need help with quilt layout

Hi... Um... Lady, I guess...

This might be a process requiring more information - hard to tell at this point. Are these blocks the basic 4 & 9 patch (exactly 4 square patches & 9 square patches) or are they fancier designs involving more pieces, triangles, strips, etc.? And do you have enough of the leftover fabric to make at least 2 more 9-patch squares? Here's why:

You have a total of 34 six-inch squares, which doesn't divide evenly into a single rectangle (except for a strip 2 x 17 squares) so the most efficient (smallest perimeter) quilt top you could make would be

30 squares (30"+ x 36"+). If you had 36 squares, you could make a 36"+ x 36"+ top (the "+"s being the borders).

While you're figuring that out, I'll play with some layouts using basic 4 & 9 patch using all 36 squares (thinking positively).

Oh, the puzzle... THE PUZZLE...

Oh yeah... and do you have any fabric you could use to fill in if you went with an offset block or on-point layout?

Now that I've played around for a bit, I guess it would also be helpful to have a rough idea of the colors involved. Is there any way you could upload a picture or scan of one of each of the squares?

Sorry for all the addenda - I'm a bit new at doing it this way - don't even know what I don't know yet (but my wife/quiltmaker has me do this kind of thing all the time - *she* says I have a talent for it...)

On Apr 20, 8:12=A0pm, snipped-for-privacy@rochester.rr.com wrote: These blocks are basic. I do not have enough fabric leftover for 2 more blocks or enough to use for setting triangles for an on-point layout. I only have leftover green stripe and could make 2 6" plain old one-patches with enough leftover for a thin border. The 9 patches are green stripe/pink florals made from 5 green squares, 4 pink squares. The 4-patches are a different, darker flora and a solid pink. I was trying to somehow make a chain effect on paper and filled up my waste basket in the effort. So I checked in to RCTQ for help. These were given to me as extras. I had no choice in fabric or number of blocks but they are nice and I'd like to use them together . . . if mathematically possible. I was actually thinking 5 x 7 blocks, with a plain one in the middle, bit I couldn't make the chains works. Maybe I should stop thinking about chains . . . .

Thanks, that actually helps a lot. No promises, but I'll play around with it and see what I can do.

You are either going to have to add fabric or discard some blocks.

If you want to chain them against a background you could do that, but it still won't come out evenly in a square or rectangle.

I would look at doing a pattern in a pattern. Sort out what shape you can make with the blocks you have that is pleaseing to your eye, and then fill in around or inside them with other blocks or background fabric. Or you could just match the colors in the blocks you have as closely as you can, and then make up enough to to do the chain you had in mind. If you mix up the old and new blocks it will appear to be a scrappy color planned quilt.

NightMist

Because 4-patch and 9-patch do not go together readily, how about this for an idea:

If you use 30 blocks, you could make a 5 x 6 layout. You could use the remaining four on the back.

If you use one 'suitable' contrasting or co-ordinating block in the centre, you could make a 5 x 7 layout. (You could piece this in, for example, quarter square triangles, or strips if you only have small amounts of fabric, to emphasis the difference, if you wanted to).

However, I would not try to make a pattern - tempting as it is. I would make a row by row quilt:

Top row - five of the 4-patches

1.5" (or so) sashing then five or six rows of the 9-patches, separated by the same sashing. The centre block of the centre row, in the 5 x 7 layout, could be your single unmatching block.

A simple 3" border around the whole lot, and there you are.

It is difficult to step away and look at things differently, when you have been considering this sort of thing for any length of time!

Hope it works out. . In message , " snipped-for-privacy@aol.com" writes

Lowest row, the rest of the 4-patches. Sorry! . In message , Patti writes

This looks really pretty Pat. I did it in EQ6 and put a pieced block from the 'Library' (Mosaic No 4) as the central one using the colours of the 9 patch. (It is a sort of crisscross design block), Came out as 7 rows altogether with the top and bottom using the 9 patch.

The finished size was 36" x 56.75.

In fact its so pretty I might even do one myself!

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Patti wrote:

Clever you!! I doubt I would get away from the computer at all, if I had EQ6 to play with!! I *have* to steer clear of such devices >g<

Thanks for trying it out. I have a row by row quilt and it looks really nice; the blocks for each row are different on mine, but there is no need for that.

Yes, splitting the 9-patches with the 4-patch rows would have been a better idea. Thanks for that - I was in a bit of a rush. . In message , Sally Swindells writes

Wow, you folks are fast! I had to catch a few hours of sleep, so I'm just getting going. (((Patti))), I did find a pattern idea in a 5 x 7 layout that may have some merit. Use the blank center block as you described, then make a cross using the 10 nine-patches, and fill in the quarters with the 4-patches. This gives some leeway in making patterns in those "corners".

(((WholeyLady))), I can make a jpg out of the EQ6 design. Would it be alright to e-mail it to you at AOL?

Doc Smith

Ah well, not really fast as I am up many hours before you (across the pond!). I obviously pounced on it too quickly, though, as I got the

9-patches and the 4-patches numerically the wrong way round! . In message , snipped-for-privacy@rochester.rr.com writes

I do have EQ6, but I am far from adept at it. Here's what occurs to me upon reading the description of your blocks.

#1 Medallion style. Center: 9 9-patch blocks. Surround the medallion by the 4-patch blocks (that would use 16 of them). If you use 6" borders, 4 of the 4-patches can go in the corners. That leaves 1 9-patch and 7 4-patch blocks which could be pieced into the back.

#2 Set the blocks on point. Alternate rows: 1, 3, 5, 7 have 4 4- patches; 2, 4, 6 have 3 9-patches. That uses 16 4-patches and 9 9- patches. To be artistic you can add a pre-row-1 of 3 4-patches and a post-row-7 of 3 4-patches. That uses a total of 22 4-patches and 9 9-patches.

In either #1 or #2, to make them 'blend' a little better you could sash the blocks -- perhaps one color for the 4's and one color for the

6's.

Sharyn Craig wrote "Setting Solutions" with great ideas for ways to set blocks. You can borrow the book from the library.

Nann

Pat in the house on the hill on the isle across the pond... isn't that a kids' song? :-)

Thank you all so much! I have used all of your block arrangements on my design wall and it is clear I am going to have to make 2 or 3 more quilts, NOW, I don't have enough blocks to use all the suggestions ;- ( I guess that is why we have stash . . . .

yes, please: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com with 'quilt' in the subject to avoid spam filters i visit this group from time to time when i need advice and i have some gorgeous quilts based on the visions of the quilters here. thank you all! w

Back from meeting (where I won a beautiful flower arrangement in the raffle) and have managed to put it into my Webshots album. The plain pink does not show up as pink very well, but still you can get the general idea, and of course I had to guess the tones of the other fabrics.

Is this what you meant Pat?

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Sally Sw> This looks really pretty Pat. I did it in EQ6 and put a pieced block

Wow! My first thought was that it would be difficult to put 9-patches and 4-patches together, but that just shows how "stuck" I can get on something. The suggestions you've had here are just wonderful, and the visual of Pat's idea done by Sally really makes a great quilt! I do hope you're going to show us what you come up with, once you've decided on a final setting. :)