Another Bone-headed Newbie Question

Well you can use 13 blocks if you really want to. One in the centre with border(s) on all sides totallyng half the finished size of your blocks and the 12 remaining blocks will fit around you central one - like a medallion quilt.

Or arrange the blocks in rows of 4 blocks, 5 blocks, 4 blocks - maybe on point if the block designs suit.

But if you want to add it to the backing, the easiest way would be to turn under your seam allowance and applique it in place (by machine or by hand). If it has a light coloured background or pieces you can use it as the label. If you add the block to the backing before quilting, it will be quilted through. I like to have my larger labels quilted through as it keeps them firmly attached to the quilt, but not everyone feels this way.

It's a bit hard to be specific without a little more info. How big are the blocks? Are they all pieced? How big-a quilt do you want to finish with?

BTW - the question is not bone-headed. 13 is an odd number to have to incorporate into a quilt.

Good luck whatever you decide. Hope we will see pictures.

Choose a block with a nice blank bit in the middle rather than a lot of seams meeting, get your name and the date on it (embroidered is nice), and appliqué it to the backing fabric, or add it in to a pieced back. Where is entirely up to you! :)

In Sharyn Craig's books, 'Setting Solutions' and 'Great Sets' she has pictures of quilts which use 13 blocks. They are set On Point, and arranged: (hope this works and the spacings come out OK!)

Imagine my Christmas Tree Quilt at the end of my RCTQ BOM Album, but with 3, then 2 across. She has one I particularly like which has a narrowish sashing with stars at the intersections.

I find Sharyn Craig's books are wonderful for those of use who like making the blocks and think, Now What! She also tells you how to do the stars at the intersections!

I usually put my labels in the lower left corner (FYI most quilt shows want labels there too) and I usually c*ck them off to one side so they are on purpose crooked. If I put it straight and it shifted a little during applique it would look crooked. By cocking them to one side a bit myself anyone looking at it would know I did it on purpose.

Melissa > Bless your patient little hearts, it's me again.

OK, when you say "lower left corner" is that left as seen from the front or the back of the quilt, please? I put mine in the lower left corner as seen from the front, but I have no idea if this is the show required corner :-)

I attach my labels before the binding, catching two sides of the label in the binding. But then my labels are rectangular ones - this obviously would never work with some fancy shape.

Hanne > I usually put my labels in the lower left corner (FYI most quilt shows

I put it left as seen from the back. I guess that's a product also of reading from left to right. Seems weird to me to have it be on the other side...at least how this brain works!!!

Melissa > OK, when you say "lower left corner" is that left as seen from the front

If you want all the blocks on the front, you could set them on point. 5 rows of 3-2-3-2-3. Setting triangles to fill in the triangle-shaped gaps along the sides. (Cut these larger than you think you need, and cut them as quarter-squares so the long edge of the triangle is on the straight grain.)

Well done on finishing all the blocks! Roberta in D

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Thanks, everyone. I had never thought of arranging all 13 blocks that way. The blocks are 12.5 inch square. First I thought I'd just omit one and make a pillow or something with it. Then I loved them all and it was impossible to decide which one to leave out. Kind of like deciding which of your children to give away. (OK, that's a little dramatic). Eleanor Burns' book was really fun; this is my fourth quilt; mostly I just did easy ones like "Just Can't Cut It'' and "Turning Twenty". (But I sure managed to accumulate a lot of tools from using that Egg Money book) Thanks again Sherry

OK, I only ever thought about this once (until now), then just did it like last time :-)

I think I went "if it is hanging or lying, then flip the lower left corner to read the label" - this fits with your comment on reading from left to right, except I didn't assume that anyone would be looking at the quilt back up :-)

I'm also lefthanded, maybe that plays in? I do read left to right, though.

Hanne in London

Melissa > I put it left as seen from the back. I guess that's a product also of

For what its worth I don't think this is a boneheaded question.... I've never heard/seen that either. Looking forward to the replies.

Marie