Quilt Sashing Calculator

Quilt sashing is fabric strips sewn between quilt blocks, usually in rows and columns. Sashing visibly unites all of the quilt blocks and, depending on the complexity of the designs can be a dominant design feature.

It can also enlarge a small quilt and provide visual interest by changing the color of the sashing throughout the quilt. Because having two patchwork squares side by side in a quilt can look unappealing, sashing is employed to offer a unique pattern.

Sashing strips can be made of plain fabric or pieced strips and can be found in both straight and on-point quilt designs.

To add more interest to your quilt, you can also add cornerstones, sometimes known as ‘posts,’ within the sashing.

Cornerstones are little squares that go down the center of each row of quilt sashing. They can be made from a single square of cloth or they can incorporate quilt design components such as a nine-patch or quarter-square triangle block.

Quilt sashing must be calculated to ensure that the quilt pattern is visually appealing and proportional, as well as to determine the amount of fabric needed to complete the quilt.

Accurate calculations will help you avoid having two patchwork squares next to each other in a quilt, which can seem unpleasant.

Calculating the quilt sashing also allows you to determine how much fabric you’ll need for the sashing and, if necessary, the cornerstones that separate each row of quilt sashing.

Furthermore, calculating quilt sashing is critical when determining the finished width and length of your quilt, since this may change the total number of blocks, cornerstones, and sashings required.

When using sashing in an on-point quilt arrangement, the sashing calculation is included when calculating the side and corner triangles, resulting in a balanced pattern.

Follow these steps to figure out quilt sashing:

• Choose the width of the sashing: Think about how big your blocks are when you decide how wide your sashing should be. As an example, [6], the golden ratio (about 1.618) can be used as a guideline.
• Measure the height and width of your quilt blocks to get an idea of how big the sashing strips you’ll need to cut will need to be.
• Sashing yardage: There is no easy method for figuring out how much sashing your quilt will need. Instead, you’ll have to figure it out based on how many rows of blocks you want and how wide you want the space between them. The above tool can assist you in calculating the yardage required for sashing and cornerstones, if applicable.
• Cut sash strips to the lengths set in steps 1 and 2. The sashing strips should be the same length as your quilt blocks and the same width as the sashing width you picked.
• Sew the sashing strips to the quilt blocks and push the seams inward. If your quilt pattern calls for them, cut cornerstones to size and sew them into the sashing rows as you sew the blocks and sashing strips together.

Remember to include the sashing in the block size when calculating the side and corner triangles for an on-point quilt. If you are setting the quilt with 2″ finished sashing and your finished block size is 8″, you’ll need setting triangles for a 10″ finished block size (8″ block + 2″ sashing).