Quilt Size/Borders

[Longstocking]

I am designing an ABC I-Spy quilt. I need it to fit a twin size bed. My blocks are 14", I have 26 of them since each one is an alphabet letter (they are done in a 9-patch style) I am stumped how to assemble these blocks for the optimal size. A twin mattress is 39X76 plus I want overhang so I figure 70X90 would be a good finished size (too big?). I realize I will have to make a few extra random blocks to make things even. If I put my quilt together 4 across and 7 down it would be 46 1/2"X89" The length is perfect but I would need to add about 10-12" borders on each long side to make it wide enough. Would that look weird? Or if I do 5 across and 6 down (letter Z would be by itself on the final row. Not sure how to make that look not weird) The quilt would be 78"X65" A bit too wide and I would have to add 10"-12" to top and bottom. Every way I try to figure this out it doesn't quite work. Brain is hurting. I have worked through half a notebook of grid paper. Drawing and redrawing ideas. Any thoughts, ideas? Help! I am making this way harder than I should be - lol.

[Longstocking]

Re: Quilt Size/Borders

Coming back to say I'm rethinking how big I am trying to make this. It needs to fit a twin size mattress on a bunk bed so there's no box spring and not a deep mattress. So 60X80 should be plenty big, right? Just go with the 46X89 quilt size and only add 4"-5" border on each long size then maybe a 1"-2" border top and bottom so it looks consistent? It's already too long so would it be okay to only have a border on the two sides? LOL - I am way overthinking this. My brain needs a lunch break.

[cjsews]

Re: Quilt Size/Borders

Yep. I would go with wider side borders and a narrow or no top and bottom border. I have done this myself and it looks fine. I have also done borders on 3 sides leaving none on top. This also looks good when spread on the bed

[K. McEuen]

Re: Quilt Size/Borders

I would say 60 by 84 or so would be good for a bunk bed mattress. Adding a little bit so no toes stick out.

BTW;
30 blocks
14 x 5 = 70 - 2" (for seams) = 68
14 x 6 = 84 - 2.5" = 81.5

28 Blocks
14 x 4 = 56 - 1.5" = 54.5
14 x 7 = 98 - 3" = 95

Your numbers seemed off to me on the measurements of layouts. This is what I came up with. I would use the first 5 by 6 layout and add the extra blocks, one in each corner so the Z isn't all alone with the four extras. If you did that layout, I think you could get away with no border or a very narrow one.

[asta]

Re: Quilt Size/Borders

Years ago I made an alphabet quilt that sounds similar, wanted it wider so I put a wide border of a solid color-blue and appliqued numbers 1-10 on the border.

[Caroline T.]

Re: Quilt Size/Borders

For layout, if you do the 5 x 6 blocks: you could leave all four outer most blocks, basically blank (no letters) or just a fun print, and the top and bottom rows, the three center blocks could be A, B, C and X, Y, Z.

Then side borders to get the width you want, bottom border the same size as side borders, and finish with top border at the size needed to get the length you want (Tops usually are either tucked under a pillow or over and behind the pillow, so more of the top row of letters would be visible and not hidden by a pillow).

IMO it would be more balanced.

(Sorry K - after reading more of this thread, I realized you had already given this suggestion).