Blocking Quilts

Back in 2017 I wrote a lengthy post about blocking quilts (you can find it here) and since it’s been seven years (Oh. My. Gosh!) I thought I’d share my two cents on blocking quilts again.

There’s a lot of debate about blocking. People definitely have thoughts on the process. Below I share what blocking is, why you block (or not) and how to do it.

What is Blocking?

It’s the process of squaring up your quilt after it’s been quilted so it’s flat and square.

Why Do You Block a Quilt?

You block to make your quilt flat and square, and you can do it for a few different reasons.

• You want to put your quilt in a show or you made a wholecloth quilt or wall hanging.
• Your quilt has a ruffled or wavy edge that you want removed
• You can’t stand quilts that aren’t quite square.

Show Quilts

As a general rule, show quilts be blocked. Show quilts, especially quilts in juried shows, are measured when they are judged to make sure they are square.

Do you have to block a quilt for a show? No, but if you hope to get a ribbon it’s a good step to take.

Do all shows consider this? I’m not sure is the honest answer but most judges I’ve heard speak about the process have shared that they measure to make sure they award ribbons to square quilts.

I’ll go ahead and take a minute to note that I’m a fairly traditional quilter so my pool of knowledge, especially with regard to shows I’ve entered, may be a little more limited than more modern quilters/shows. Keep that in mind as you read this. Different shows have different rules and different judging criteria.

Wholecloth Quilts and Wall Hangings

It’s easy to tell when a wholecloth quilt isn’t square because the stitching, borders, etc. aren’t even along the edges. Wall hangings that don’t lie flat on the wall are easily identifiable as not blocked and squared.

Ruffled or Wavy Quilt Edges

When we piece or quilt a quilt, we risk creating wave. You can do everything correctly – squaring blocks and borders as you go – and it still happens. It’s possible your top isn’t square. It’s possible the top is square but when you quilt it, you get a ruffled or wavy edge. It happens. The good news? You can fix it when you block a quilt!

Quilts That Aren’t Square Get on My Nerves

Quilt not quite square and it’s driving you crazy? Block it.

Do You Need to Block Your Quilt?

Here’s where things get a little messy. Do you need to block your quilt? No. You don’t. It’s entirely up to you. If I’m putting a quilt in a show, if I’ve made a wall hanging or I have ruffled edges, I’ll block it. BUT, if a quilt has slightly ruffled edges and I’m using it on a bed or know it will be well loved and washed again and again, I won’t block it. You can use your judgement to decide what’s best.

How Do You Block a Quilt?

There are multiple ways to block a quilt. Everyone has a method and I’m showing you what works for me. I’ve blocked quilts on carpet, a rug, foam insulation board and now I use dense foam blocks with a 1″ pre-marked grid on them. Some quilters block before a quilt is bound. I like to block a quilt after it’s bound. If you block a quilt this will come down to personal preference. I block after binding to ensure that I don’t distort the quilt when I bind. I know it shouldn’t happen but this is my extra ounce of prevention.

Measure your quilt before beginning so you know (approximately) what size it should finish when you start to block it. Cotton can shrink anywhere from 3-5% so the quilt may be slightly smaller when you lay it out to block it. You can stretch it some, but knowing your starting point is an important first step.

Get Your Quilt Wet

Before doing anything, wash and wet your quilt in a washing machine or the tub.

If you put your quilt in the washing machine, add a few color catchers and put the machine on a gentle cycle. When it’s finished, gently roll the quilt onto a towel* for transport. It’s easier to get a quilt out of a washer if you have a front loader because it rolls right out. If you have a top loader like me, I wad the quilt in the basin, grab under it with both hands and quickly put it on a towel. Experiment with what works best for you.

If you wash your quilt in a tub (be sure to use some color catchers!), wash and rinse the quit to get get it good and saturated, then press out as much water as you can. I just use my hands and press down into the lob of quilt I’ve created. It’s important that you get as much water as possible out of the quilt before transporting it. You can roll the quilt out of the tub onto a beach towel to take to the washing machine for a spin or take it to be blocked.

If the quilt is still heavy from all the water, I’ll put it in the washing machine on a spin cycle to get out some excess water. If you do this, be sure to roll the quilt out of the machine and onto a towel for transport.

*What’s Up With the Towels?

