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A friend bought material for me to make a quilt for her little red-haired boy. I had already cut out the main picture blocks to set together with other cloth that was not so garish (possibly light blue batik to represent sky and clouds).

The blocks are bordered by yellow print which originally was printed like sashing between them. I just cut the sashing in half to cut out each block. You can easily see that in the attached picture. The problem is that the blocks are not square! Inside the yellow "sashing" border, the picture is exactly 7" wide, but not quite 7" high. That means I have to add about a 1/4" of yellow or something to the bottom to make them square. I have plain yellow about the same intensity that could be used for that.

Now, do I want to have a 7" finished block or do I want to make the block 9" (using a one inch yellow border all around--being slightly bigger on the bottom)? It might be easier to hide the extra yellow that is needed to make it square if I do it that way. Is a yellow border too garish to pair up with the light blue alternate blocks? Should I put a pieced block between--something like pinwheels or a block within a block. Pinwheels could serve as windmills maybe?

There are enough of these blocks to make a top for a twin bed if I use the other prints for a border. My friend also bought enough of one type of print to make a back, so what is your suggestion? I should have taken a photo of the other prints, but they are all just tractors of varying sizes--some a little less yellow and green than these, but all have an up and down directional print--posing quite a challenge to include them.

It is really hard to get inspired about a quilt that is more or less pre-fabricated and that has such loud colors, but my DH says it is definitely a boy's quilt.

Wonderful, great job and thanks for sharing
Have a Blessed day
Ellen

I wouldn't look at this color yellow as garish but as bright and cheerful, appropriate for a young boy. Are you saying the other tractor prints that are in a directional print are for the backing, or are they for other blocks? If the other tractor prints aren't for the other blocks, then I would suggest you make the other blocks something a boy would be interested in: animal prints, sport prints, other vehicles. What boy would be interested in a pinwheel block? Think about when the boy is sick in bed, what will he like looking at on this quilt? When he is laying on his quilt daydreaming, what will he see in different areas on his quilt? It should be more than a bed covering when it is for a young boy.

Any little boy would love to have this quilt. You did a good job, and thanks for sharing.

the quilt looks great

nice work i like it.

How about a simple 4 patch in between these tractor blocks? That would make it easier to use a directional print. Maybe use one of the tractor prints with something more solid.

I have had this happen a few times with panels. The first time it happened I wound up using the small quilt as a dog blanket.

After that, I used a DARK-colored 0.5"-1" frame around each block and trimmed each block to the same size as the alternate block. I think a black would be good for your 'frames'. The dark color will help disguise the slight variances in width.

This prevents trying to 'make-it-fit'. (Don't you wish quitl blocks had a 'make-it-fit' button!!)

I made one with the same John deer blocks with them i add a farm print. When it was finished it looked very nice.Wish i had taken a picture. I also did not leave on the yellow border around the block.Between the blocks I put a black print with chicken wire on it.