorporated into your backing.

it's your quilt, do as you like, if you cut a foot off, what will you do with it. is it enough to make a matching pillow?

Popover, I'm with you!

Being a crazy person, I think I would cut a 5 or 6 inch strip off the width of the quilt and insert 6 inches of a red gingham, or a solid 'reading' red or blue print between the strip you cut off the quilt and the rest of the quilt.

But I like my quilts longer and wide!

No matter what you do with this quilt, it will be fabulous. How do I know that? It already looks fabulous!!!

How do you intend to use this quilt? I generally make quilts 1:1.3 but mattresses keep getting thicker and you have to accommodate that in today's measurements. Beds use to be much narrower. I just measure whatever bed I want to fit or a wall space if I am making a wall hanging. It's your thing so do what you want to do.