Transport wet quilts on towels. This allows the towel to carry weight of the quilt. That means you are less likely to damage your quilt from the weight from the water, i.e., no popped stitches or seams.

Why Does the Quilt Have to be Wet?

You block a wet, or damp, quilt to block because cotton fibers (cellulose) stretch when wet. This allows you to gently manipulate the quilt when you block it. The stretch means you can pull a side or corner of the quilt to make it lie flat.

The ability for cotton fibers to stretch is also the reason you transport wet quilts on a towel. The weight can stretch the fibers and cause them to break.

What Do I Do With This Wet Quilt?

Once your quilt is washed and wet (or just wet), it’s go time! This is where the fun begins!

As I mentioned previously, you can block on carpet, foam insulation board, dense foam, or any other way you choose. If you block on carpet or foam board you will need rulers, pins and a tape measure. If you block on pre-marked dense foam, you’ll just need pins.

Blocking on Carpet

In my old house, I worked in semi-finished basement room with an inexpensive carpet over the concrete foundation. I blocked quilts on that rug from time to time. The carpet on foundation trick worked extremely well. I had a really solid, stable surface, I didn’t have to worry about t-pins scratching the floor and my quilts came out unbelievably square. So if you have an unfinished basement, get an inexpensive piece of carpet (perhaps a remnant?) and use that on the floor if you have space. Works like a charm.

Insulation Board

Insulation board is a great, affordable way to block a quilt. You can buy it in 4’x8′ sheets. I had the home improvement store cut the board into 4′ square pieces so I could get it home. You can also buy 2′ square pieces of insulation board. The smaller pieces are more expensive but if you can’t fit large sheets of insulation board in your car then it’s the way to go.

Tape the insulation board together. I used painters tape because it’s easy to remove so I can store the 4’x4′ boards in the workroom.

Pre-Marked Dense Foam Boards

A few years ago I found some gridded dense foam boards to use for blocking. The foam boards I have measure 12” x 12” and are about 3/4” thick. They were marketed towards knitters** and came in a pack of 9 so I bought 4 packages and can easily block 72” square quilts (or 60” x 80” or any number of sizes). Each board has 1” markings so I can line up the grids knowing I’ll have straight edges to use to create a large square or rectangle to block quilts.

The edges of the boards interlock for easy assembly and storage. I keep mine stacked under a table when not in use.

** There are a variety of knitting blocking boards on the market. Search online to find what works best for you. The boards I bought are no longer being manufactured.

It’s Go Time

Now that you have a wet quilt and a way to block your quilt, it’s go time.

Open the quilt flat onto the board(s). You do not need to pull or stretch it, just open it.  I make a few initial measurements (see diagram below).  I block my quilts to the largest measurements. For example, if I measure 76″, 76 1/2″ and 77 1/4″ from top to bottom of a quilt, I make sure the quilt is 77 1/4″ long across left, center and right of the quilt.

Use t-pins to secure the quilt to the carpet, foam insulation or foam boards, gently stretching the quilt where necessary. You can read more about how I use foam insulation or carpet here in my earlier post.

I like to block with the binding on the quilt. I do this for two reasons:

• First, the quilt can stretch when you sew on the binding after a quilt is blocked. If the binding is sewn down then I can’t stretch it as easily, though I have done that too. I use bias binding on my quilts so I have the ability to stretch the quilt.
• Second, you can stick t-pins into the quilt where the binding meets the top of the quilt. Pin holes will disappear and if you see any you can use your fingers to manipulate the fabric back into place.

Because I use gridded foam, I can easily block my quilt following the 1” markings. T-pins are great to use when blocking quilts because they are fairly heavy and the ‘t’ at the top gives you a little extra area when you are getting the pin into the board.

See how the boards lock with one another and the grid matches from board to board? That makes easier to get a straight edge on your quilt when you pin it and takes the guess work out of the equation. You can say goodbye to those rulers when you block!

Now What?

Once you have the quilt square, leave it to dry. I like to put a fan on the quilt to help it dry faster. If it’s a nice day, I’ll leave the quilt outside to dry. I put a white sheet on top to keep of animals and debris.

After the quilt is dry, remove the pins and enjoy!

Have a Different Method?

Do you have a different method to block your quilts? I’m always interested in learning different techniques in quilting. If you block your quilt differently, I’d love to hear more about your process.