Palazzo Quiltalong: Blocks Part 2

We’ve been working on our Palazzo quiltalong, the free quilt pattern that we designed that you can find here. So far, we’ve picked fabric and started on our blocks. Last week was the first half of the blocks, and this week we’ve been doing more of the same. But that means that once you’ve finished your 16 Palazzo blocks, you can stitch them together and make a 48″ square center.

Last time we talked about tips for cutting pieces and squaring up so that your blocks go together quickly. This time let’s talk about layout, or at least my quick tips to create a balanced layout in a scrappy quilt. Because you’ve worked hard on your Palazzo blocks, and this is a no-stress quiltalong, which includes not stressing over layout. So here we go:

• If you’ve been trying and trying to get your layout to be even and it just isn’t working, channel your inner cat or call it 52 card (block) pickup, and mess that layout up. Then just get them back in the right configuration, in this case four rows of four, and see where you are. A lot of times we can sort of just worry the problem to death and you need to give yourself space to start fresh.
• If you have a color or fabric that seems like an outlier, it needs a friend. Or a group of friends. But the total number times you use it in your quilt needs to be an odd number. For me, that was with the more golden yellow rather than green yellow in my block centers. I still wanted to include it for the variation, but it needed to walk the line of being in there enough and not overwhelming the other colors.
• If you’re working within a single fabric line or designer or have times where you have the same print in different color ways, I try not to have those blocks sitting next to each other. The key word here is try, some times it’s unavoidable. And if it really bothers you, go back to the first point above.
• If you are truly going for scrappy, pay attention to what is going on in your corner blocks. Even though they’re not touching, they’ll still appear as a visual unit if you end up having the same fabrics there. So give them an extra once over before you finalize your layout.
• Speaking of finalizing your layout, take a picture of it to have handy so you remember where blocks go. Because cats and kids and people walking by happen, and sometimes blocks move from where you had them planned.

I want to point out that how I work is total chaos, and how Brenda from Eye Candy Quilts works is much more precise and thoughtful. So if the thought of messing up your carefully thought out layout because you have fabrics touching makes you panic, let the fabrics touch. No one will notice. And your quilt will be beautiful.

Reminder that next week we’re going to work on the outer pieced border, not the fussy cut border print. You still have time to find your perfect fabric and get it delivered if you haven’t gotten it yet. Can’t wait to see what you pick!