Forty-two finished blocks is an answer looking for its question: 6 × 7? 7 × 6 with sashing? The calculator lists every grid your count makes, the size of each, and how sashing or a border stretches the one you like toward the size you want. Use it to preview a quilt design before any fabric is cut.
Your Blocks
Your Options
6layouts
for 42 blocks of 10″
The 6 × 7 set makes 60 × 70 in. Nudge the sashing and border fields to steer any layout toward a target size.
- 6 × 760 × 70 in
- 7 × 670 × 60 in
- 5 × 8 (2 spare)50 × 80 in
- 4 × 10 (2 spare)40 × 100 in
- 8 × 5 (2 spare)80 × 50 in
- 10 × 4 (2 spare)100 × 40 in
The Formula
size = n × block + (n − 1) × sashing + 2 × border, each direction · layouts = the factor pairs of your countEvery way to arrange the blocks is a factor pair, and near-pairs that leave a few blocks over are often the better quilt: four spare blocks are a pillow.
Worked Example
Forty-two 10 in blocks:
- 6 × 7 → 60 × 70, the natural throw.
- With 2 in sashing: 70 × 82: suddenly a twin.
- 5 × 8 (two spare) → 50 × 80: a narrow bed runner of a quilt, plus a pillow from the spares.
Choosing Between Layouts
- Beds like longer-than-wide; throws sit square-ish. The common targets: 50 × 65 throw, 70 × 90 twin, 90 × 100 queen.
- Sashing is the cheap inch: each internal strip adds its width; it stretches a short count toward a bed size without piecing more blocks.
- Odd counts: primes only make strips: a 13-block quilt is 1 × 13 or needs a different plan (on point, or a medallion with the blocks as a frame).
Assumptions and Defaults
- Layouts list factor pairs and the one-off near-pairs that leave at most three blocks spare.
- Sashing and border apply to every listed layout’s size.
- Straight sets; the on-point calculator runs the diagonal version.
Layout Questions, Answered
What quilt layouts can I make with my block count?
The layouts you can make with a block count are its factor pairs, so 42 blocks make 6 × 7 or 7 × 6, plus near-fits such as 5 × 8 with two blocks to spare. The list above sizes each layout at your block size, so choose by the finished measurements rather than the arithmetic.
How do I reach a bed size with too few blocks?
To reach a bed size with too few blocks, add sashing and borders: 42 ten-inch blocks reach twin size with 2 in sashing alone. Wider borders add more, since a 6 in border adds a foot to each dimension.
What if my block count is a prime number?
If your block count is a prime number, make one more block, or set one aside for the back or a label. Otherwise, a prime count sets beautifully on point with plain alternate blocks, where it no longer needs to fill a rectangular grid.