sandpat

You'll need to cut the other side as close as the right side is cut to kinda balance it out. So, make sure the right side is straight, then use your ruler and cut either the top or bottom (making sure you are making it square), then cut the left side as close as the right side is cut---just eyeball it, then finish the last side. Remember that you will be including your 1/4" seam allowance..It won't be perfect, but the animals will be fine..the background is the only thing effected. It will be a pretty quilt!

sylviak

It almost looks like the scene continued on and it was cut to make individual blocks of each animal. Do any of the blocks fit together like that? I like the applique idea...cutting around the picture and then applique on blocks.

sandy12010

I have around 50 of them. I think the person that had them before put a piece of material on the back and then slit it and stuff the picture to make it stand out that is what one of the ones I got has on the back of it and is stuff a little. but I dont want to do that

amma

My grama made quilts like that in the late 60's early 70's :D:D:D

You can trim them so they all show just some white around some of the edges. Don't worry about some of the sides with the greenery :wink: just keep enough white around the animals so they don't get cut off.

Then measure them, figure out the difference between the smallest and biggest square.
Add different colored sashing strips to each block (green on one block, brown on another, etc) in a width to bring them all up to the same size.

If your largest block is 6", add 1 1/2" sashing strips to them (9" block).
If your smallest block is 4 1/2" add sashing strips 2 1/4" to them (9" block).

You can pick out a few widths of sashing strips, sew them onto the blocks and then square them up to 9". Unless you want to measure them all out :wink:

You can lay them out randomly, and the blocks will be offset, none will line up perfectly, but that is ok, it is the style now :D:D:D

quiltsRfun

That's what I'd do too. Put a border around them to frame and it would look like you planned it if they're all trimmed the same.

CoyoteQuilts

After the blocks are together you are the only one that will know how they started. As long as your animal is all there I wouldn't worry about the background stuff.

To test what you like take a piece of paper or tape several together, cut out the center the size of the block you would like them to be and lay it on each of the blocks to see if it would work on all of them. This way there is no cutting at first, no mistakes and you can see what they would look like before cutting. Also, doing it this way you will be able to move the opening around and capture just what you want.

Good luck!

beberle

Another way, make it w/a picture frame look. I'm not sure that's what it is called, but I always thought that looks neat. Anyway you do it will look nice.

Carron

Have you thought about doing the "window in the attic" quilt. There you can use all of your animals and can cut out as much of the unnecessary background you want. The placement of each animal will not have to be centered and un-squared blocks will not be a problem.

peppermint31

I also like the attic window idea. that way you can have more of the white back ground in the upper left hand corner and it would look normal. I guess that will only work if all the blocks are short on the right side. (SIGH) I hate how the preprinted panels are NOT square

moreland

You might add borders (sashing?) to the blocks then square up the blocks at that stage. I had a quilting teacher suggest that to me for some squares I'd inherited that were not the same size--not a lot off but some. Squaring the border I put around the block instead of the
block itself worked and it was not noticeable in the finished quilt top.