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QUILT SETTINGS

© Jeanne Walsh

There are many ways to lay out blocks for that perfect quilt. Most of us began our quilting journey laying out blocks horizontally, straight across and straight down. But there comes a time when this tried and true layout just doesn't work. What if there aren't enough blocks to complete the size you want? What if, in a block swap, some of the blocks are not the same size? Those and many more problems may have confronted you and some of those "what ifs" may still be on the shelf!

So you have an odd number of blocks, or maybe too few to be workable. Alternating a solid coordinating color or tiny print block between the pieced blocks will extend them. I did a green block swap and wanted to use them to make a coverlet for my tall husband's afternoon nap. To get the length needed, I had to have 2 more blocks and I didn't want to piece any more blocks! The swapped blocks were indeed "scrappy", therefore I used "scrappy" rotary cut strips to form blocks the size needed and filled in random areas to get the length wanted. With such a mix of patterns and colors, my "fillers" are hardly noticable and DH (dear husband) has his coverlet.

Quilt blocks that are not quite the same size will become useable by adding a border to each block. They can then all be cut back to the same size. The slight differences in the borders will hardly be noticeable on a large quilt*

More interesting layouts or settings result from turning asymmetrical blocks different ways. Entirely different patterns emerge when these blocks are turned.

Grouping a cluster of blocks in the center of your quilt can make an attractive medallion quilt. Surround the medallion with plain blocks and an inner border as featured in my June 2003 article Medallion Quilts Because of the use of large areas of marble ecru, I made a colorful border to tie the whole quilt together.

Blocks placed diagonally (on point) change the look of a familier pattern. Some blocks are made to stand on point. These quilts will need setting triangles to complete the rows. See Nov 1, 2001 article Taking the Mystery Out of Setting Triangles

Instead of using plain blocks to stand between pieced ones, pieced setting blocks may create another pattern as in my redwork "Kitties". This one used snowball blocks which created the squares at the corner of the redwork blocks.

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