We’re celebrating the last few days of our National Sewing Month Blog Series, and today we’ve got a special post on quilting for all of our quilters out there! Our friend Deanna from WeddingDressBlue is here to tell you how to easily adjust a quilt pattern to fit your needs. With her simple tips and formulas, you can make any block quilt any size you need. Whether you want to scale down a bed quilt or supersize a baby quilt, you’ll be able to figure out how! She also shares secrets about how to adjust a quilt block for smaller pieces of fabric, so you can use your stash efficiently.
Remember, if you’re looking to score our huge mystery prize, leave a comment at the bottom of this post and every post with National Sewing Month 2012 in the headline. You’ll be automatically entered to win. We’re picking a winner this Saturday so stay tuned!
Now let’s hear from Deanna!
How often do you see a quilt and say, “I love it, BUT…it’s a twin, and I need a baby quilt” or “it’s a baby quilt, and I have a queen-sized bed.” Well, there is a solution to that—it just takes a little math and the quilt can be yours.
This is Deanna from WeddingDressBlue here to share a little very non-scary quilters’ math to show you how to make that great quilt idea a perfect quilt idea.
The Hundred Patch Charm Quilt you may have seen on FaveQuilts is a great example. Here is the original pattern:
It finished at 75 x 99″.
But what if I want a couch quilt, like Cindy did?
Or what if I have a lot of 2-1/2” squares and the pattern calls for 2”? Do I really have to recut all those squares? NO! Birgit didn’t; she just changed up the pattern a bit.
Or, what if I, the original designer of the quilt, decide that I really need a queen size quilt? Can I do that? YES!
First of all, you need to know what size quilt you want to make. My favorite reference for quilt sizes is this chart.
Some patterns are written for multiple sizes, and that is a big help. If your pattern isn’t, you can arm yourself with a little information and make the changes yourself. You need to decide what you plan to change. If it is overall size, you will just add or subtract blocks from the pattern. Most patterns have the block size included and will say something like “Block Size: 12″ finished.” This means you can change the size 12 inches at a time by adding or subtracting blocks from the original pattern. That is what I did in the Hundred Patch modification above: I added four blocks to create a wider quilt. The finished size of the larger Hundred Patch is 99” x 99”.
The slightly more complex change is a change in the size of the pieces or components in the quilt. When Lillian changed from 2” to 1-1/2” starting squares, she used the quilters’ rule: “subtract ¼” all the way around.” Because quilters use a ¼” seam allowance standard, you can figure the finished size of any square or rectangle by subtracting the seam allowances from the size of the cut piece. So 1-1/2” squares will finish at 1”. How many of those squares do you have? That is how many inches across the quilt will be.
You can check this math with other size squares. Do you have 2-1/2” squares? They finish at 2”. Do you have 2” squares? Yep, 1-1/2”.
So, next time you face an almost-perfect quilt pattern, be brave and change things up a bit to make it your own.
Do you have any tips for personalizing a quilt? Share them below, or leave a comment to enter the giveaway!
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Great article! Thank you for the quilt size chart.
Not much of a quilter, but like to look at patterns. Works of art.
Wow those are beautiful. I plan on making my first quilt this winter… Kind of excited but yet a wee bit intimidated at the same time, but when I see these blog posts, tips and comments it inspires and encourages me! Thank you! 😉
Beautiful…… And the quilt size chart is great. I just wish I could “Pin It”
Fabulous quilts. The size chart is nice. I hand embroider my first and last initials in shorthand letters. Thank you for all the information.
I love crafting and these sites really make it so much easier. Thanks.
Enjoy! I am glad to share my quilts with you.
This is so helpful! Thank you:)
Great tips! Easy to follow! I love that!
Thank you so much for this article! I have been looking for the right scrap quilt pattern for over 2 years–this one is EXACTLY what I need. I absolutely love it! Great article!
Very helpful. Many of my charity quilts require a certain size and this allows me to create a nice variety of patterns. Thank you !
Great article. I will have to save this article in my quilting book.
I like pixel quilts because you can make alot of different characters. I’m making a batman quilt for my husband.
I like to choose different fabric colors than those shown with the quilt pattern. I also might change the sashing or the number of borders that are shown. Thanks for the chart, it is very helpful.
I love playing with quilt sizes. I mostly make over sized lap quilts, but have made a couple of queens. The quilt bug has sunk its teeth in rather deep!
I am a beginner quilter, i have a sewing machine that monograms small so, i put a tag on the back side of binding, like the ones you see on clothing for washing.and put to who it goes to and the year i made it.
Love this idea and the link to quilt size chart.
Thanks for sharing!
Great tips….bookmarking this for future reference!
Great tips. I love your patterns and tutorials. Thanks to fave crafts blog for bringing you over here!
I’m not sure if I have ever followed a quilt pattern as the designer intended. I always do at least some minor tweaking of my own.
Thanks for the size chart,I make a lot of scrapbook covers so need to make patterns smaller to fit.I often change patterns to suit my colour. My daughter-in-law has asked me to make a picnic blanket can anyone tell me what size it should be?
thank you so much! this articla is really smart, by the fact that I need to adjust the american sizes to european (inches to centimeters) and definitely this helps sme a lot!!!
Very nice quilt thank you for the information!
Thank you! Wonderful information. That quilt is great too
Great tips – I don’t think I have anything to add.
Thank you, my next project is a quilt and this will be so helpful.
I love the way you adapted to the fabrics you already had. I will attempt to do this myself in the future!
Great information –thanks!
great information, easy to understand
I love the combination of quilt making and mathematics.
Thanks for the great tips and the giveaway. I like to sign my quilts with my name, the recipients name and the occasion and date.
Thank you for the helpful instructions. I especially love the colors!!!
I am new to quilting. I love this pattern and maybe one day I can try it.
Beautiful quilts. Thank you for the information on a very scary subject! We all have needed to do this and you make it sound simple. Thank you!
I have a king-size bed for my 6’7″ husband. Not many quilts come sized for big beds. Thanks for the information.
I LOVE the info but would like to see the quilt zoomed in and read the info however, and maybe I’m just not yet educated enough, but that bar of social shortcuts is constantly getting in the way. I tried ‘liking’ hoping that would make it disappear but to no avail. IS there a way to move it out of my vision?
Thank you in advance!
Frustrated Pkae 🙁