girlygirlforme

I am making a 4PP with fabric that has a 11 1/2 " repeat. I want to make a queen size that drapes like a bedspread (approx 102 x 116). If I cut the blocks 4 1/2" I have alot of waste. How do you determine the block size in the 4PP quilts that you have made to eliminate wasted fabric? I plan on an inner border and outer border with cornerstones and border. I will have to calculate how many blocks I need but believe I have plenty of the focus fabric. Thanks for any helpful suggestions.

dunster

You don't have waste at 4 1/2". You cut your fabric into lengths that are longer than the repeat, some length that is a multiple of the repeat but is easy enough for you to handle and stack. For example, with a 12 inch repeat you might cut your fabric into lengths of 36", always cutting on the same spot in the repeat. With your 11.5" repeat, you could cut 34.5" lengths. Then you will be able to get about 7 squares across the fabric, using up 31.5" of the 34.5" width.

You may also want to cut your fabric down the center, parallel to the WOF, so you don't have such a big piece to manage at once. If you do that, you will have a measurement in the other direction of about 20", which will get you 4 squares. This isn't a waste of fabric, since the full 40" would only give 8 squares.

Altogether, if you're working with fabric that has been cut 20" x 31.5", you will get 7x4=28 squares (4.5" each) out of each stack. Out of about 4 yards of fabric (a little less) you will get 56 squares.

krafty14

Why not cut 5.5 inch squares? You will end up with a 10 inch finished block.

girlygirlforme

I hadn't seen any with a 10 inch block and was worried that it may not display the pattern (posy) as well if the block was larger.

bearisgray

some prints are better than others for kaleidoscope type blocks.

Geri B

Whether it looks good or not is determined by the print, not size of block....when doing a stack n whack type I always work with half of the wof....so much easier to keep in line......

Kassaundra

If you have any concerns about the fabric print or size of your desired square, just make a paper window the size of the square you are considering cutting (in this case 5 inches) and place 2 mirrors at right angles along the edge of the paper window and see if you like the look.

girlygirlforme

Thank you so much for your help. I will try that trick with the mirrors.

dunster

I think that since your repeat is small, you will probably get more variety in your blocks if you go with the smaller block size that you started with. In my experience, large blocks start to lose their mirror image quality in a 4-patch.

You also get more variety if the repeat is NOT a multiple of the cutting size. For variety, you need each new cut to occur at a different spot in the repeat. For example, assume that one spot in the repeat is where a red flower's stem just touches the flower. If you always cut through that point as you're working your way across the fabric stack, then all those blocks will be identical. Generally that is not what you want in a kaleidoscope design.

Kassaundra

If you chose to do the 4.5 cuts w/ the "waste" just take the "waste" while it is still stacked and organized and sub cut that in squares and make smaller kalideoscopes for the border or another project, no waste there.